A new engineering era

More graduates opt for blue-collar life

By Li Hongyang | CHINA DAILY

The 31-year-old said he has a master's in international management from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, and he used to work as an analyst for a State-owned financial enterprise.

His decision to abandon his office job and become a blue-collar worker is at odds with the accepted career path of most university graduates.

Last month, China News Service posted a video detailing Zhang's change of occupation on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like service. It provoked widespread discussion about whether young people who have enjoyed higher education should waste their talent on "petty" jobs.

Zhang said: "Most people treat waste collection as a low-end job. When I am sorting recyclable materials from smelly garbage, passing parents sometimes warn their curious children to keep away from me and my trash pile.

"I feel uncomfortable hearing those words, but I know what I am doing because waste sorting is a promising industry in China. I plan to devote myself to this career and maybe open my own business in the sector."

Having started his new life in December, the native of Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, buys recyclable waste from local residents and carries it by truck to a recycling station where he sells it at a profit.

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