Greater talent at entry level is ideal for industry’s evolution

A youngster’s wish to become a car mechanic after studying engineering in the United States has triggered a debate on China’s social networking sites.

Sun Zhengyang, who received a master’s degree in supply chain engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology last year, decided to work at a garage on returning to Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Many people see his career choice as a waste of resources and talent, because a car mechanic does not necessarily require a master’s degree in engineering. Some even said that Sun’s decision was proof of how diplomas from overseas are much “devalued” nowadays.

Sun cares little for what others think. He explained to the media that he was interested in cars since childhood and starting as garage mechanic fits well with his career plans. He said he wants to pick up very basic hands-on experience before moving up the management ladder. He added that car mechanics are not underpaid as many believe; he earns an annual salary of 300,000 yuan ($43,410) after just six months in the job, higher than what many with white collar jobs do in China Hangzhou.

Sun’s decision is an excellent counter to some people’s prejudices about career choices. Some people treat blue-collar jobs as inferior to white-collar jobs only because those don’t require higher education and the pay is not always outstanding.

But that mindset only shows that they are not keeping up with the times. These days, pay is decided by factors such as skills and market demand. With the economic and social environment undergoing major changes, many blue-collar jobs are in great demand these days and guarantee good pay.

Every industry requires high level of talent for evolution. Sun’s decision to start at the bottom is actually good for his growth. It is also good so see youngsters like Sun make wise career choices by disregarding social bias and going against the trend.