It seems that academic education does not guarantee a good job. Vocational school graduates are preferred in employment interviews and in Taiwan's job market. These are findings of a survey of business executives conducted by the 1111 Job Bank.

Some 70 percent of the executives responding to the survey said they attach importance to job seekers' educational backgrounds, saying the backgrounds reflect the candidates' common sense, work attitude and professional capability, the survey found.

The executives polled were from the education sector, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, the medical, agricultural and husbandry sectors as well as high-technology companies, in that order.

Most companies in the service sector, however, said they don't care much about a job seeker's educational background, according to the poll.

Meanwhile, 75 percent of companies responding to the poll said they had hired people whose educational backgrounds were not in line with requirements but who had great potential and work experience.

The 1111 Job Bank conducted the poll online from April 4 to April 20 and collected 340 valid responses from companies and organizations.

Seventy-three percent of respondents said that when conducting interviews, they do not necessarily hire applicants with the highest level of education. The reason for this, according to the survey is that the executives believe people with high levels of education tend to think highly of themselves and give themselves airs and graces. On current statistics that seem to suggest that the unemployment rate for workers rises in direct proportion to the amount of education they have had, survey respondents cited several factors. The most common factor however was the perception that highly educated people have "grandiose aims but little ability."

It was also found that business companies were most satisfied with staff members holding diplomas from vocational colleges, followed by university graduates.

The vocational school graduates were the "favorite" workers because their professional capabilities conform to their job requirements and they don't put on airs, according to the survey.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 04/23/2010 page2)