Civil service career attracts those who want to help

Fan Zhu, a senior at Guangxi University for Nationalities, knew she had failed the local civil service examination when she saw her name was not on the list for a health checkup.

"Maybe I didn't perform well in the interview," she says. "I should attend the training courses before I take the exam next year."

Fan had rejected several job offers before registering for the civil service exam.

"Being a civil servant is my top priority in my career plan," says the 21-year-old, who has decided to take a temporary job and sit the exam next year.

Like many young Chinese today, Fan says she would prefer the government job not only because of its stability but also for its social recognition, thanks to the country's intensified anti-corruption efforts over the past decade and civil servants' contribution in helping the masses overcome difficulties.

Wang Xiaoxi has worked for five years as a civil servant in Wuhan, Hubei province.

The 32-year-old who works in a district organizational department, says the government has made great efforts to optimize its recruitment process to guarantee openness and transparency.

"Based on my observations and experience, there's no chance that someone could get in through a back door here, or use their connections or influence to secure advantages," she says.

During Wuhan's lockdown in early 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19, Wang stuck to her post to provide logistical support for people in need, despite being pregnant.

"Facing the unknown virus, very few of my colleagues were hesitant to work on the front lines as community and delivery workers. Protecting people amid uncertainty is our responsibility," she says.

The actions of civil servants during the pandemic and China's poverty alleviation campaign have given more young people enthusiasm for the profession.

"Their contribution and sacrifices make me more determined to be a servant for our people," says Fan.

Born in a rural area of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Fan has witnessed profound changes in her village over recent years thanks to the country's poverty alleviation and rural revitalization campaigns.

"Civil servants at the grassroots level, who have worked hard to help families shake off poverty, also encouraged me to bring tangible benefits to the public," she adds.

Though civil service posts in villages and townships may be tougher than those in cities, Fan would like to work on rural revitalization.

Su Yuemei, a 25-year-old from Long'an county in Guangxi, has worked hard to become a civil servant. She has taken the local civil service exam every year since 2018, and finally got an offer this year.

The reinforcement of anti-corruption efforts is necessary to promote the modernization of the national governance system and governing capabilities, she says.

Guangxi plans to recruit 2,905 civil servants in 2021, and the number of applicants for the exam now exceeds 160,000.

"The number of newly recruited civil servants in Guangxi has been declining in recent years, but the overall number of applicants has remained stable," says Li Hongwei, head of the Guangxi branch of Huatu Education, a training institution for civil service exams.

More than 50 percent of their trainees are fresh graduates.

Wei Wanqing, vice-president of the School of Public Policy and Management at Guangxi University, says: "So many young people choose to apply to the civil service every year, which shows their recognition of the country's effective anti-corruption efforts as well as the profession."

Xinhua