When Did a 9-to-5 Job with Weekends Off Become a Luxury?
At some point, the most basic demand of workers—a 9-to-6 schedule with weekends off—has become a luxury. As a friend put it, “In Guangzhou, having two-day weekends feels illegal.” Many companies have scrapped the standard weekend, adopting a “big-small week” system (alternating between one and two weekend days off), and some even limit employees to just four days off per month.
The current job market is brutal, and the pressure is overwhelming. Many young people now hesitate to buy homes, cars, or even get married and have kids.
A few years ago, housing prices skyrocketed, and people rushed to buy property. But with the pandemic and prices already at their peak, the market has crashed. Homeowners are now stuck with mortgages on properties that have lost half their value—yet they still have to pay the bank every month. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Some might say, “Guangzhou is huge, with so many companies—how hard can it be to find a decent job?” But once you open a job-hunting app, you’ll quickly realize: there are plenty of jobs, but very few good ones.
If you truly want to establish yourself in this city, you often don’t have the luxury of being picky. Many students look down on campus recruitment, thinking, “There’ll be tons of opportunities after graduation—why worry?” But here’s some advice: take campus recruitment seriously. It includes spring and fall job fairs, offers a wide range of positions, and is a golden opportunity.
I know two people from the same major. One landed a job at a well-known company through campus recruitment, while the other searched for work after graduation. Now, the first earns over 10K/month, while the second makes just 6K. The difference is stark.
The campus hire also climbed the ladder fast—starting at 5K, they became a trainer and a junior manager in just a few years. The key? Campus hires don’t require work experience. Most post-grad jobs do, but how are fresh grads supposed to have that? Companies at job fairs focus on potential, training newcomers from scratch. The better choice is obvious.
If you don’t want to graduate unemployed, plan ahead. If you dream of a stable 9-to-6 job with weekends off, start preparing in college. Government jobs (考编) are also a solid option—at least they offer stability.
In this cutthroat era, we must constantly upgrade our skills to stay relevant. If you know video editing, use your free time to monetize it. If you want to do social media, start learning now. In today’s world, having multiple skills is never a bad thing.
Look at how self-media has exploded—from WeChat blogs and Douyin to Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, and even niche platforms like Dewu. Everyone’s niche is different; find yours.
Guangzhou’s metro system is notorious, especially “Line 3 of Death,” with a daily ridership of 1.39 million—far surpassing other lines. But honestly, whether it’s Line 2 or 3, weekday rush hours are always packed, and crowd control is routine.
Beyond the endless metro struggles, rent, utilities, food, and clothing eat up most of your salary. For ordinary people, life here means endless bowls of cheap pork rice and soup.
The city is vast, with towering skyscrapers and streets bustling late into the night—yet we feel so small in it.
The only way to survive and thrive here is to keep exploring new paths and learning new skills.
Wishing you all a year of steady progress, success in your fields, and overflowing prosperity! That’s all for today—see you next time!
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