China receptionist jobs sees 10,000 applicants

China :  Erving tea and receiving guests may not be everyone’s dream job, but it was a good enough prospect to make nearly 10,000 people apply for one receptionist job.

The results of China’s annual civil service exams came out this week, the first step in the highly competitive civil service recruitment drive.

The job that received the most applicants – a record-setting 9,837 – was the opening for “China Democratic League public reception staff”.

The Democratic League is one of several minority political parties in the country which have very limited powers, and is hardly seen as a prestigious placement.

So why are so many people hoping to be its receptionist?

With so many applicants every year and China’s ongoing anti-corruption drive, government departments have started to become more stringent in their hiring, asking for graduates with higher qualifications and more specific skills.

“Some jobs have attracted many people because they have broader requirements for education and professional and work experience,” civil service spokesman Li Zhong told People’s Daily.

Anyone with a bachelor’s degree and two years of “grassroots experience” can apply for the Democratic League job, according to report .