Recently, a piece of news about a Wuhan University graduate working as a security guard being summoned back to his alma mater has gone viral, sparking widespread public attention. On January 28th, the individual, Mr. Xiong, posted a video stating that being a security guard is not an easy job, and he has been dismissed.
Some netizens believe that his multiple career choices have educational significance for others, while some think that Wuhan University lacks confidence in its actions.
Previously, Mr. Xiong attracted attention for sharing his career experiences while wearing a security guard uniform on the internet. Some comments in the online community expressed disappointment that the “security guard series story just started and it’s already ending.” Mr. Xiong replied, “It will definitely continue, but my account has been restricted.”
Mr. Xiong’s videos have English subtitles, with the general idea being “the video went viral, viewers went crazy, and I got fired.” In his various videos, Mr. Xiong inserts English phrases and has also shared his experiences learning English.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media such as Cover News, Mr. Xiong stated that school counselors contacted him to inquire about his experiences.
Mr. Xiong believes that not all graduates from prestigious universities can be entrepreneurs or professors, and some may work in delivery or as security guards. He emphasizes that different professions do not tarnish the reputation of the alma mater.
Mr. Xiong shared that he is from the post-80s generation and grew up in difficult circumstances with average grades and hardly any awards. In fifth grade, he started studying hard and eventually got admitted from a rural area in Dawu County, Hubei Province into the Material Science Department of Wuhan University of Technology, becoming the first student from his village to attend a prestigious university.
In 2008, Mr. Xiong abandoned his plans for postgraduate studies and found his first job at a car manufacturing company. “At that time, many people had not even heard of this car company. My father thought it was a state-owned car factory, a stable job. But after working there for two months, he left.”
“I had nothing to do every day and felt anxious. I applied to the sales department, but the company asked me to wait. I couldn’t wait, so I decisively left. The classmates who stayed back then are now in senior positions at the company,” Mr. Xiong said. He mentioned that, at that time, he tried to make quick money outside, which he did, but in the long run, this decision created a gap between him and his former classmates.
Mr. Xiong mentioned experiencing “temptations” and opportunities in the past two years, as well as facing the hardships of the industry.
He shared that around 2020, due to various reasons, his entrepreneurial endeavors failed, resulting in three years of unemployment until the end of 2025, when he became a security guard through a friend’s recommendation. However, he has now lost this job as well.