After graduating from Peking University, Ms. Huang, a graduate student, made headlines for choosing to stay at the university and work as a cafeteria management trainee. This news sparked a wide discussion. On March 28 this year, the topic resurfaced in mainland Chinese media and started trending on Weibo. However, a blogger recently revealed on social media that as early as May 2024, Ms. Huang had already left her job at the university cafeteria.
Ms. Huang graduated from Peking University in 2022 with a master’s degree in Health Communication from the School of Journalism and Communication. After obtaining her master’s degree, she decided to stay at the university and work as a cafeteria staff member. The topic of a “Peking University graduate working as a cafeteria staff” gained popularity online, with many people questioning the underutilization of her talents and the perceived waste of her education. At that time, Ms. Huang explained that she chose to work in the university cafeteria to ensure that everyone could have affordable, healthy, and delicious meals.
She further stated that compared to working in a big corporation, working in the cafeteria did not require intense mental labor, and it was the happiest period of her life so far.
However, according to a post by the Netease account “Red Aunt Entertainment,” this graduate student recently spoke up again, revealing that she had resigned from the university cafeteria in May last year.
She initially hesitated to bring up the topic of being a cafeteria staff member after graduating from Peking University, fearing it might reflect poorly on her alma mater. However, she eventually decided to share her thoughts since she had already left the university cafeteria and wanted to discuss her feelings about resigning.
She explained that when she first graduated at the age of 26, she felt young and chose to stay at the Peking University cafeteria despite not having a Beijing hukou (household registration), job stability, or high salary.
She recently realized that her initial idealistic thoughts were too naive; ideals alone cannot sustain a living, and one needs financial stability before pursuing higher aspirations. Consequently, she chose to resign and is now working as a cafeteria manager at a catering company.
On April 8, Red Star News contacted Ms. Huang, who confirmed that she had indeed left her position at the Peking University cafeteria. She stated, “I will work wherever I can operate a healthy cafeteria.”
University officials from Peking University also confirmed that Ms. Huang had graduated from the university and had indeed resigned from her position last year.
This renewed discussion has sparked further debates online. Many netizens commented, “The idea was too naive. Can a cafeteria staff member alone determine if the food in the cafeteria is affordable, healthy, and hygienic?” “Even with a degree in Journalism and Communication, it’s not easy to find a job in the current environment, even at Peking University.”
Previous reports:
Peking University Graduate Works as Cafeteria Staff After Graduation, Goes Viral on Social Media.