Frontiers in Business, Economics and Management ISSN: 2766-824X | Vol. 17, No. 1, 2024 151 Current Situation of University Students' Employment and Countermeasures Liu Yang Graduate University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 11000, Mongolia Abstract: This paper analyses the market environment, characteristics, and difficulties and challenges faced by college students in terms of the current employment status of college students. Through investigation and research, it is found that the changes in the social and economic environment, the inadequacy of the education system and the lack of personal ability of college students have jointly led to the problem of difficult employment of college students. The article puts forward the coping strategies at the three levels of the government, colleges and universities and individual college students, with a view to improving the employment situation of college students. At the same time, this article summarises some successful employment experiences through case analysis, which provides useful reference for college students' employment. Keywords: University students, Employment situation, Countermeasures, Job market, Education system. 1. Introduction With the rapid development of social economy, college students, as the representatives of high-quality talents, have been increasingly widely concerned about their employment problems. In recent years, the employment situation of college students is grim and the competition in the employment market is fierce, which makes the employment problem of college students become the focus of social attention. In this context, this thesis aims to analyse the status quo of college students’ employment, explore the factors affecting college students’ employment, and put forward corresponding countermeasures, with a view to providing useful reference for the solution of college students' employment problems. 2. Analysis of the Employment Situation of College Students 2.1. General Situation of Employment Market With the rapid development of social economy, the employment market is also changing. At present, the employment market of college students presents some new features and trends. Firstly, the competition in the employment market is fierce. As a large number of college students graduate every year, the supply of the employment market is far greater than the demand, leading to more and more intense competition for college students' employment. In addition, with the adjustment of economic structure and the progress of science and technology, the employment positions in some traditional industries are gradually decreasing, while the demand for employment positions in emerging industries has not yet been fully formed, which also makes the employment of college students face greater pressure. The demand for talents in the job market has changed. With the development of the economy, the market demand for talents is also changing. At present, the market is more in need of high-quality talents with innovation and practical ability. Therefore, college students in the employment process need to continuously improve their comprehensive quality, to adapt to the changes in market demand. Again, the regional differences in the employment market are obvious. Due to the developed economy of China's eastern coastal areas, the demand for talent is greater, and there are relatively more employment opportunities; while the central and western regions due to the relative lag in economic development, the job market is relatively small, and it is more difficult for college students to find employment [1]. Finally, the industry differences in the job market are obvious. Some popular industries, such as the Internet, finance, real estate, etc., have better employment prospects due to rapid development and greater demand for talents; while some traditional industries, such as agriculture and manufacturing, have relatively poor employment prospects. To sum up, the overall situation of the current employment market for college students is characterised by fierce competition, changing demand, regional differences and industry differences. In the process of employment, college students need to fully understand the market situation, improve their own quality, and actively cope with the challenges of employment. 2.2. Characteristics of College Students' Employment Firstly, from the perspective of industry, college students' employment is mainly concentrated in manufacturing, IT, finance, education, medical and other fields. Among them, the manufacturing industry is the largest field of employment for college students because of the large number of jobs and relatively low threshold, and the IT and financial industries are also favoured by college students because of their high salaries and good development prospects [2]. Secondly, from the perspective of positions, college students are mainly employed in junior positions, such as sales, technical support, administrative assistants, etc. These positions usually do not require much work experience. These positions usually do not require high work experience, but require a certain degree of professional knowledge and comprehensive quality. Again, from the geographical point of view, the employment of college students is mainly concentrated in first- and second- tier cities. This is because first- and second-tier cities have a high level of economic development, many employment opportunities and good salaries. At the same time, the quality 152 of life and infrastructure in first- and second-tier cities are also relatively good. In addition, the employment of college students shows some other characteristics. For example, female students have a higher employment rate in education, medical care and finance industries, while male students have a higher employment rate in manufacturing and IT industries. In addition, the employment positions and salary levels of undergraduates are generally higher than those of specialists, and the employment advantages of postgraduate education are even more obvious [3]. Overall, the employment characteristics of college students are affected by a variety of factors, including industry demand, geographical differences, gender ratio and so on. Understanding these characteristics helps college students to better position themselves in the employment process, targeting to improve their personal ability and job search skills, so as to improve their employment competitiveness. 2.3. Employment Difficulties and Challenges for College Students With the rapid development of social economy, the employment problem of college students is becoming more and more prominent. In the context of the gradual popularisation of higher education in China, the competitive pressure on the employment of college students is increasing, facing many difficulties and challenges [4]. First of all, the imbalance between supply and demand in the employment market is a major problem for college students' employment. With the expansion of colleges and universities, the number of graduates continues to grow every year, while the growth rate of employment positions can not keep up with the growth in the number of graduates. This has led to difficulties for some college students in finding suitable jobs after graduation. Secondly, the change of college students' concept of employment is also a major challenge. In the past, university students were regarded as the ‘proud sons of God’, and it was relatively easy for them to find employment. However, in the current social environment, college students need to abandon the past superiority, set up a correct employment concept, improve their own quality, in order to adapt to the fierce market competition. In addition, inadequate vocational skills are also one of the reasons for the employment difficulties of university students. Some college students are excellent in academic performance, but their practical ability and skill operation level are not solid enough. This makes it difficult for them to meet the requirements of their positions when facing actual work, thus affecting their competitiveness in employment. At the same time, college students face many difficulties in entrepreneurship. Although the state encourages college students to start their own business, in fact, the success rate of college students' entrepreneurship is low. This mainly stems from the lack of experience, capital and resources and other support for college students in the process of entrepreneurship, while facing the pressure of market competition and venture capital [5]. In addition, geographical differences are also a factor affecting the employment of college students. There are relatively more employment opportunities in first-tier cities and developed regions, while the employment situation in second-tier and following cities is relatively severe. This makes college students often face the trouble of geographical choice when they are employed. To sum up, the difficulties and challenges of college students' employment mainly stem from the imbalance of supply and demand in the employment market, the change of employment concepts, the lack of vocational skills, entrepreneurial dilemmas and geographical differences. In the face of these challenges, college students need to continuously improve their comprehensive quality, set up correct employment concepts, and actively adapt to market demand in order to improve employment competitiveness. At the same time, the government, colleges and universities and all walks of life should work together to create more employment opportunities and a good employment environment for college students. 3. Analysis of the Causes of University Students' Employment Problems 3.1. Socio-economic factors The influence of socio-economic factors on college students' employment is multifaceted. Firstly, the level of economic development directly determines the capacity of the job market. In the case of economic growth slowdown or job reduction, the employment pressure on college students is bound to increase. In addition, changes in industrial structure will also affect the demand of the job market. With the rapid development of the service industry and high-tech industry, the traditional jobs in the primary and secondary industries are relatively fewer, while the demand for high-quality talents is increasing, which requires college students to continuously improve their professional skills and comprehensive quality to adapt to the changes in market demand [6]. At the same time, the imbalance of regional economic development is also an important factor. First-tier cities and developed regions have significantly more employment opportunities than second- and third-tier cities, which leads to a large number of college students flocking to these regions, exacerbating the competitive pressure. In some underdeveloped regions, despite the government's introduction of various preferential policies to attract talents, university students are not very willing to find employment due to the limitations of living facilities and development space. In addition, economic globalisation has also had an impact on the employment of university students. Changes in the international market and the entry of multinational corporations have provided more employment opportunities for college students, but at the same time brought greater competitive pressure. College students need to have an international perspective and cross- cultural communication skills in order to stand out in the global job market. To sum up, socio-economic factors have largely shaped the current situation of college students' employment, providing both opportunities and challenges. College students need to adjust their career planning according to the trend of socio- economic development in order to adapt to the ever-changing employment environment. At the same time, the government and all sectors of society should pay attention to these issues and promote the fairness and efficiency of college students' employment through policy guidance and resource allocation [7]. 3.2. Education System Factors The influence of education system factors on college students' employment is multifaceted. Firstly, the current education system pays too much attention to theoretical education and neglects the cultivation of practical ability. This leads to the lack of practical experience and skills of college 153 students in the employment process, which is difficult to meet the needs of enterprises. As a result, college students will face more competitive pressure in the job search process. Secondly, the mismatch between professional settings and market demand is also an important issue. Some colleges and universities ignore the actual demand of the market in order to pursue popular majors, resulting in the professional skills of graduates not being able to meet the job requirements. This not only affects the employment rate of college students, but also creates a waste of human resources. In addition, the uneven distribution of educational resources is also part of the factors of the education system. In China, high-quality educational resources are mainly concentrated in first-tier cities and developed regions, while rural and underdeveloped regions are relatively lacking in educational resources. This has led to geographical differences in the employment of college students, further increasing the employment pressure [8]. The tendency of the education system to be subjected to the test also has a negative impact on the employment of college students. Under the background of exam-oriented education, college students devote a lot of time to course learning in order to cope with exams, while neglecting the development of their own interests and career planning. This makes them lack a clear career direction and goal when they are employed, making it difficult for them to find a satisfactory job. In response to these problems, our government has begun to carry out educational reforms to promote the transformation and development of colleges and universities and the adjustment of professional settings. At the same time, college students also need to pay attention to the cultivation of practical ability during school and plan their career development in advance. Only in this way can the influence of education system factors on college students' employment be alleviated to a certain extent. 3.3. Personal Factors of College Students The influence of college students' personal factors on the employment status cannot be ignored. First of all, the professionalism and skill level of college students directly affect their employment competitiveness. With the development of society, the demand for talents is getting higher and higher, and professional skills have become an important threshold for employment. However, some college students fail to make full use of educational resources to improve their professional ability and practical experience during their school years, resulting in a lack of competitiveness in the employment market. Secondly, the comprehensive quality of college students is also a key factor affecting employment. Comprehensive quality includes communication ability, teamwork ability, innovation ability and so on. These abilities are crucial in the workplace, but many college students are deficient in these aspects, which limits their employment opportunities to a certain extent [9]. In addition, the employment concept of college students also has an impact on the employment status. Among some college students, there is an over-idealised concept of employment, with too high expectations and a lack of correct understanding of the employment reality. This leads them to be prone to anxiety and loss in the face of employment pressure, which affects the employment mindset. At the same time, the attitudes and behaviours of college students in the job-seeking process will also affect the employment results. Some college students lack a positive and proactive spirit in the job-seeking process, pay insufficient attention to the recruitment information, and are not adequately prepared for interviews, all of which will reduce their employment success rate. To address the above problems, college students should focus on improving their own quality, study hard for professional knowledge and enhance their practical ability; at the same time, they should cultivate good communication skills, teamwork ability and innovation ability. In addition, they should establish a correct concept of employment, set reasonable employment goals and make good career planning. In the process of job search, be proactive and fully prepared to improve their competitiveness. Through these efforts, college students can improve employment satisfaction and ease employment pressure [10]. 4. Suggestions for Countermeasures 4.1. Government Level The government plays an important role in the employment process of college students in China. First of all, the government should increase the regulation of the employment market, optimise the employment environment and provide more employment opportunities for college students. In addition, the government should strengthen the supervision of the employment market, combat illegal recruitment behaviour and protect the employment rights and interests of college students. Secondly, the government should improve employment policies to guide and promote the employment of university students. For example, the government can formulate preferential policies to encourage enterprises to recruit college students, especially to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, so as to provide more employment opportunities for college students. In addition, the government should also strengthen its support for university students' entrepreneurship by providing support in entrepreneurship training, loans and tax concessions, so as to stimulate the enthusiasm of university students for entrepreneurship. In addition, the government should also strengthen the work of employment guidance and services for college students. The government can increase investment in university career guidance centres, improve the quality of career guidance, and help college students understand the job market and employment information. In addition, the government can establish a nationwide employment information platform for college students to share and exchange employment information and facilitate college students' search for suitable jobs [11]. The government should strengthen international exchanges and cooperation to provide more international employment opportunities for college students. The government can sign employment co- operation agreements with other countries to promote college students’ employment exchanges internationally and broaden college students’ employment channels. To sum up, the government should play an important role in the employment process of college students and promote the smooth employment of college students by formulating policies, providing guidance and services, and strengthening international exchanges. 4.2. College Level Colleges and universities play an important role in promoting college students' employment. Firstly, colleges and universities should strengthen employment guidance and services to improve the employment competitiveness of 154 college students. This includes carrying out career planning education to help students understand their own interests and strengths, and clarify the direction of career development; providing an employment information enquiry platform to increase the contact opportunities between students and enterprises; and organising campus recruitment fairs to build a communication bridge between enterprises and students [12]. Secondly, colleges and universities should pay attention to cultivating students' practical ability and innovative spirit. By cooperating with enterprises and carrying out industry- university research projects, students can participate in actual work and improve their practical ability; encourage students to participate in all kinds of competitions and innovative activities to cultivate the spirit of innovation and teamwork ability. In addition, colleges and universities should also strengthen the contact with the industry, understand the development trend of the industry and the demand for talents, adjust the professional settings and teaching content in due course, and improve the quality of education and the competitiveness of students' employment. At the same time, colleges and universities should also pay attention to students' mental health education, help students set up a correct view of employment, and ease the pressure of employment. To sum up, colleges and universities should start from various aspects to strengthen employment guidance and services, cultivate students’ practical ability and innovative spirit, adjust professional settings and teaching contents, and pay attention to students’ mental health in order to improve college students' employment competitiveness. 4.3. Individual Level of University Students First of all, college students need to establish a correct outlook on employment. It is important to realise that employment is a competitive process that requires adequate preparation and a positive attitude. Instead of just pursuing high salary and popular industries, they should combine their interests and professional strengths to choose positions that suit them. At the same time, it is also necessary to have a flexible concept of employment, not only limited to traditional full-time jobs, but also consider part-time jobs, internships, entrepreneurship and other forms of employment. Secondly, college students need to improve their professional skills and comprehensive quality. During the university period, they should study hard to learn professional knowledge and improve their academic level and practical ability. At the same time, they should also actively participate in various community activities, volunteer services and other activities to improve their organisational coordination, communication skills, teamwork and other comprehensive qualities [13]. Again, college students need to focus on the establishment of personal brand. Maintain a good image on social media, share valuable content, and show their professional abilities and personal strengths. At the same time, it is also necessary to focus on the personal brand building of the entity, such as attending seminars, lectures and other activities in the industry to meet people in the industry and expand their network circle. Finally, college students need to have a sense of continuous learning and self-improvement. Employment is not the end of learning, but the beginning of learning. College students should have a sense of continuous learning and update their knowledge and skills. At the same time, they should also have the consciousness of self- improvement, constantly reflecting and summarising their work and experience to improve their professionalism and competitiveness. In conclusion, in the process of employment, college students need to have a correct outlook on employment, improve their professional skills and comprehensive quality, establish a personal brand, and have a sense of continuous learning and self-improvement. In this way, they can stand out in the competitive job market and achieve their own career development [14]. 5. Case Analysis 5.1. Introduction of Successful Employment Cases Among the many college students in China, there are many successful employment cases. With their own strengths, they have successfully found suitable jobs in the job market. One successful employment case is a graduate from a famous university in Beijing. During his school years, he actively participated in all kinds of club activities to improve his organisational skills and teamwork spirit. In addition, he used his spare time to learn programming skills and accumulated rich work experience through internships. After graduation, he successfully entered an Internet company as a software development engineer. His successful experience tells us that college students should pay attention to the cultivation of practical ability and improve their comprehensive quality during school. Another successful employment case is a female student from a southern university. During her college years, she paid attention to academic research, actively participated in scientific research projects and published several papers. In addition, she also actively participated in volunteer activities and honed her communication and organisational skills. After graduation, she successfully applied for a postgraduate scholarship from a famous foreign university to continue her study. Her successful experience tells us that college students should focus on academic research to enhance their competitiveness [15]. Another successful employment case is a graduate from a university in Northeast China. During his university years, he actively participated in social practice to understand the needs of the society. He also accumulated rich work experience through internships. After graduation, he succeeded in entering a well-known enterprise and taking up a marketing position. His successful experience tells us that college students should pay attention to social needs and plan their career development in advance. In a word, to succeed in the job market, college students need to be well-prepared in academics and practice to enhance their competitiveness. At the same time, they should also pay attention to social needs and prepare for their future career planning. 5.2. Summary of Experience of Successful Employment Cases In the study on the current situation of college students' employment and countermeasures, by analysing a number of successful employment cases, we can summarise some valuable experiences. First of all, successfully employed college students pay attention to improving their comprehensive quality during their school years, including professional knowledge, practical ability, social skills and so on. They actively participate in all kinds of club activities, internship programmes and social practices to increase their competitiveness. Secondly, these college students show 155 strong self-knowledge and goal orientation in the job search process. They are clear about their career interests and development directions, and enhance their skills and experience according to the needs of their target positions. At the same time, they are also good at making use of various job-seeking channels, such as campus job fairs and online recruitment platforms, in order to increase their employment opportunities. In addition, successfully employed college students do an excellent job in interview preparation. They study interview techniques, prepare sufficient interview questions and practice by simulating interview scenarios. They also pay attention to their personal image, dress appropriately and communicate with interviewers confidently and generously. Finally, all these college students showed a positive and enterprising attitude after employment. They continued to learn new knowledge to improve their working ability and actively communicated with their colleagues and leaders for more career development opportunities. They also pay attention to work-life balance, arrange their time reasonably and keep a good mindset. To sum up, successfully employed college students have done an excellent job in self-improvement, goal orientation, job-seeking skills, interview preparation and employment attitude. These experiences are of good reference significance for other college students, and we hope to draw their attention and put them into practice. 6. Conclusion In the current social environment, the employment problem of college students has become the focus of social concern. Facing the increasingly severe employment situation, we must seriously analyse the current situation of college students' employment, find out where the problems lie and put forward effective countermeasures. Through the study, we found that the overall employment status of college students is not optimistic, the employment market supply exceeds demand, and the competition is fierce. Despite the difficulties in college students' employment, there are still many college students who can successfully achieve employment, the reasons for which deserve our in-depth consideration. The employment problem of college students is the result of a variety of factors. From the perspective of socio- economic factors, the level of economic development, industrial restructuring, changes in the job market and so on have an impact on the employment of college students. In terms of education system factors, talent cultivation mode, curriculum, practical education and so on have an indirect impact on the employment ability of college students. As for the personal factors of college students, comprehensive quality, employment concept, job-seeking skills and so on will directly affect the employment effect of college students. In view of the employment problems of college students, we put forward the following countermeasures and suggestions. First of all, the government should increase the regulation of the employment market, optimise the employment environment, expand employment channels and provide more employment opportunities for college students. At the same time, the government should also strengthen the guidance and services for college students’ employment and improve the transparency of college students’ employment information. Secondly, colleges and universities should deepen the education reform, optimise the curriculum, strengthen practical education, and improve the comprehensive quality and employment competitiveness of college students. In addition, colleges and universities should strengthen employment guidance and services to help college students establish correct employment concepts and improve job search skills. Finally, college students should also actively adjust their mentality, set up the correct employment concept, focus on the improvement of their own ability, and enhance the competitiveness of employment. At the same time, college students should also actively participate in social practice, exercise their social skills and teamwork ability. In conclusion, the solution to the employment problem of college students requires the joint efforts of the government, colleges and universities and individual college students. 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