Is being a civil servant still the most desirable job?

Is being a civil servant still the most desirable job? I often receive such questions from my background. How should I say this? It depends on your own qualities, what kind of person you are, and what your goals are.

Many years ago, I wrote an article titled "Civil Servants in Coastal Developed Areas Are the Ceiling for Ordinary People." There are two premises here: one is that it's in a coastal developed region. That is, if you take the exam in a less developed area economically, then civil service might not be the best option. Of course, you could say "other jobs in these places are even worse," but why must you stay in that place? No one is forcing you, right? The other premise is that you're an ordinary person. If you have no ambition or aspiration to stand out in life, then being a civil servant might be your best choice.

The appeal of civil servants isn't about how high their overall income is, but that their income floor is relatively high—that is, if you're a very capable person, you might not earn much more as a civil servant, but if you're not so capable, you can get income and benefits that you wouldn't be able to achieve through hard work outside—this is what makes the job attractive and admired by the public. After all, lazy and dull people make up the majority of the population. Because of their large numbers, if this is their best option, it sounds like everyone's optimal choice in public opinion, and thus civil servants are called the "Golden Rice Bowl." But in reality, civil servants are not "gold." From the perspective of the lowest-level workers, it just looks like gold. True "gold" is something only a small group of people can get, and it’s not something obtainable within the system.

Recently, I observed many people in different scenarios. For example, a male Starbucks waiter who was chatting with his girlfriend, who often comes to the store to read books, completely ignoring other customers; or two guys from a car wash, who reluctantly put down their phones when instructed to wipe cars, staring blankly as they mechanically did the work—these people are the basic crowd. They don't love their jobs, nor do they think about doing anything with a future. They just want to get by with a decent meal that won't make them hungry. Compared to their work, being a civil servant is like heaven. That’s why civil service exams are always full, even if the pay is low and the workload has increased at the grassroots level, the acceptance ratio is always 50 to 1, 100 to 1. Because even if it’s not that great, it’s just that more capable people don’t want to take the exam anymore, and the average quality of applicants declines. But China has a large population, so there will always be a bunch of people who can't find a better job than a civil service. Therefore, no matter the circumstances, even if the salary drops to 3,000 a month someday, people will still scramble for it. The only difference is whether talented people or ordinary folks are fighting for it.

So if you ask, "Can I still take the civil service exam? Is it still the best job?" first, you need to add a premise: "civil servants in coastal developed areas." Second, you need to self-assess: what kind of person are you? Do you want to stand out or just get by? Do you still have ambition? If yes, then it’s not your optimal choice. If no, then my evaluation of the "civil servant in coastal developed areas" job is only seven words: the ceiling of the bread-and-butter class—if you want to slack off, regardless of whether fiscal revenue has decreased, whether civil servant income has fallen, or whether workload has increased, as long as you're in a region with a large tax base, compared to outside, this job is not at a disadvantage.

Finally, I want to tell those already inside but feeling confused due to decreasing pay, increasing work pressure, and increasingly meaningless tasks—if you are a grassroots civil servant and have a thousand or ten thousand complaints, since you’ve already made it in, don’t rush to resign. After all, the ceiling of the bread-and-butter class is something you shouldn’t give up easily. The pressure from your leaders, the smiles you need to put on, just endure them. Civil servants can add side jobs and investments—try a three-pronged approach. If the market recognizes your efforts, your side income plus investments will eventually surpass your main job, and then you can decide. But if you can never surpass it, there’s no need to resign, because once you leave, you’re likely to be beaten down by the market. You have to accept this life of mediocrity—the ceiling of your life is right here.