Nearly 10,000 Chinese people compete for the position of 'tea server'.

Ordinary civil servant positions in political organization offices in China are highly competitive due to the advantages of working in the capital city of Beijing and the less stringent requirements.

A scene at a university entrance exam waiting area in China - a necessary stepping stone to finding a job - Photo: Reuters

According to CNN, yesterday (October 24) was the deadline for registering for desired job positions in this year's Chinese civil service examination. This year's examination attracted more than 1 million applicants.

According to Chinese state media, applicants must clearly state their preferred job position.

In China, jobs in central government agencies are described as "like a mouse falling into a rice jar" because employees there receive stable incomes, opportunities for promotion, and other generous benefits.

However, the most sought-after job this year is quite unique. By the end of yesterday (October 24), 9,504 people had expressed their desire to become the receptionist at the Chinese Democratic League's office in Beijing.

This federation is one of eight legitimate political organizations in China, alongside the Chinese Communist Party.

According to Chinese state media, thousands of applicants wanting to work for the China Democratic League may not be genuinely interested in the nature of the job. The job description suggests it involves receiving guests, arranging meetings, and preparing for events…

What makes this job attractive to many people is probably the less stringent requirements for applicants and the location in the capital city of Beijing. Applicants only need a bachelor's degree and two years of work experience to be eligible to apply.

Similar to China, in India, many people aspire to become civil servants for seemingly tedious jobs. Last year, in just one Indian state, 2.3 million people applied for 368 positions, from tea server to night guard at government offices.

According to Tuoi Tre newspaper