Tough prospects

Lin Xiaobai, 36, from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, majored in business administration at Chengdu University, graduating in 2008. She then worked in human resources for a company in Chengdu, at a trading company in Shanghai, at a property agency and other companies in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and finally at a bank in Nanchong, Sichuan, before deciding to leave the latter position in 2014.

"A few months after I started working at the bank, I realized it was not the life for me. I wanted to quit this boring and stressful work, even though I was earning a good salary," said Lin, who went through an unhappy divorce during this period.

She tried launching a creative design space selling collectibles in Suzhou in 2014, and also a studio in Sichuan for children to learn to draw, sew, and make handicrafts and clay figures. She also launched a creative talent education program with a partner. All these projects failed, as Lin kept losing money and incurring debts.

Tang Xue, 24, enjoys the open air on the farm she bought in Anji county, Zhejiang province, after resigning from jobs at three short-video companies. Tang saw the farm advertised online. [Photo/China Daily]

At the time, she described herself as a person full of ideological thoughts, but without any business plan or management experience.

"Working on your own requires an extremely strong mind. You have to break out of your comfort zone, challenge the limit of your potential, and have the strength to make many risky decisions," said Lin, who has learned to be independent as a single mother and an entrepreneur.

She eventually drew inspiration from her interest in drawing, which she acquired a number of years ago.

Lin, who draws stick figures to express her feelings and views of daily life, has more than 400,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, and regularly cooperates with corporate brands.

In 2020, she launched online training courses to teach beginners to record their daily lives through drawing, attracting 1,000 participants.

"Drawing without constraints enables us to lead a positive and healthier life with enthusiasm and passion, as well as changing our beliefs and attitude toward life," she said.

Lin now begins each day with one hour of exercise followed by four hours of work.

Yu, the sociology professor, said: "People often decide to leave the traditional job market without planning their next move. This change in working patterns among the younger generation is irreversible and will have a profound impact on flexible employment in the future."