Lucy Liu returned to her hometown of Beijing in July hoping to settle down there after finishing her postgraduate studies in documentary production in New York University.
However, after being interviewed by the best-known studio in her field on the mainland, the 28-year-old began to have second thoughts. “The pay would be 150,000 yuan for one documentary and at best I could finish one documentary a year. After spending so much on my studies, I couldn’t accept that pay,” said Liu, who spent around a million yuan (US$152,600) in tuition, rent and other living expenses while overseas.
Liu is not alone in having to adjust her expectations after returning from overseas. Unlike the golden era of the 1990s, a foreign qualification no longer automatically lands graduates a prestigious, high-paying job.
However, after being interviewed by the best-known studio in her field on the mainland, the 28-year-old began to have second thoughts. “The pay would be 150,000 yuan for one documentary and at best I could finish one documentary a year. After spending so much on my studies, I couldn’t accept that pay,” said Liu, who spent around a million yuan (US$152,600) in tuition, rent and other living expenses while overseas.
Liu is not alone in having to adjust her expectations after returning from overseas. Unlike the golden era of the 1990s, a foreign qualification no longer automatically lands graduates a prestigious, high-paying job.
