Job success may be written in the stars

BEIJING: Wang Chao was stunned when he glanced through the online graduate job vacancies at his university. One advert especially caught his eye, and he could scarcely believe what he was reading: “Designer wanted, Virgo only.”

The senior student, majoring in arts design in the Journalism and Communications Department at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, Hubei province, saw the ad in early March as he was busy correcting part of his graduation project, an animated film.

The advert said Virgos were the preferred candidates because the sign is associated with perfectionists, making

If they turn me down simply because my star sign, then I think that’s unaccept ble.

— WANG CHAO

them ideal candidates for that type of work.

“I don’t understand: If I am not qualified for the job and am rejected, I sort of can accept that,” he said over the phone, “but if they turn me down simply because of my star sign, then I think that’s unacceptable.”

China Daily was unable to garner a response from the company that posted posted the ad. Meanwhile, the BBS thread was deleted immediately after students posted messages complaining about the ad.

“I had no influence on the positions of the stars and planets when I was born,” said Wang, “but the recruitment manager at the company insisted on a Virgo.”

It may be the first time that Wang Chao has encountered “horoscopeism”, as the phenomenon has been dubbed by the Chinese media, but the practice of choosing employees according to their astrological sign is becoming more widely adopted.