On April 25, the 3rd National College Students Career Planning Competition, co-hosted by the Ministry of Education of China and the People’s Government of Tianjin Municipality, concluded successfully in Tianjin. The event stands as the nation’s highest-level, most extensive, and most influential career planning competition for university students. Demonstrating exceptional determination and skill, the HUTB delegation delivered a remarkable performance: securing 1 gold and 1 bronze medal, marking the university’s first-ever gold in the history of the competition. HUTB was also honored with the National Excellent Organization Award, and the university’s achievements under the “Double Thousand Plan” were featured in the concurrent Typical Experience Exchange Exhibition. This trio of honors—a historic first gold, an excellent organization award, and a showcase of best practices—fully highlights the high comprehensive competence and vibrant spirit of HUTB’s students and faculty, while underscoring the tangible success of the university’s employment-focused education initiatives.

The 3rd National College Students Career Planning Competition drew 20.55 million student registrations from 2,833 universities nationwide. Nearly 500 leading enterprises formed an “Enterprise Talent Scout Group,” releasing over 1,000 job openings and intent offers on site. On this highly competitive national stage, HUTB delivered a high-impact performance:

Historic gold medal secured. Yang Xia, a 2023 undergraduate majoring in Marketing at the School of Business Administration, stood out in the fiercely contested “Growth Track–Higher Education Group,” clinching the gold medal. This marks HUTB’s first-ever gold in the history of the competition.

National recognition for teaching excellence. Zhang Dan, faculty representative for the Career Development and Employment Guidance for College Students course, retained the bronze medal in the “Teaching Course Track.” Her achievement reflects the deep pedagogical expertise and innovative educational philosophy of HUTB’s career counseling faculty.

National spotlight on institutional excellence. HUTB was honored with the National Excellent Organization Award for its exemplary execution of the competition and its tangible impact on student development. Furthermore, the university’s “Double Thousand Plan” practical achievements were featured in the concurrent Typical Experience Exchange Exhibition, showcasing the distinctive “HUTB Solution” to universities across the country.

Role Model: Pursuing Cross-Boundary Exploration to Fulfill Era Mission

Gold medalist Yang Xia aims to become a brand operations specialist for the digital-intelligent era. As a Marketing major, she keenly grasps the pulse of the era as China transitions from "Made in China" to "Chinese Brands"—a strategic shift that moves not only from a production-oriented mindset to a user-centric one, but also from cost competitiveness to value creation for domestic products. Born into this defining moment, she shoulders a profound mission. Yang has traveled to six cities and conducted in-depth field research at 18 enterprises. She gained hands-on experience at industry leaders including Zoomlion, Master Kong and Joy Media, honing her practical capabilities in real-world scenarios spanning content production, data analytics, event planning and external communication.

Recognizing that in the digital-intelligent era, brand functions within large enterprises must integrate into broader organizational workflows to shoulder responsibilities in social communication and organizational identity building, Yang crafted a bespoke livestreaming event for the "Pomelo with Research Spirit" brand. The session sold 20,000 kilograms of pomelos within 24 hours, helping fruit farmers in Anjiang Town increase their income by RMB150,000. She also spearheaded the nation’s first public welfare initiative supporting minor children of incarcerated women, establishing a full-chain operation from brand building to self-sustaining funding. The brand’s global expansion plan earned second place nationally at the BRICS Skills Competition, securing its spot on the world stage and showcasing the international caliber of HUTB students. "Integrating personal growth into the rise of Chinese brands" is Yang Xia’s unwavering professional conviction. "The road ahead is long, but I am committed to walking it step by step," she asserts. "This competition taught me to reflect, choose, and absorb. It deepened my understanding of our university motto—'Sincerity & Credibility; Pragmatism & Innovation.' The foundation of my career choice is rooted precisely in this enduring spirit of sincerity, credibility, pragmatism, and innovation."

Key to Success: 17 Years of Cultivating a Full-Chain Empowerment Ecosystem

Behind the gold medal lies the university’s long-standing commitment to employment-focused education. Adhering to the philosophy of “demand orientation, collaborative education, and whole-process empowerment,” HUTB centers its employment strategy on enhancing graduates’ core competitiveness. Over the past 17 years, the university has built a comprehensive employment ecosystem characterized by professional teams, systematic guidance, intelligent services, and collaborative cultivation.

The university’s general education course, Career Development and Employment Guidance for College Students, has evolved over 17 years of refinement. It has been accredited as a National First-Class Undergraduate Course, a Hunan Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Course, and a Hunan Provincial Demonstration Course of Curriculum Ideology and Politics. Grounded in the core mission of value guidance, the course steers students to anchor their aspirations to the pulse of the era, integrating personal growth into the broader national development strategy. Emphasizing “demand-driven learning and practice-led realization,” it continuously strengthens students’ job-seeking literacy and practical capabilities, laying a solid foundation for HUTB students to set ambitious goals, clarify their values, and make rational, well-informed career choices.

Future Outlook: Deepening “Competition-Driven Employment” to Boost High-Quality, Full Employment

This national accolade marks not an end, but a new starting point. Seizing this historic breakthrough as momentum, HUTB will further integrate employment-focused education with values guidance, disciplinary studies, interdisciplinary competency cultivation, school-based feature exploration, employment resource expansion, and smart service upgrades—ensuring these elements work in synergy.

The university will continue to deepen the mechanisms of “promoting learning and employment through competitions,” transforming competition achievements into regular educational resources to comprehensively enhance graduates’ employability and career development potential. Moving forward, HUTB will continue to guide more students to embrace the “grand mission of the nation,” encouraging them to build distinguished careers where the country needs them most. In the dynamic practice of advancing Chinese modernization, they will write youthful chapters worthy of the era.

(Reported by the Employment Guidance Division)