Bankers replaced by tech PhDs as Xi Jinping sparks new fund talent war

Everybody's on the lookout for deeptech talent. A background in science and technology is now often listed as a must in job postings. It's a phenomenon that reflects a broader shift in China

One in five Chinese youths can’t find a job. Oliver Jiang has to fight off employers with a stick.
 

When the first-time job-seeker posted his resume on a recruitment website earlier this year, his inbox exploded and his phone buzzed non-stop. The 28-year-old doctoral grad spent the following month turning away suitors -- including one that promised him 15 months of pay a year -- before landing his dream job at a $600 million investment firm.

Jiang is one of the chosen few in China’s rapidly evolving finance sector: a PhD in electric vehicle technology. This kind of methodical researchers steeped