Shao Luwei tied an apron around her waist and started to skin and gut the squid. Without hesitation she finished preparing a plate full of squids in less than three minutes, after which she cut the seafood into pieces and threw it into a pan with heated oil.
邵露慰系上围裙，将鱿鱼去皮、去内脏。不到三分钟，她便娴熟地备好了一整盘鱿鱼，之后她将鱿鱼切片，倒入热油锅中。
It’s hard to imagine that such a skillful and flowing movement comes from a 22-year-old graduate. The accounting major from Yangzhou University has devoted herself to the homemaking industry, which is regarded by many as a promising but also challenging business.
很难想象一位22岁的大学毕业生竟能如此娴熟、流畅地完成每一道工序。这位来自扬州大学会计专业的学生投身家政事业，在许多人眼里，这是一个充满挑战的朝阳产业。
Well-educated homemaker
高学历家政工
Six months ago, Shao was still working as an intern in an accounting firm, wearing a formal suit and dealing with numbers every day. But before her graduation Shao realized that her interest is not in accounting, but in homemaking.
半年前，邵露慰还在一家会计事务所实习，每天穿着正装，与数字打交道。但毕业前，她意识到自己的兴趣并非财会，而是家政。
“I used to baby-sit during vacations when I was in college,” she says. “I loved that job and my employers were always satisfied with me.” The memories of that rewarding experience made her abandon a career path that was closely related to her college major and enroll in a homemaking training program.
“大学时我常利用假期去做保姆，”她说，“我热爱那份工作，雇主们都对我非常满意。”正是这段收获颇丰的经历，让她放弃了和大学专业最贴近的职业道路，报名参加了家政培训课程。
“I had classes in etiquette, maternity nursing, cleaning and other aspects of homemaking,” she says. But she enjoyed the cooking course the most. “I knew nothing about cooking before, but now even my parents are surprised to see their little ‘princess’ cooking delicate food,” she says.
“我学习的课程涵盖礼仪、孕产妇护理、保洁以及家政的方方面面。”她说。但她最喜欢的要数厨艺课。“以前，我对做饭一窍不通；现在，父母看到他们的‘小公主’烧的一手好菜也不禁大吃一惊。”
Shao is the only college graduate in her homemaking training class, but she regards it as an advantage. “Apart from cooking and taking care of the employer, I can offer money management services, too,” she says.
邵露慰是家政培训班上唯一的一名大学毕业生，她认为这正是自己的优势。“除了做饭和照顾雇主之外，我还可以提供理财服务。”她说。
Uncertain future
不确定的未来
Despite Shao’s optimism, many professionals in the homemaking industry are concerned about college graduates’ passion for homemaking.
尽管邵露慰心存乐观，但许多业内人士仍对大学生投身家政行业的热情表示担忧。
“Well-educated homemakers seldom stay in this industry for long,” says Xia Jun, founder of Aijun Home Service based in Shanghai. “Many university graduates who work as homemakers soon look for another job because they only regard this job as a springboard.”
上海爱君家庭服务有限公司的创始人夏君表示：“高学历家政人员很少在这一行干得久。很多大学生家政人员很快便会跳槽，因为他们只把这份工作当做一个跳板。”
Zhou Wen, managing director of Zhengxianghe homemaking company in Guangzhou, believes that stereotypes held by parents and the wider society prevent college graduates from settling down in the homemaking industry. “Many parents can’t accept their child being a homemaker,” she says. “They tend to associate the job of being a homemaker with a nanny who only takes care of a child.”
广州正祥和家政服务有限公司总经理周雯（音译）认为，家长以及社会广泛持有的老观念阻碍了大学生扎根家政业。“很多家长都接受不了孩子从事家政行业，他们往往将家政同保姆联系在一起。”她说。
High requirements and demand
高要求、高需求
In fact, homemaking requires much more than doing simple chores. According to Wang Jianhua, secretary general of Chongqing Home Service Association, being a professional homemaker is not as easy as many people think. “According to national standards, homemakers are divided into primary, intermediate and senior levels. Each level of homemaker should meet certain requirements,” he says.
事实上，家政远非只做家务那么简单。重庆家政协会秘书长王建华表示，成为一名专业的家政人员并不像人们想的那么简单。“按照国家标准，家政从业人员分为初、中、高三个等级。每个级别的从业人员应符合一定的要求。”他说。
In order to obtain a senior level certificate, one must have at least a higher education and three years of homemaking experience. Besides, a comprehensive knowledge of household management, social etiquette, education and domestic entertainment is needed.
想要取得高级资格证书，至少要具备高等教育以及3年家政从业经验。此外，还应具备家务管理、社交礼仪、教育以及家庭娱乐等综合性知识。
These high requirements mean there is a huge demand in the market, with wealthy and foreign families looking for senior homemakers. Take Guangzhou as an example. Data released by the investigation team of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Guangzhou Committee on the homemaking industry shows that 20 percent of families in Guangzhou need senior homemakers, but only 14.6 percent of local homemakers meet the requirements.
高要求意味着高市场需求，富人和外籍家庭都在寻找高级家政人员。以广州为例，根据广州市政协调查小组发布的家政行业数据显示，20%的广州家庭需要高级家政人员，而只有14.6%的广州本地家政人员满足该要求。
Under these circumstances, Shao Luwei believes that she will seize the opportunity. “I think homemaking is a promising industry,” she says. “I will start from the primary level and gradually move up toward the senior level. My ultimate goal is to open a homemaking company of my own.”
在这种情况下，邵露慰认为她要抓住这次机遇。“我认为家政是个有前景的行业，”她说。“我会从初级水平干起，逐步提升到高级水平。我的终极目标是拥有一家自己的家政公司。”