The Art of Being Unremarkable: A Survival Guide for Chinese Civil Servants

By Jonathan Flint and Long Ling

Written as an instruction manual on gaining entry to and working within the Chinese Communist Party, this book is an entertaining insider's guide into the life of a Chinese Civil Servant in twenty-first century China.

Succeeding as a worker in the Chinese Communist Party is not simple. It requires mastery of complex social and professional systems to avoid the many pitfalls that can torpedo your career at any moment. Paramount is knowing how to blend in and never giving anyone reason to suspect you of any wrongdoing. The author of this book knows this system intimately, having grown up educated in Chinese schools and working as a government official for years. Most importantly, she is unique in her willingness to provide perceptive and honest accounts of life in China.

In The Art of Being Unremarkable, Long Ling gives a first-hand look into the personal lives of civil servants. Walking readers through a career in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), she offers entertaining guidance, ranging from how to evade unwanted attention from the Discipline Inspection Commission, to which destinations to choose for the annual office Red Tourism outing. She tells stories of the varied paths Chinese Civil servants travel for career advancement (as well as career stagnation), along with instructions on how to pass the civil service entrance exam and guidance on composing letters for admission to the CCP. Ling's advice extends to daily life in China as well, including how to go on blind dates, what to wear to the office, and, perhaps most important of all, how to behave to avoid a fate all too common among civil servants: falling prey to corruption.

Whether you are looking for consolation after yet again failing the civil service entry exam, seeking advice for gaining your next promotion, or just looking for a window onto the lives of those who work in the world's largest government, then this cradle-to-grave instruction manual for succeeding in the CCP is the book for you.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0197621155
• ISBN13: 9780197621158
• Release Date: July 2027
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 272 Pages