China kicked off its first on-line employment contest on November 29, giving college students nationwide a new way to find jobs.

Zhejiang University and the Bida Information Network Company initiated the competition, in which each student contestant fills out an electronic application form about school and work achievements, which is then submitted to employers for review.

Employers and the student job-seekers will carry out interviews over the Internet, and 50 finalists will be chosen to compete in a last round of judging. "We want to introduce more quality college graduates to companies," Bidaa president Zhou Haifeng said here today at a news briefing. "Bidaa" stands for "Bid an answer."

The contest website, at www.bidaa.com, will also establish a database of graduates whose resume information could be easily accessed by potential employers.

The website plans to publicize the contest process on the website and release the results on December 8.

Zhejiang University, the largest university in China, wants to build a student employment network which extends to all of the country's higher education institutes.