Helpful Resources for Making it Big in Korea
Diving into Korea
First of all, My name is Christopher Kitano. I wanted to formally introduce myself on my first discussion here. I have been reading over various discussions etc., and have found some valuable information. I graduated from the University of Colorado in 2008 with my BSBA with an emphasis in International Business. I have studied Japanese and Korean and am conversational. I have goals aimed at getting valuable language and business experience in Korea then returning to the States for Grad. Out of College I worked for APL/NOL in the shipping/transportation industry until this pas January.
I guess what I would love to start a conversation on how one should enter the Korean market as a marketable professional, as opposed to a company entering the Korean market...
I may or may not be different then other foreigners here, but I chose to come to Korea to immerse in culture and language, as well as business, and market myself as I grew in the Korean community. I am teaching like lots of foreigners, but it was a way for me to get my foot in the door. I am not interested in the Expat Teacher scene or drinking with them very much as I find them to be great people but on different agendas then I am.
I have been having some problems and would appreciate advice or anything: (PS: if there is a topic that I did not see please let me know and I will gladly post with it.
Side Agenda:
1) I am learning Korean of course. I understand spoken very well but am a novice when it comes to reading writing and speaking. I will be enrolling in formal classes but don’t know where to find them for GRAD credit hours or else I must just go private school.
2) I am finding it overwhelming to keep up on up-to-date business due to lack/cost of English print and no one around me to really speak too about these issues. I was ecstatic to listen to these podcasts!!
3) Last, I still have yet to find good reputable sites for foreigners to read in English about job opportunities in Korean
Cheers,
Christopher Kitano - Live from Busan
Replies to This Discussion | 이 토론에 대한 답글들
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Permalink Reply by Erik Cornelius on -
To address your final point first, there aren't any good English-language websites for non-teaching jobs in Korea. If you want to find a corporate job you have to do some networking. Join clubs, do volunteer work, turn up at AMCHAM lunches. Do things that allow you to meet your future boss.
Equally important is having work experience that makes you attractive to a potential employer. There are few entry-level jobs for expats in Korea so having a couple years of work experience in the field you'd like to work in here helps a lot. If you want to work in finance in Korea, you're a much more attractive candidate if you worked in finance in your home country. If you lack that experience, perhaps your best bet is to save money so you can take an unpaid or low-paying internship for a while.
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Permalink Reply by Steven S. Bammel on -
Erik's point is absolutely true; he knows what he's talking about. Once you get out of the English-teaching business, you're pretty much on your own as far as lining up jobs. We've had a few jobs posted here on KBC, but not many so far.
Here are several KBC discussions that address your questions.
http://www.koreabusinesscentral.com/forum/topics/south-korea-consul...
http://www.koreabusinesscentral.com/forum/topics/seeking-position-w...
http://www.koreabusinesscentral.com/forum/topics/starting-over-in-k...
As for studying at grad school in Korea, here's one more discussion you can check out:
http://www.koreabusinesscentral.com/forum/topics/graduate-school-pr...
Finally, here are a couple blog posts I've written about the subject:
http://nojeokhill.koreanconsulting.com/2010/03/message-1-to-an-asso...
http://nojeokhill.koreanconsulting.com/2010/03/message-2-to-an-asso...
I hope these are helpful to you. Keep us informed of your progress and be sure to jump in to the discussions that are interesting to you.
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Permalink Reply by Kyung Suk (Alex) Choi on -
I don't think Korean language is essential to foreigners if they plans to do business or be employed by a Korean company. I mean your competence in Korean language may be plus in some degree, but does not give much credits to getting a job. Rather, speaking perfect English is much better than speaking poor Korean in the eye of Koreans. Most important thing is your specialty or advantages that you have, I think. As Eric mentioned, to get to know more about Korea, it is necessary to know how to read Korean, of course.
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Permalink Reply by Steven S. Bammel on
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Yes, Alex is right.
In many (perhaps most!) cases, speaking Korean is the VERY LAST thing a Korean employer is looking for. It can even be a point against you if the employer prefers someone to stimulate English conversation in the office.
This is a tough reality for those of us who've made the effort to learn Korean and want to apply it. It doesn't mean that there aren't ways to do it, you're just unlikely to find those ways through a normal job search.
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Permalink Reply by Ondrej Slechta on -
The more I think about this one the more strange it is. When I check openings in Greater China and Japan being bi-lingual is the very prerequisite for being even considered for an interview. China even has a regulation in place whereby an executive of a financial institution must be fluent in Chinese otherwise he/she is not alowed to do the job.
This doesn't seem to be the case in Korea. The reason might be that the labor market is smaller, English skills of the youngest generation are fine as many returned from their studies in the US etc, and Korean firms only need foreigners for their technical expertise or knowledge of overseas markets in which they want to expand.
On the other hand, how many Korean corporations, let alone SMEs, have based internal communication on English? What can a foreigner "really" get done in a Korean company without knowing the language?
I often find myself in funny positions when dealing with Korean corporate customers where I stop being their business partner on the other side of the table and for some moments act as an interpreter (of their internal communication) for my own clients!
To the original post, first of all, Pusan is a great city, a place full of untapped opportunities as many activities take place in the "Republic of Seoul" and around. I recommend total immersion into the Korean language and lots of networking. Many companies/institutions have their branches in Pusan, for instance, try to get in tough with EUCCK Pusan Branch.
Regards
Ondrej
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Permalink Reply by Steven S. Bammel on
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I'll never forget a situation that happened when I was at LG International back in 1995.
An American friend who speaks fluent Korean asked me if I knew of any positions in the LG Group and I approached one of the top executives in the company about it. When I was telling the executive about my friend's qualifications and got to the part about him speaking Korean, the executive cut me off and said curtly, "We don't care if he speaks Korean; in fact, we want him to speak English in the office." That was the end of it.
On the other hand, there was a Russian guy in the office who spoke excellent English and Korean. Nobody ever bugged him about speaking English; he spoke Korean unhindered all day.
Ondrej, perhaps because you're not American/Canadian, this is not something you face. But there's an opportunistic approach that Koreans often take toward those of us from English-speaking countries. I find that Koreans are often DISAPPOINTED to deal with me when they find out that I intend to converse in Korean. Sometimes there's even a bit of a battle that goes on; other Koreans simply refuse to speak Korean to me.
It happens all the time like this and I've dropped a lot of relationships where this issue didn't resolve.
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Permalink Reply by Nick Mchugh on -
I am in a similar position Christopher, English teaching got me over here and allows me to get involved but I am looking for more and do not plan on teaching forever.
Erik really offers some great advice. Join your Chamber of Commerce or related group and turn up to some events and meet people. You want to meet some like minded people. I have found through my Chamber some great people who I can talk to about business in Korea, something I can't do with my teacher friends. Through volunteer work I have also met some people with a wider world view.
At the very least you will meet some more like minded people to talk with, which you mentioned you were looking for. Who knows, maybe there will be a KBC event coming up where you could meet some people ;)
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Permalink Reply by Robert Eberenz on -
Having just posted a similar discussion topic to this one (http://www.koreabusinesscentral.com/forum/topics/crossing-the-gap-i...) I feel compelled to reply to this post.
As someone living far from Seoul in a smaller town, I am relying on social networking, online connections, and sites just like this one to make some initial contacts. It seems that connections are more important in Korea than even America, where they are crucial. Does anyone know whether it is even legal for me to move to Seoul and live off of savings once my E2 visa for teaching expires in August?
While I can understand the op here when he says he feels as if he is losing touch with business due to a lack of English news, I have actually increased my knowledge and analytical skills while here by taking advantage of the free time associated with teaching in Korean public schools (hint: keep bloomberg.com on your favorites).
I am gunning for any sort of experience working in a financial firm here in Korea, so should you be interested in seeing what I'm capable of, I'd by honored for members to check out my personal financial analysis site at http://www.diamondslice.com.
Best of luck to all of us in this transition!
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Permalink Reply by Erik Cornelius on
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I'm not sure what the rules are with an E2 visa. With an E7 you can usually stay in the country for up to 30 days past the end of your job. As an American you can also leave the country and come back on a tourist visa for 90 days while you look for work.
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