Job fair for international students offers interview, networking opportunities to more than 2,000

The Job Fair for International Students attracted more than 2,000 job seekers on Monday, sitting in interviews with companies specifically looking to hire foreigners.

Visitors look around the 2023 Job Fair for International Students at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. [NEWS1]

The Job Fair for International Students attracted more than 2,000 job seekers on Monday, sitting in interviews with companies specifically looking to hire foreigners.

"I'm an engineering student that will graduate this year, and I'm excited because I have an interview scheduled today," Joanne Chua said. "I also visited a few startups that said they were looking for engineers, and just getting to talk to the HR staff and ask questions about their business projects and areas they specialize in was a huge opportunity for me."

Some 100 companies, such as Pearl Abyss, SK bioscience and NCSoft attended the fair at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, aiming to hire a total of 240 foreign workers.

Those who submitted their resume and cover letter in advance and got selected by the attending companies were invited to job interviews at the fair.

The fair runs until Tuesday, with on-site registration available.

"There's actually not that many opportunities for us to meet with international candidates, so we are trying to attend many job fairs," an HR manager for Pearl Abyss said. "We are introducing our game design and game translator position to international students attending today and aiming to hire people if we find a good fit."

SK bioscience was one of the companies that offered many opportunities for international students, with openings available in R&D, drug substance production and bioprocess development.

Focused on its vaccine business, the company's R&D division is looking for candidates with knowledge in DNA and RNA design and bioprocess development who can help the company develop a new vaccine production method.

The company advised applicants to link their skills and traits to the company vision to show they are a good fit for the positions.

"A lot of the questions asked at the interview will be ones that don't have a set answer, like asking applicants how they will think and act in certain situations," Lee Eun-jung, head of SK bioscience's talent management, said. "It's best to not just give a flat answer but also cite past experiences applicants went through to back your claim up."

International students visit the SK bioscience booth at the job fair. [NEWS1]

Another SK company looking for international recruits is SK Telecom. The company is looking for candidates for its Global Junior Talent Internship, accepting applications between Monday and Aug. 30.

The interns will work for the company's global business development division, conducting market analysis for countries abroad and forming partnerships with other companies to expand SK Telecom's global business.

Rather than accepting resumes and cover letters first, the company only requires the applicant's name and personal information to apply.

Applicants are then required to take the SKCT, the test the company uses to asses its job candidates. Only applicants who pass the test are asked to submit their resumes and cover letters.

"You will need business proficiency in Korean to work at the company," Ko Byung-hoon, talent acquisition manager at SK Telecom, said. "You don't necessarily need to be very fluent, but you will need to be able to write documents, accurately convey your opinions and understand what others say."

With companies expanding their business globally, both conglomerates and startups are seeking international employees.

"We expanded to the Thai market early this year, and we are looking for those who are good at Thai and Korean and can work with us," an HR manager for Liveanywhere, a startup operating co-living houses, said. "Looking for those qualifications, we thought international students are the best fit and are looking for people here."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]