K-campus alumni share job-seeking tips at networking event

International students at a K-campus networking event share job-seeking advice, including the importance of industry knowledge, participating in programs and applying even if slightly underqualified.

From left: Hanh Do from AB180, Deepti Nair from JM Biotech and Viktoriia Krugliakova from CJ CheilJedang speaks during the K-campus Networking Event: Alumni Special, held at the JoongAng Ilbo building on Friday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Making job applications stand out is all about getting work-related experience and showing you have industry knowledge. International students who have successfully landed jobs through K-campus programs returned to give advice at the platform's networking event on Friday.

Around 70 international students who wanted to hear those stories gathered at the JoongAng Ilbo building for the K-campus Networking Event: Alumni Special.

K-campus, a brand by the Korea JoongAng Daily that creates content to help international students navigate their lives in Korea, has been hosting networking events since last year. This is the platform's fourth networking event.

Those who had once been part of programs organized by K-campus, whether it be the Student Reporter program or people who got jobs through past networking events, were invited back as speakers to talk about their career journeys in Korea.

CJ CheilJedang also attended, introducing internship opportunities for international students.

For job seekers in the crowd, the speakers emphasized the importance of participating in as many programs as possible to make their applications look strong.

Deepti Nair, currently working in global marketing at JM Biotech, said the K-campus Student Reporter program was one program that helped.

"I was part of the Student Reporter program, and when I did an interview with my current company, that was one of the things they really talked about," said Nair. "They were excited about the fact that I worked with a team that was in Korea, with Korean people and on things that are related to Korea, because the articles are about your life and experiences here."

Along with necessary career-related experience that helps catch the eye of an interviewer, knowing your industry well is also important.

Nair said that personal branding, even through social media, is one way job seekers can show they have the knowledge.

"The moment you know something about your industry that a lot of others might not really reflect on in their interview, that's something that can give confidence to your prospective employer," said Nair. "Make sure you're updated about whichever industry you wish to be in, and show that you are aware of the latest trends or competitors of the particular company."

"You can even use LinkedIn to actively share opinions on industry-relevant news, so make sure to have an active profile and share your opinion on what you as an expert think of those issues."

Learning about your industry is another factor that can help applicants stand out, even if they seem to be slightly underqualified for job openings.

Viktoriia Krugliakova attended the first K-campus Networking Event in March last year, where CJ CheilJedang's HR team introduced their summer internship program.

She applied for the internship and was accepted despite it being her first-ever job application in Korea. She was given a full-time offer when the internship ended and is now working in new marketing development at CJ CheilJedang.

Krugliakova said she wasn't going to apply for the internship because the position she was interested in preferred French speakers, but she decided to give it her best shot despite not knowing the language.

Taking the French proficiency preference as a hint, she studied food markets in French-speaking countries. At the end of the job interview, Krugliakova shared her thoughts on why she believed CJ CheilJedang was aiming to enter such markets and asked if her assumptions were correct, which helped her leave a good impression.

"I applied for the internship anyway, and I was told during the interview that [French proficiency] wasn't mandatory and that it would just be nice to have someone speaking French," said Krugliakova. "Even if you don't have some of the preferred qualifications on the job description, apply anyway, and try to win it over with other skills."

The Global HR team of CJ CheilJedang also attended Friday's networking event as speakers to introduce this year's Global Frontier Internship to attendees.

Diana Lee from CJ CheilJedang's Global HR team, introduces the company's Global Frontier Internship to attendees. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The internship is for international students in Korea and Korean nationals enrolled in universities abroad, with positions such as marketing, overseas sales and business development open to applicants.

The program is an employment-linked internship, with interns who perform well given the opportunity to work as regular employees at the company.

Applications are open until June 17, with candidates doing the internship in August. Outstanding interns will be able to start working in full-time positions in either the second half of this year or January next year, depending on when they graduate.

Languages like Chinese, Vietnamese or Indonesian are considered a plus when applying for certain positions. But like Krugliakova's experience, the company says applicants shouldn't be discouraged even if they don't satisfy those criteria.

"The preferred languages we list don't mean you have to speak that language, but please keep in mind you have to have level 4 of Topik or higher," said Diana Lee from CJ CheilJedang's Global HR team. "Korean and English will be the first priority, and other languages are just preferred."

Attendees ask questions to speakers during the networking event [PARK SANG-MOON]

The K-campus networking event wasn't only open to current university students as those who have graduated and are currently working also attended.

For those who wish to find ways to elevate their career, speakers such as Hanh Do emphasized the different approaches fresh employees need to take.

Do, an alumni of the K-campus Student Reporter program, currently works as a customer success manager at startup AB180.

"I was using a lot of market research skills during my first internship, and those of you in business majors will know how to conduct research on a very macro level that focuses on big players in the market," said Do. "From that macro-based market research experience in college, I was able to learn how to take a granular approach, focusing on each industry and company."

In her current job as a customer success manager, communication skills are important. That was also something she was able to learn in university, although it was necessary to develop it further to apply it to her job.

"I was part of a liberal arts college where most of my classes were discussion-based, so I did learn a lot about discussion and presentation," said Do. "But when it comes to a client-facing job, you have to communicate in different ways."

"You can't really just say what you think out loud; you have to filter things in a way and make people actually understand what you're trying to communicate."

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