I was born and raised in Gunsan, South Korea. Recently, I got a job here.
Here's how.
It started after my University graduation.
Some said it was time for celebration. I'm still not sure what there was to celebrate. It just meant it's time to get some real work, now that I got a degree and can't waste my time anymore.
I gave myself a month after graduation. Then I planned to move to Seoul to get out of my comfort zone.
Looking and applying for jobs was very easy with the power of the Internet. I just typed 취업 (rough translation: get a job) and plenty of web pages with open jobs appeared.
I could prepare my own resume format as usual. Half the time the fancier websites had their own modifiable formats available to apply for the jobs I wanted. It's like the credit card information you give on amazon.com that you can keep using as long as it's valid. I can see how this is easier for recruiters as well, unless the company needs a special resume or nobody in the office knows how to use the Internet.
My main site was JobKorea for its convenience. WorkNet was my secondary, although it's possibly a bigger site since it appears to be the Department of Labor's main 'get a job' site. But it wasn't quite as comfortable as JobKorea. I would have studied the site more if I had time. But I was hired before I could.
Circulated my resumes around 20 different jobs in the Gunsan and Jeonju area whenever I felt like, "Oh yeah, I could have fun with that." And I'd say this was much easier than looking for good new music or good, uh, "entertainment" (not G-rated, if you know what I mean).
But applying wasn't the problem. Getting a call back was the problem.
But what else was there to do once I sent all my best resumes? And I'm not the begging type. So I just spent most of the time procrastinating after I applied for everything I'd been able to find.
The photo studios in the city were my best bet, but none of them called me back, or any other general labor jobs. A part-time English teaching position and a cafeteria clerk opening rejected me after a call as well. So I figured it wasn't going to work.
I'm not sure if I was bothered by the rejections. My head just went, 'But of course, it can't be this easy.' And I couldn't even remember what I applied for as soon as I looked for another apply button.
I was ready to move on.
Lo, on the morning of the 28th day since graduation, a miracle ocurred. I was scrolling on JobKorea for the last time before planning my move to the big city. Some interesting stuff appeared, which I was excited to apply for. Not that it mattered according to the last 28 days. So I was just moving on to 'which movie am I watching today?'
Then I got a call. It was from one of those interesting jobs I applied that morning. I said yes to everything that I could actually do and that must have sounded good enough.
An interview was scheduled, I bought some nicer clothes, and I went to that interview. Seamlessly, I passed it. It wasn't the main interview. Instead they wanted me to see how they really work and how I feel about the job before the second interview.
I saw this place's work environment and it was everything I believed that education for children should be. I didn't know it had already existed for a long time.
I bought a car to keep up with the job specification, passed the personality test, passed the second interview and I've been going to the office every day to study the materials even if my paycheck and work doesn't start until November.
And everything went groovy.
And today, I sit here, writing about it.
So, yeah. Got the job.
Yay.
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