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- Year Of Graduation: 2024
- College/University: Pusan National University
- Major: International Studies (Master’s)
What do you do for a living? Do you see yourself continuing on this path, and how does it make you feel?
After graduating this year, I took up a waitressing job at a cafe to save some money as I job searched. I just landed my first internship in HR! To be honest, it’s not a field I ever considered, and the industry (banking) isn’t really my favorite. However, we all have to start somewhere, and the experience will teach me a lot. I don’t know if I’ll continue on this path, but I’m excited to start and see!
Can you share the most unexpected challenge you faced after graduating? How did you handle it?
I went abroad for my master’s – very lucky, I know – and moved back in with my parents in my home country as I job-searched. The hardest thing was managing the expectation that because I had studied abroad, I was going to find work immediately and be super successful. Not that anyone outright said it to my face, but I could tell that with every month that passed, people started to feel doubtful of me. I had made it out of my small town to study in a different country, and now I couldn’t manage to find a job. Something must be wrong with me. It took a lot of confidence to remind myself that nothing is, in fact, wrong with me. The job search takes time, and I was not going to settle for the small local companies with zero career prospects. Everyone’s path is different, and we should give ourselves time to go after what we want, rather than settling for less just so we can say we have a job.
Why did you choose your major, and looking back, how do you feel about that decision?
I had studied Korean language during my bachelor’s so I wanted to continue studying South Korea and Asia without having to focus on the literary and linguistic aspects. Not that I didn’t love it, but I wanted to understand the current state of things, the political economy, and relevant issues of today. I’m truly satisfied with my choice. Not everything was perfect, but I enjoyed my time there, learned a lot, and grew as a person. Ultimately, I graduated in a better position for job-searching and with a great experience.
If you could speak to your younger self right after graduation, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give?
It hasn’t been that long, but take your time, and don’t lose hope. Each motivation letter will be more refined than the previous one, and with each interview, you’ll be less anxious. Each rejection gets you closer to a door opening. It’ll go the way it needs to, so trust the process.
What’s your biggest fear or insecurity right now? How do you manage it?
As I said, I had never thought I’d end up in HR. But to be completely honest, I didn’t even want to end up in corporate. My actual dream is to work in international cooperation. I fear I’ll get stuck working a soulless job for the rest of my life. I’m trying to remind myself that I can change at any time, that it doesn’t work like it did 40 years ago, where the first job you got would bring you to retirement. A contract is not a prison sentence, my dream might take longer to achieve, but it’s not over.
If financial stability wasn’t an issue, what dream or passion project would you pursue?
Honestly, I’d put myself into some volunteering, helping old people with their groceries and kids do their homework. I’d travel and go visit the amazing things this world has to offer. I’d go to every show, concert, and event I could find. I’d try to experience all the little shades life has to offer.
What’s something about life after college that no one warned you about?
It’s not that people didn’t tell me, but it’s different now that it’s actually in front of me: 9-5. When attending classes, I had a huge workload sometimes, but I could manage it however I wanted. If I had a doctor’s appointment, I didn’t have to warn anyone, I’d just go. Now I will have to… take time off? Even for random things, like going to get some documents at my old university, or maybe at city hall. Everything I used to do during the week will have to be done during the weekend. It’s a stark difference, and I’m unsure how I’ll manage to be honest.
How do you define fulfillment, and do you think you’re on the path toward it?
I think fulfillment has a lot to do with financial stability right now, for me. But in general, I think true fulfillment will be when I’ll be able to enjoy my hobbies and meet my friends, achieve my goals at work and outside. I don’t need to be a millionaire or go to every party, I just want to enjoy life without many worries. It’ll take a while, probably, but with hard work, I think I can do it.
What’s one belief or assumption you had about adulthood that turned out to be wrong?
That you can stick to your principles all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very strict with what I believe in and I won’t change my mind just because it’s convenient. However, I now understand that many times, you don’t have a choice. The company you work for might be acting in ways you don’t agree with, but you’ll still need that job. So you’ll have to suck it up. And you really can’t judge normal people for making many compromises in their own way. We’re all just trying to survive, we’re all just doing our best.
What’s a raw, honest thought you have about where you are in life right now?
I think I’m very lucky. It’s not perfect, but I have the opportunity to go on a great internship and to have my parents support me financially, I have great friends and great experiences. I have a long way to go to get where I want to be, but I’m lucky enough to be excited about it. I know there’s a lot of hard work ahead, but seeing what I’ve done until now, I know I can do it. It’ll be hard, and it’ll be exciting and probably a rollercoaster. Right now, I’m just happy I can start.
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