By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
French may be considered the most romantic language for lovers but it proves to be the least helpful in finding jobs after college graduation.
According to the Korean Educational Development Institute, the state-run research organization, only 114 out of 763 French majors, or 14.9 percent, landed jobs that were related to their studies in a survey conducted after the 2009 graduation. It means merely one or two out of every 10 managed to make the most of what they learned.
This low rate is compared with 99.9 percent for pharmacy majors who found jobs in their areas of expertise, 99.5 percent of graduates with majors in medical care.
In fact, this trend extended to those who majored in liberal arts and sciences, including foreign languages and literature. German, history and philosophy majors marked 16.2 percent, 26.5 percent and 28.6 percent, respectively.
Most of them started their career as lecturers at private cram schools.
"There are very few places where language majors can find employment in Korea using their expertise - trading companies, embassies, schools or private institutions. Some French companies require English proficiency rather than French ability," Uhm Jeong-hye, who majored in French at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies but transferred to Korea University's business school, was quoted as saying.
Prof. Jeon Sung-ki of Korea University, also president of the Korean Society for French Language and Literature, acknowledged the changing trends in society. "Employers want practical knowledge that can be used from day one on the job by recruits and we have failed to meet that changing demand. But we are now trying to streamline our curriculum and help students," he said.
"Liberal arts and sciences are not irrelevant as academic pursuits, but the market's needs are another matter."
However, there are some who find that while French doesn't help them secure a job, it eventually helps them be more constructive in life.
"I think learning French changed my life. Romanticism and abundant cultural assets opened my eyes and heart to new things. It gave me confidence and a sense of relaxation," Cho Min-hee, who holds a degree in French literature and now works at a bank, said.
"I dream about working in our Paris branch and it motivates me to work hard. I think learning French was one of the best decisions in my life."