Jang helps office workers explore career paths
.jpg)
Jang Soo-han helps office workers wishing to quit their jobs explore career paths by linking them with those who did this earlier. / Courtesy of Jang Soo-han
By Kim Bo-eun
Jang Soo-han, 31, worked for Samsung Electronics for over four years, but realized that he didn’t wish to spend the rest of his life there.
He quit and spent some time thinking and writing about the company, its organizational culture as well as the structure of Korean society where the ideal career path for the majority of young people is limited to either being an employee of a conglomerate or becoming a civil servant.
“Based on the response I got from readers, I was able to confirm that I wasn’t the only one thinking this way,” Jang said.
“Office workers in Korea feel stifled and have a hard time working, and as one who made the decision to quit in search of a better life, it occurred to me that education and knowhow would be crucial for others in similar situations,” he said.
This is how Jang started with what he calls his “How-to-quit-the-company school.”
The “school,” which opened in May, is a platform and a link for people who wish to quit their jobs and start a new chapter of their lives doing something else, just like those who have done the same thing before them.
“I was the first student of my school and the first customer of my business,” he said.
“It occurred to be that if I could have learned from others who had already quit their jobs and gone on with their lives at the time I quit, it would have been helpful.”
Jang also got the idea from Denmark’s folk high school, a government-funded institution for the pursuit of lifelong learning. Courses at Jang’s school are conducted by people who have taken a diverse array of paths, such as traveling the world, growing and selling vegetables at local markets or opening a bar.
“They are people who have experienced working for a company _ so they know what it's like ― and who have made some sort of achievement in the next phase of their lives.”
The school also offers a six-week workshop on how to create a startup as well as other practical courses such as preparing for law school while working.
Jang is also among the lecturers ― his signature course is “Quitting the company 101.”
Jang adds that the school is careful to caution students they should not quit their jobs impulsively.
“One must keep in mind the benefits of sticking with a job, such as financial stability,” he said.
He also says that if people wish to quit, they need to make time on the weekend to explore, research and prepare for the road ahead.
Most of the students or customers are in their 30s, but there are also office workers in their 40s and 50s who are contemplating how to spend their retirement years.
Jang is swamped with work, as he is in charge of everything from finding lecturers and developing content to creating a sustainable business model.
“I am working twice as much and earning half what I earned at my former company,” Jang said.
“But the stress I am under is constructive because I believe it will help me and the business grow, as opposed to the stress that simply consumed me.”
Jang wishes for people to come and learn from the courses and fulfill their life goals.
“The more role models we have in society, the more people will muster the courage to follow suit. This is what the school aims for ― to produce role models for a more diverse society.”