reserve Young job-seekers vent on social media
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For college seniors and recent grads, Korea’s hiring season is just like any other exam period at university people hit the library and cafes day and night to study.
The difference: Instead of prepping for a big final exam, they fill out applications, practice interview questions and get ready for company tests.
Many can be seen lined up in front of photo studios to pose for a nice, photo-shopped picture to stick on the top of their resumes.
Many turn to social media to vent their stress.
“Will I laugh, or will I cry by the end of this year?” said one netizen on Facebook. “I just want somebody to give me a job, anywhere.”
“I should have done more extracurricular activities,” said a Twitter user. “Or at least some certificates or volunteer hours could have helped me get a job this season.”
Hiring season for major companies can begin as early as late August and last until the end of October. It is during this time that firms hire the most new employees; however, others can be hired at different points during the year.
The initial stage of the recruitment process involves completing application documents, including cover letters and autobiographical essays. If you’ve ever written these, you know how challenging it can be to make your statement stand out from the others.
“My self-introduction is all I think about day and night, even in my sleep,” a Facebook user wrote. “I liked my school when I first came here, but filling out these application forms really brings me down.”
She explained that as a university student outside of Seoul, she felt uncompetitive compared to students graduating from the prestigious “SKY” schools, namely, Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University.
The Korean word for ‘job-seeking students’ is a popular hashtag on Twitter, with various people expressing their fear of failing to get a job and complaining about pressure from family members.
“I have to work on my applications during the Chuseok national holidays,” tweeted on student. “I brought my work to my grandma’s house, so she’d see that I’m actually trying.”
Job-seeking students spend an average of 1.53 million won ($1,400) to prepare for recruitment each hiring season, according to job portal Incruit. The expenses go to purchasing suits for interviews, makeup and hair products, English test registration fees, and buying preparation books for company tests.
“I’m not going to let these companies get the best of me,” a person said on Twitter, “but my happiness and reality lies in their hands, and I hate it.”