The following post was uploaded in anonymous forum on Korean website about working abroad. Translated by myself. It’s okay to take this article to somewhere else, but please cite. Basically, this post sums up my feelings on working in Korea, and this is what I’ve been through, until I decided I can’t do this.
Original post from http://www.gohackers.com/bbs/zboard.php?id=j_work_life&no=370&page=1&sp1&sn1&divpage=1&sp=off&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&sf=off&sa=off
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I know everyone has different priority on getting a job in Korea or America. This is just a subjective opinion based on my personal experience.
I had an interview with Sam**ng Electronics, a company often called as the best in South Korea. I didn’t apply there directly. A recruiting agency contacted me whether I’m interested, so I went for it.
My sentiment before the interview:
You know, working in Korea isn’t bad at all. I’m not the only one here. I know a lot of people who couldn’t get a job, but got a place in Sam**ng. People go to Sam**ng Electronics a lot. It’s a big, well-respected multinational firm now. Payment isn’t bad. And think about all that racism, glass celing, visa/green card shit and high tax. Korea is a good option. I’ve been doing job research on Korean companies anyway. The economy nowadays in America is terrible. It’s not like past. Life is tough.
My sentiment after the interview:
WTF. What’s up with this suffocating air?!?! ME NO LIKE THIS Even if Sam**ng offers me a job, I don’t want to go there. I’m going to do everything I can to get a job in America. If America scores -10 in this recession, South Korea scores -20. Jesus.
Some highlights of the interview:
First, I hated how the interviewers kept using broken English in really unnecessary moments. It annoyed me so much. If you want to use English, then just speak in English from the beginning, for god’s sake.
Interviewer 1: nae gah CONCERN de nun gun…(=What I’m concerned about is…)
He repeated this phrase for more than 4-5 times. Exactly same phrase, over and over. So annoying.
Interviewer 2: CONSENSUS ruel ga jyo ya haji anketsoyo? (= don’t we need to have a consensus?)
This is something you can express in Korean, just fine. Why do you have to use some dead English vocab and overuse it? Does that make them look smart? Or, do they have so much sense of inferiority so they have to camouflage it in this way?
Now comes the best part.
Interviewer 1: You haven’t written any research papers yet?
Thing is, I sent several beforehand at their request.
Me: Oh, I sent it and it should be there…
And, in the paper, you write the author’s name. Below the name goes address. For example:
John Smith — my professor
123 ABC avenue
San Martino, CA (I don’t live in San Martino. Just for the sake of example)
Interviewer 1: I see the paper written with San Martino, but not with your professor.
I: (at loss of words. But I did my best to answer politely) Um, it’s written on the paper.
Interviewer 2: Yeah, John Smith, written above there.
Interviewer 1 doesn’t even know which is first name and which is last name. Then he started all this bullshit excuse.
Sam**ng is so-called the best company in South Korea. And this guy is in charge of international recruiting. I don’t understand. Shouldn’t he know which is name and which is address, at least?
And they have no concept of job description. I asked over and over, before and during and after the interview, about the opening’s field and work. Their answer? “we don’t have such a thing.” WTF?! Then how an earth can you evaluate people and what’s the point of interview?
Seriously, Sam**ng – is this all you got? I am beyond disappointed. For a starter, do something with people in charge of international recruiting. All American companies I interviewed with asked my availability first, and then we worked together to get the best time. Sam**ng just notified me the interview time, without asking me. Just one email with dates. It was impossible schedule for me, so I asked whether it’s possible to move the interview to some other dates. They simply answered “no.”
Their basic mindset is this: shut up, just be thankful that you are given a chance to have an interview with us. Of course you have to adjust your schedule for us. Isn’t that obvious?
Everyone knows how Sam**ng thinks its employees as parts of machine. My experience confirms it. No wonder why all those employees quit within 1-2 years.