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:: Hot Topics |
Jobseeking
in Korea:
Easy Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door
By Steve McKinney,
(Originally published in The Korea Herald on Monday, November 5,
2001, page 10)
When's the last time you sat down to research a company—the night
before your big job interview? The fact is, surprisingly few qualified candidates
take the time to research the businesses or industries to which they're
applying for a position. Below, you'll find easy ways to locate, research,
and contact the companies you're interested in—and improve your
chances of leaving a job interview with an offer.
First, try surfing the web by industry. You can begin by checking out Hoover's
and Careers in
Business. Read over press releases and financial information. How are
top businesses performing against their competitors? What new partnerships
and products are being developed? What are three or four key trends currently
shaping the industry?
For company research, your best bet is to visit the company's web site.
What's the company culture like? Who are its leaders? What distinguishes
this company from its competitors? What's the company's mission statement,
and what's it looking for in its employees? The best way to impress your
interviewer is to ask sharp, specific questions about the company, its products,
and the direction it's heading in the future.
Finally, read the latest news on the company in The
Wall Street Journal online.
Networking-seeking employment through friends, colleagues and acquaintances-is
probably the most effective method for finding a job. When you begin your
search, be sure to let friends and former co-workers know that you're
looking. If you know someone who currently works in a field that you're
interested in, try setting up an informational interview. Ask him or her
detailed questions about the industry or company, how they got started,
and other tips for getting your foot in the door. The foreign chambers of
commerce in Korea are another good source for job hunters. Most chambers
of commerce publish directories that contain business information and contact
data of their international member companies. These can usually be purchased.
Check out the following web sites for the major chambers of commerce in
Korea:
Austrian Trade Commission
British Chamber
French Chamber
Korea German Chamber
The chambers without websites include the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
(TDC) (Tel: 780-0405), the Italian Trade Commission (Tel: 779-0811), the
Japanese Chamber (Tel: 755-6672), the Korea Israel Chamber (Tel: 729-3734),
the Russian Chamber (Tel: 554-9674), the Singapore Trade Development Board
(Tel: 736-1207), and the Taipei Mission (Tel: 399-2783).
Jobseekers can also contact executive search consultants and recruiters
to help find employment opportunities. If you have an ideal job and company
in mind, contact the company to find out which professional executive search
firm does its' recruiting. Then try contacting the recruiting firm.
It's also important to understand how recruiters operate. Recruiters
find people for jobs, not jobs for people. However, if you make the effort
to meet with a recruiter in person (as opposed to simply sending them your
resume), the odds are that they'll remember you when a job comes along
that you're qualified for.
Every year, many graduating seniors find jobs through their schools'
on-campus interview and recruiting programs. But these positions are just
a few of the jobs that really exist. Many more opportunities are located
within the "hidden job market"-which includes positions that are never
advertised, or publicized through executive search firms and job placement
companies. Networking is a great way to gain access to these "hidden" employment
opportunities, or learn about a job opening before it's advertised.
And remember: in this tough job market, having good etiquette can make all
the difference in the world. Be sure to return calls promptly, write thank-you
letters after interviews, turn off your cell phone during meetings, and
decline a job offer—rather than hold onto it—if you know you're
not going to accept it. Politeness and etiquette show great integrity and
respect to everyone you are in contact with during your job search.
About Steve McKinney
Steve McKinney the president and CEO of McKinney
Consulting Inc., an executive search company serving multinational clients,
and the co-chairman of the Living in Korea Committee of the American
Chamber of Commerce.
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