For Dream or Money?

Savio Lee Savio Leel½ÂÀÎ2009.09.07l292È£ 0¸é

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In the summer vacation of Sun-Ki Kim, 21, she had all kinds of part-time jobs such as labor service at school, washing dishes at the restaurant and working at the convenience store every weekend. When we asked him why he does so many part-time jobs, his answer was the most common one like ‘to make money for tuition fee.’ ‘Alba Paradise,’ a portal site related to offering and seeking jobs, conducted a survey asking 1,573 of university students why they have a part-time job. The result was that the main reason was making some money for personal expenses during the semester. The second answer was making money for living expenses. And the criteria for choosing a part-time job resulted in 42.7% for ‘appropriate time’ and 47.7% for ‘gaining more money.’ But ‘its relevance to getting a job after graduation or their preference to it’ was only 19.7%, which was a disappointing result for university students who are looking for a job. This is the reality of Korean students who do a part-time job as you can see from the figures. Just to earn money, they are wasting time instead of spending university life fruitfully. In this disappointing situation we met students who are part of 19.7% who are living the dream and ‘killing two birds with one stone.’ 

   
we met So-Young Choi, a sophomore at the department of International Cultural Studies in Soonchunhyang University. She is doing a part-time job at a bakery now. At the beginning, she started her job to earn some money for personal and traveling expenses. But she discovered her aptitude and interest through her job. When we met her, we had to wait for some time because she was baking some bread. 

 

 

 

 

While you have been working at a part-time job, you might have experienced trial or error. Will you tell us about it?

“I have experienced just 2 part-time jobs until now. When I did my first part-time job at a restaurant, I realized that a service job is much harder mentally than physically. So, I quit it after 3 months and I got a part-time job in a bakery when I moved to where I live now. I started to do it because my friend recommended it, not because I was interested in bakery. It is tough to treat the customers kindly as possible since the bakery is a kind of a service job, like a restaurant. But after working more than one year, I met a lot of people and went through much trouble. I think that this was a good experience before I go out.”

How much do your part-time jobs help you find your aptitude, in detail?

I think part-time jobs take a role in filling out the part that students cannot experience at school. I could find what my interest was through learning about spaghetti at a restaurant and learning about bread at a bakery. I have been working at bakery for about a year and 5 months. Through working, I have been interested in bread which was not interesting in the past. So, recently, I learned a lot about bread and receipt from the baker of bakery. Through that experience, I thought that I wanted the challenge of a patisseie which I never thought of as my future goal.

Finally, is there something to say to students who just have a purpose on making money?

“I got a part-time job to make money for my personal expenses at first time. Actually, making money was something interesting for me when I was young. But I realized that working at a part-time job was not only a way for making money but also a worthy experience. That's why I felt challenged to do something that I didn't have experience with, and could feel something about social activity. I hope that every student finds out their aptitude and interest through a part-time job like me. If you enjoy your part-time job, it means that it fits you.”

 

The next person we met was Ms. Lee who got a good job, thanks to precious experiences in many part-time jobs.

Did you ever think your part-time jobs could be a step for your future goal? And how did they help you to have a job?

“I started to be interested in contacting people from the time when I worked at a fast food restaurant. When I was a freshman and a sophomore, I worked in a sales promotion service team. Through that job I began to have a deep interest in persuading customers and selling products. And then I tried to get a job in this field because I realized I had an aptitude for sales and marketing. After the first semester of the fourth year, I made my mind up to absent myself from school temporarily because I thought I was not ready enough to get into society. I was interested in the cosmetic field. I worked in an Internet marketing team of a foreign cosmetic company as a probational employee for 9 months. Also I had a very useful period as a show host for a shopping mall selected by a UCC interview. A show host isn't common, its a very particular job. It was an important experience though it was a very tough time. I had the most precious experience that my revolutionary proposal enjoyed a good reputation from others. I happened to think of that proposal while I was worried about how to satisfy customers. From that special experience, I learned the service mind, insight, world view etc. Finally I could enter a bank even though I didn't have a certificate of qualification and I majored in hotel management that is not suitable for bank.”

Could you give us an example of a part-time job in which you got important experience instead of money?

“I volunteered in helping poor children with their study. They had been uninterested in studying and entering university, but as time went by, they opened their minds and finally entered university. That time was a very meaningful moment for me. An overseas volunteering program was good too. It gave me a golden opportunity to meet foreigners and share information and thoughts with them. In addition, activities as a spokesperson gave me a good social experience and self-confidence.”

What is the key to getting a good part-time job or employment?

“It's better to submit the application earlier than the deadline because submitting on the deadline can give a feeling that you are not ready or you applied in hesitation. Also there is a risk such as the disruption to the internet server at the deadline. It is important that not to write too sophisticated or common words but ones that show that you are really interested in this job and you are ready to be hired enough. Also you have to care about tiny things. In my case, of course, the content of the application form should be good basically. I prepared and chose frames or colors of presentation data carefully, and I finally added my favorite work of art in the last page of my presentation. My favorite work of art was only purposed to share my interest, and then interviewers gave some questions to me about that. I gained a favorable image because of my sincere answers. ‘You must be so exhausted. That is why I prepared this forest picture with a path, for your tired eyes.’ This mention also gave a deep impression to interviewers. First of all, tenacity is really important as well as interest. Needless to say, I couldn't get my job just at a first try. I continually tried and endeavored one by one. Finally I caught an opportunity although complications frequently occurred.”

I want to listen to your own opinion about the importance of part-time jobs.

“People say that find the first button up is important. In the past, the first job was regarded as the first button. However, as the world is changing rapidly, I think part-time jobs are the first button. Ordinary people continually try something in which they had interested before because they fear of trying a thing that they never did or thought. Therefore, you have to find what you have an aptitude for through part-time jobs. But if you were in the process of searching for your aptitude for too long, you would get a too late start. Also you have to search the job that you really want through various part time jobs , but similar area to what you study rather than not related. This experience helps you broaden your mind and magnifies the width of job that you are looking for.

Now, to think a part-time job only as means for making money is an anachronism. Working at a Part-time job is a foundation stone for someone's dream and future and is a significant choice to achieve one's view of life, with beginning, process and ending. Many people don't know about what they really want to be, so they make a plan of their own future work by grand standards that they don't really want, by the fascination of earning more money. Therefore, lots of consultants are talking about stress, destruction of ego, ineffective results of work in vocations. People live in obscure expectation and regret. You need to make harmony between choice and concentration in modern society. Consequently, you can choose your best future by widening your views and values through various part-time jobs, the indirect experience of a vocation. Let's think about what you really want again. And let’s experience a part-time job related to it. After that, your effort and passion will change your life.


Savio Lee  dkherald@gmail.com
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