From International Student to ‘Mini CEO’

: Bridging the Gap in Korea’s Global Talent Ecosystem

–​ Bridging the Gap Between Global Talent and Opportunity –

An international graduate, ‘Hoang Nhat Duong(Industrial Psychology 20)’shares his experience of preparing for employment in Korea, highlighting the importance of language skills, strategic career planning, and adaptability in a competitive job market.

Q. Please briefly introduce your current company and your role.

A. I am currently working as a Business Development Manager at Foreedom Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of TwoSun World Group. Our company is located in Pangyo and is an IT-based service company. Among more than 100 affiliates within the group,

our company plays a key role in handling businesses targeting foreigners. Our main business areas include comprehensive services for foreigners, such as job information provision, visa processing, housing support, international workforce mobility, and study abroad services.

I work as a Business Development and Planning Manager, performing the role of a Project Owner(PO). Simply put, I am responsible for discovering scalable businesses and services that can generate value and revenue for the company, and planning them into monetizable service models.

In addition, I do not stop at the planning stage. I closely collaborate with the development team to directly design, develop, and improve services. After launching services, I also meet partners and clients in person to handle sales and cooperation, ensuring that the business leads to actual revenue generation.

Since the PO role oversees the entire process from service planning and development to commercialization and revenue generation and carries full ownership, it is often described internally as being similar to a “mini CEO.”

Working hours are generally from 9 AM to 6 PM, but they are flexibly adjusted depending on business trips or external meetings.

Q. What made you decide that you wanted to work in Korea?

A. The biggest reason I decided to pursue employment in Korea was that I believed there would be far more opportunities to expand my career compared to returning to my home country immediately after graduation.

Korean companies, regardless of whether they are large corporations, mid-sized companies, or small and medium enterprises, generally aim for the global market. I thought that working in such an environment would provide a great opportunity to systematically develop global competencies, which are one of the most important skills for job seekers and early-career professionals.

In addition, Korea has globally competitive core industries such as semiconductors, IT, and cosmetics. I believed that gaining practical experience in such an industrial environment would become a valuable asset for my long-term career.

This kind of experience would serve as a strong foundation for continuing my career in a more competitive position, whether I remain in Korea, expand overseas, or return to my home country in the future. These were the main reasons why I decided to work in Korea.

       

Q. When did you start preparing for employment, and how long did the process take?

A. I began preparing for employment in earnest in 2023, when I was in my third year. At that time, there were fewer job opportunities for international students compared to now, so I made efforts to actively seek opportunities.

I consistently participated in annual job fairs for foreigners, and I also actively attended recruitment briefings and consultation programs at my university where large companies, mid-sized companies, small and Medium-sized Enterprises and startups participated.

As a result, during the summer vacation in July 2023, I obtained an internship opportunity at a domestic manufacturing company, where I worked in global HR. This was my first experience working in a large Korean corporate environment.

After completing the internship, I received an offer for a new position at a Vietnam branch. However, since my goal of continuing my career in Korea became clearer, I politely declined the offer and continued to explore opportunities within Korea.

Afterward, I continued an internship at an HR consulting company to further expand my practical HR experience, and at the same time, I entered a master’s program for long-term career growth. Through this process, I am now working at Foreedom Co., Ltd. in the business development and PO position that I had hoped for.

Therefore, it is difficult to define my job preparation period as a specific number of months or years. Rather, it was a continuous, long-term process of exploring opportunities with a clear direction.

Q. How helpful were your Korean and English skills during your job preparation?

A. When looking at job descriptions for foreign talent recruitment in large and mid-sized Korean companies, Korean language proficiency is typically required at TOPIK Level 4 or higher, and English at TOEIC 800 or higher. This allows us to estimate the level of language competency companies expect from foreign applicants as a basic requirement. Of course, these standards may vary depending on the job and position.

For example, in technical roles, TOPIK Level 4 and TOEIC 800 may be sufficient, while in humanities and social science roles—especially those involving high levels of communication such as overseas sales, marketing, and business planning/strategy—higher levels such as TOPIK Level 5 and TOEIC 900 are often required.

However, in actual recruitment processes, I felt that practical language ability demonstrated during interviews was more important than the scores themselves. During interviews, it is necessary to go beyond daily communication and be able to explain work-related situations, present logical opinions, and communicate using business or somewhat academic expressions.

Therefore, Korean and English scores served as minimum requirements to qualify for application, but how effectively one could use the languages in interviews and actual work situations had a greater impact on the final result.

Q. How did you find job opportunities and apply?

A. I mainly applied by referring to information from Korean job websites, job fairs, and specific company recruitment websites.

Q. What was the most difficult part of your job search and how did you overcome it?

A. The most difficult part of the job search process was the uncertainty about where to start and the lack of practical job-related information available for international students. As a result, I had to begin preparing without a clear understanding of what to prepare or how to approach it.

To overcome this, in the early stages, I focused on identifying which roles and companies I could realistically apply to while continuously gathering relevant information. As I accumulated basic information through foreigner-targeted job postings, job fairs, university career consultations, and networking with professionals, I gradually began to distinguish between realistic opportunities and areas of interest that were still difficult to access.

After that, I first set a broad goal regarding the roles and types of companies I wanted to apply to. Based on that goal, it became clearer when to start preparing, what to prepare, and which competencies to prioritize.

In other words, rather than preparing under vague anxiety, defining goals based on information and approaching the process step by step helped me establish clear direction in my job search.

Q. Why did you decide to join your current company?

A. The biggest reason I joined my current company is that its culture and vision align very well with my career goals and long-term plans. In particular, the company’s direction of creating both social and business value through comprehensive services for foreigners in an international environment strongly resonates with the career vision I want to achieve.

In addition, the company provides an environment where I can not only perform assigned tasks but also take the lead in the entire process from business planning to execution and performance creation. I believed that this would allow me to expand my career beyond expectations.

For these reasons, I decided to join the company, believing that it is the optimal environment to effectively develop my capabilities.

Q. As an international student, what do you think was your unique strength?

A. One of the strengths that international students naturally possess, even without special preparation, is a high level of understanding of multicultural and multilingual environments.

The competency that companies expect most from foreign talent is global capability, which is ultimately built upon an understanding of diverse cultures and languages.

In global companies in particular, there are frequent situations where work is carried out through email communication and collaboration with overseas branches. In such cases, if one understands not only the language of the country but also its cultural context and working style, it can significantly reduce unnecessary misunderstandings and communication costs, thereby improving overall organizational efficiency and synergy.

In this regard, I believe I was able to develop my multicultural and multilingual understanding not just as a personal background, but as a practical and competitive strength applicable in real work situations.

Q. Besides Korean, what additional competencies did you prepare?

A. Among various competencies, the one I would most strongly recommend to international job seekers besides Korean is English proficiency.

While project experience, internships, and job-related certifications may vary in importance depending on the role, I believe English is a fundamental and essential competency that goes beyond specific job functions.

In the Korean corporate environment, communication with overseas branches and global partners is increasing. Therefore, candidates who can use both Korean and English proficiently have a significantly higher chance of success compared to those who cannot.

For this reason, I focused on building foreign language skills as the foundation of my career.

Although certain roles may require specific certifications or expertise, I believe it is more effective to prepare for certifications or additional competencies after achieving sufficient language proficiency, both in terms of learning efficiency and practical application.

Q. What efforts did you make to become familiar with Korean corporate culture or interview styles?

A. Since most interviews at Korean companies are conducted in Korean, I focused particularly on improving my Korean speaking skills.

In addition, since interview formats and question types in Korean companies tend to be somewhat standardized, I referred to various resources in advance to understand them.

Specifically, I sought advice from Korean friends and seniors, and continuously reviewed real interview experiences and question examples shared online and on job platforms.

Through this process, I was able to reduce anxiety about interviews and adapt more quickly to Korean interview culture.

Q. When writing your personal statement, what aspects did you focus on as an international applicant?

A. When writing my personal statement, I focused on two key “matching points.”

The first was how well my competencies matched the job requirements. Since required skills differ by position, I evaluated how well my experience aligned with the requirements and preferred qualifications listed in each job posting.

If my experience was insufficient, I focused on explaining it indirectly through similar experiences or transferable skills rather than trying to prove it directly. I believe this is especially important for international applicants.

The second was how well my personality and career goals aligned with the company’s culture and vision.

If the first matching point demonstrates basic job capability, the second signals that the candidate can create additional value and grow within the company. Therefore, I made sure to include both aspects so that recruiters could perceive me as a candidate who can contribute in the long term.

Q. Please share your own tips for leaving a good impression in interviews or frequently asked questions.

A. In interviews, I considered proper posture, neat appearance, a clear and appropriate tone of voice, and confident eye contact to be the most important factors. I felt that these basic elements have a significant impact on the first impression.

I believe that every interview question has a specific intention and key point. While some questions are direct, many are abstract and require the applicant to identify the core point independently. Therefore, I aimed to quickly grasp the intent of the question and deliver concise answers within one minute.

If the intention of a question was unclear, I would naturally confirm it through a brief follow-up question. However, I do not recommend overusing this approach.

Q. What courses, majors, or activities at Kwangwoon University were directly helpful for employment?

A. Career-related lectures, the career support center, student counseling programs (such as personality and aptitude tests), and job fairs were all helpful in preparing for employment. These programs helped me establish an overall direction for job preparation.

However, personally, I believe that having more opportunities to directly communicate with seniors who had successfully found jobs would have been even more beneficial.

Q. Among club activities, part-time jobs, internships, and extracurricular activities, were there any experiences that helped develop your employability?

A. I experienced all of these clubs, part-time jobs, internships, and extracurricular activities and I believe each contributed to developing my employability in different ways.

The important point is not simply gaining various experiences, but how you connect and organize them into your own competencies.

My personal experiences and the competencies I developed are as follows :

Club Activities,

(Position) President of the Vietnamese Student Association and department representative

(Skills developed) Leadership, teamwork, project management, organizational management

Part-time Job,

(Position) Student assistant at the International Education Center

(Skills developed) Translation and interpretation, administrative support, student management and communication

Internships,

(Position) Global HR at a manufacturing company, headhunter at an HR consulting firm

(Skills developed) Practical work experience, collaboration with overseas branches, project-based work capability

Through these experiences, I was able to gradually build my ability to perform roles within organizations and adapt to real work environments.

Q. Are there any support programs for international students or career programs at the university that you would recommend?

A. I would especially recommend job preparation lectures and career counseling programs specifically designed for international students. Since these programs are tailored to the situations of foreign students, they provide more realistic advice and direction compared to general programs.

Q. How did interacting with Korean students affect your job preparation and life in Korea?

A. Some people believe that interacting with Korean students is not very helpful because foreign hiring and domestic hiring are separate. However, I strongly believe that actively engaging with Korean friends and seniors is very important if you aim to work in Korea.

Most interviewers are Korean, and through continuous interaction, you can naturally learn communication styles, expression patterns, and how to understand the intent behind questions.

Additionally, after starting work, I realized that one of the biggest costs for companies is communication cost. This cost is even higher between foreigners and locals. Therefore, the ability to communicate smoothly with Korean colleagues becomes a significant strength within an organization.

Q. When did you feel like returning to Vietnam during your life in Korea?

A. Personally, I think I would consider returning to my home country when Vietnam’s economic environment has further developed and when there are sufficient opportunities for me to expand my career to the next level.

Until then, my goal is to build enough experience and conditions in Korea so that I can work flexibly between Korea and Vietnam. In the long term, I plan to return home when these conditions are met.

Q. As a Vietnamese, what was the most difficult part of adapting to life in Korea?

A. The most difficult part of adapting to life in Korea was communicating smoothly in Korean. I believe that in any country, a certain level of understanding of the local language is essential to adapt well to society and culture.

Without sufficient language skills, it is difficult to adjust not only to daily life but also to academics and interpersonal relationships.

Q. What helped you the most in adapting to life in Korea?

A. To adapt quickly, I believe it is most effective to learn the language while actively trying to communicate with Koreans.

Through club activities, cultural experiences, part-time jobs, and making Korean friends, you can enjoy communication while naturally improving both language skills and cultural understanding.

Although it may sound obvious, I believe there is no shortcut. It requires time and effort, and through this process, I was able to gradually adapt to life in Korea.

Q. Did you make efforts to make Korean friends? If so, what worked best?

A. Yes, I consciously made a lot of effort to make Korean friends. I mainly formed relationships naturally through classmates and part-time job colleagues.

If you share common interests and have basic Korean communication skills, making Korean friends is not as difficult as it may seem.

Q. Are there any aspects of Korean university or workplace culture that you found difficult to understand?

A. At first, I found many aspects difficult to understand. However, as I gradually understood the reasons and background behind them, I became more accepting.

Rather than giving up because something is difficult to understand, I believe trying to understand why such cultures exist can significantly reduce stress in life in Korea.

Q. Do you have your own “survival tip” for making university life more enjoyable and meaningful?

A. It may sound abstract, but I believe the most important thing is clearly recognizing why you are in your current environment and what your goal is.

To achieve that goal, you need to think about what you can learn and accomplish in your current environment. Only then can you find meaning and fulfillment even in small achievements.

I maintained this mindset throughout my four years of undergraduate study, and I believe it made my university life more meaningful.

Q. Please share three pieces of advice for international students preparing for employment in Korea.

A. There are many things I would like to say, but if I had to choose three :

First, there are more job opportunities for foreigners in Korea than many people think. Some give up too early due to the perception that it is difficult, which I find unfortunate. I recommend actively searching for information through job sites and job fairs, and especially referring to job postings from large companies to understand hiring trends and required competencies.

Second, after collecting job postings for a certain period, it is important to analyze them to clearly identify ‘which roles are in demand’, ‘which roles you want’ and ‘what you need to prepare for those roles’.

Third, if you have limited time, it is important to focus on essential elements and reduce unnecessary preparation. Some certifications may have low relevance depending on the job, and their importance is decreasing due to AI. Most entry-level job postings do not list certifications as mandatory. Therefore, I recommend focusing on core competencies such as language skills and relevant experience.

Q. What do you think is absolutely necessary to prepare?

A. Essential elements include language skills, major- and job-related experience, and internship experience.

Among these, the most urgent priority is language skills especially Korean and English. Korean should be prepared through TOPIK, and English through TOEIC. For mid-sized companies and above, preparing for TOEIC Speaking is also helpful.

Since language skills take time to develop, they should be the first priority.

Q. Are there any support systems you wish your university had for international students?

A. The needs of international students differ depending on their purpose of stay and academic stage.

1st–2nd year undergraduates, More scholarships and language competitions could reduce financial burden

3rd year and above, More internship opportunities directly connected to employment would be highly beneficial

Q. What efforts are needed to adapt well to Korean workplace culture after employment?

A. I believe the process of adapting to university life and workplace life is not fundamentally different.

Just as you identify graduation requirements when entering university, it is important to clearly understand your role, responsibilities, and both company and personal goals when joining a company.

As you become familiar with your work, you will gradually understand team culture and work processes. By faithfully performing your role, a sense of belonging and stability will naturally develop.

Understanding expectations and creating results using both personal and team capabilities is key to workplace adaptation.

Q. What does “successful employment in Korea” mean to you as a foreigner? What are your future goals?

A. Many people define successful employment based on company size or salary. However, if there is a large gap between personal goals and actual work, it will not lead to long-term satisfaction.

I believe successful employment means working at a company where you can set appropriate yet challenging goals and continuously expand your career in the long term.

Currently, I work in a business planning and development (PO) role. One challenge is that this position is still not widely open to foreign hires in Korea, mainly because it requires a broad range of competencies.

Therefore, I intentionally worked to build PO-related capabilities early on, even during my time in HR. As a result, I was able to transition into this role based on indirect experience.

Moving forward, my goal is to continue strengthening my capabilities as a PO and grow into positions with greater responsibility.