From Kwangwoon to Japan’s Logistics Industry

Building a Career Across Korea and Japan

A Journey from Kwangwoon University to Japan’s Logistics Industry

What began as a four-year university experience in Korea has become the foundation for a new career in Japan.

From studying and working in Korea to landing a position at Japanese logistics company Asagami Corporation, this graduate’s journey shows how studying abroad can become a stepping stone to a global career. Through four years at Kwangwoon University,  HAMAMURA MINORI(School of Media and Communication ’22)​ developed not only Korean-language skills, but also communication, collaboration, and initiative through scholarships, campus work, and various extracurricular activities.

Now, she is ready to begin a new chapter in Japan’s logistics industry, with a goal of combining her Korean experience and language skills with professional expertise in logistics.

In this interview, she shares her journey from choosing Korea as her study-abroad destination to preparing for employment in Japan, the challenges she faced along the way, and her advice for international students preparing for their own careers.

 HAMAMURA MINORI(School of Media and Communication ’22), Asagami Corporation

Q. Could you tell us about the company you will be joining and your position?

A. I was recently selected for a general-track position at Asagami Corporation, a comprehensive logistics company in Japan. My specific responsibilities will be determined after I complete the company’s training program. At the moment, I am particularly interested in working in import and export customs clearance.

Since the logistics industry connects countries and companies around the world, I hope to develop myself into a globally capable professional by obtaining various certifications and gaining practical experience in the field.

Q. What was the decisive factor that led you to pursue a career in Japan rather than Korea?

A. I believe that my greatest strength is my ability to speak Korean. At the same time, I wanted to develop new skills and build professional expertise.

As I explored different career options, I became particularly interested in the logistics industry in Japan. I was drawn to the field because it offers opportunities to develop specialized expertise, earn professional certifications, and gain experience in international business.

My goal is to first gain new skills and experience in Japan, and then combine my Korean-language abilities with the professional expertise I develop there. In the long term, I hope to use both strengths to build a career that connects Korea and Japan.

Q. Did you ever consider pursuing a career in Korea instead of Japan?

A. I did think about it a little, although it was not a major dilemma. Since I was graduating from a Korean university, I did feel some regret about not challenging myself to find a job in Korea. However, I did not think that I necessarily had to start my career in Korea.

Not getting a job in Korea now does not mean that opportunities to work in Korea will disappear forever. I would like to gain new experience in Japan first, and if another opportunity arises in the future, I would also like to challenge myself to work in Korea.

Q. How did you mainly find information about job opportunities?

A. In Korea, I mainly used the Global Strategy Team website at Kwangwoon University, where employment opportunities are regularly posted.

For job opportunities in Japan, I used MyNavi, one of Japan’s major job-search websites. In particular, when looking for recruitment opportunities at Japanese companies, I found it very helpful to use Japanese employment websites directly.

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

A. There were two particularly challenging aspects.

The first was finding reliable employment information. In Japan, many students prepare for employment by using their university career centers and sharing information with friends. They often work together on applications and interview preparation as well. However, because I was preparing for employment in Japan while living in Korea, I had relatively fewer opportunities to obtain information or ask for advice when I had questions.

The second challenge was traveling back and forth between Korea and Japan for interviews. There are some differences between the academic calendars in Korea and Japan. At the time, I was also working part-time in Korea, so whenever I had an in-person interview in Japan, I had to travel between the two countries.

It was not easy in terms of either time or cost, but I regarded it as a necessary part of pursuing the career I wanted and continued to prepare step by step.

Q. Do you have any personal tips for making a good impression during an interview?

A. The most important thing for me was to get to the point and answer questions clearly and concisely.

When you are nervous during an interview, it is easy to make your answers longer than necessary. So whenever I was asked a question, I tried to give my main point first and then explain it with a specific experience or reason.

I also tried to keep my answers focused so that the interviewer could understand what I wanted to say within a limited amount of time.

Another thing I paid attention to was making a good first impression. Especially in online interviews, I made sure to greet the interviewer with a smile and a positive attitude as soon as I joined the meeting. It may seem like a small thing, but I think those small details can make a difference.

The questions I was asked were mainly about my motivation for applying, why I chose the industry and company, what I had worked hardest on as a student, my strengths and weaknesses, why I wanted to work in Japan rather than Korea, and why I had chosen Korea as my study-abroad destination.

Many of the questions were also closely related to my experience as an international student in Korea.

Q. Do you think graduating from a Korean university as a Japanese student became an advantage when applying for jobs in Japan?

A. Yes, I do.

After studying and living in Korea for four years, I naturally developed not only Korean-language skills but also experience communicating and working with many different people.

I believe these experiences will be a clear advantage when working for a Japanese company as well.

Q. Was there anything about your experience studying in Korea that Japanese companies showed particular interest in during your interviews?

A. Yes. They were particularly interested in my experiences working on team projects with Korean students, receiving scholarships, and working part-time.

I think what mattered was not simply the fact that I attended a university in Korea, but being able to explain specifically what I experienced in Korea and what I learned and how I grew through those experiences.

Q. What strengths do you think your experience studying and living in Korea will bring to your future career at a Japanese company?

A. I believe my greatest strength is the ability to work and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds.

There are many team projects at Korean universities, and I had numerous opportunities to work with students from different countries. There were times when I was the only international student on a team made up entirely of Korean students, and there were also occasions when I worked together with other international students.

These experiences taught me how to understand different perspectives, consider the needs of others, and work together toward a common goal. I believe these skills are also extremely important in the workplace.

I hope to make active use of these experiences at my future company in Japan.

Q. Did your Korean-language skills or understanding of Korean culture help you during the recruitment process?

A. Yes, I believe they were a great help.

In addition to my academic experience, I gained practical work experience through my part-time job, where I handled tasks such as answering phone calls in Korean and entering data.

This allowed me to show that I could do more than simply speak Korean—I had actually used the language in a real work environment. I believe this practical experience became one of my strengths during the recruitment process.

Q. If you had to choose just one competitive advantage you gained from studying at Kwangwoon University, what would it be?

A. I would say initiative.

Compared with some universities in Seoul, Kwangwoon University does not have an exceptionally large number of international students. From what I heard from friends at other universities, international students sometimes naturally make up a large part of their classes or team projects. However, I did not always have that kind of environment at Kwangwoon. Instead, I had to take the initiative to build relationships with people and actively participate in various activities.

Looking back, I believe that continuing to challenge myself and create my own opportunities, even when the environment was not always easy, helped me develop one of my greatest strengths: initiative.

Q. What was the most memorable question you received during your final interview?

A. The question that stayed with me the most was “Why did you choose Korea as your study-abroad destination among all the countries in the world?”

It was a meaningful question because it made me reflect on why I came to Korea and what I had experienced here. It gave me an opportunity to look back on my own journey and think about how those experiences had shaped me.

Q. How did you feel when you first heard that you had been accepted?

A. The very first thought that came to my mind was “I don't have to apply for any more jobs!”

I had been continuously submitting applications and preparing for interviews, so when I heard that I had been accepted, I felt a huge sense of relief as all the tension finally disappeared.

Q. What mistakes do you think international students preparing for employment commonly make, and what would you recommend they avoid?

A. When I first started preparing for employment, I realized that I did not know myself as well as I thought I did.

Because all of the answers in your application and interviews need to be consistent, I think self-analysis is more important than simply preparing answers to expected interview questions.

For example, think deeply about what you value when making decisions and what kinds of experiences make you feel a sense of accomplishment. This can help you better understand your strengths and values.

I also recommend practicing how to put your thoughts into words so that other people can understand them clearly. It is more difficult than it sounds to express your thoughts verbally, but with repeated practice, you can definitely improve.

Q. Among the classes or academic experiences you had at Kwangwoon University, which was the most helpful for your career?

A. My major was Media and Communication, so there was not a direct connection between my major courses and the logistics field I applied for.

However, career-related general education courses helped me think about employment and consider my future career more seriously.

Q. What activities outside of class helped you develop your career-related skills?

A. The experience that helped me the most was my part-time job. I worked as a student assistant at the Global Strategy Team of Kwangwoon University for approximately two and a half years.

During that time, I gained experience in a variety of tasks, including answering phone calls, entering data, and providing translation and interpretation support. These experiences helped me develop basic office and administrative skills.

Most importantly, because I had actual work experience using Korean, I was able to demonstrate during the recruitment process that I was someone who could perform professional tasks in a foreign language.

Q. Which employment support program provided by the university was most useful to you, and what would you recommend to other students?

A. I would recommend the “Ko Mate” website provided by the Global Strategy Team at Kwangwoon University.

It allows students to find various employment opportunities by country. I used it to search for “local employment opportunities in Japan” and also to explore which industries and positions were looking for candidates with Korean-language skills.

For international students in particular, I think it is important to look not only for general employment opportunities but also for positions where they can make use of their nationality and language skills.

Q. Was there a particular moment at Kwangwoon University when you thought, “This experience will definitely help me after I return to Japan”?

A. I believe that the various challenges I took on at Kwangwoon University will continue to be a great source of strength after I return to Japan.

During my four years at the university, I consistently challenged myself by participating in various activities, including receiving scholarships, working part-time on campus, participating in speaking competitions, and attending special lectures.

In particular, being selected for the Dean’s List during my third year gave me a great sense of achievement and confidence.

Looking back, I think it was not any single experience that shaped me, but rather the process of continuously challenging myself whenever new opportunities arose.

Q. What was the most difficult part of studying in Korea, and how did you overcome it?

A. One of the most difficult things was maintaining a high GPA while working part-time.

I needed to maintain good grades to receive scholarships, but I also needed to continue working part-time to cover my living expenses.

During exam periods, especially, assignments and exams often came all at once, which sometimes felt mentally overwhelming. Whenever I faced difficulties, I received support from friends I could rely on in Korea, university staff members, and my parents and friends in Japan.

Rather than trying to solve everything on my own, asking the people around me for help and discussing my concerns with them gave me a lot of strength and helped me overcome those challenges.

Q. What are the three most important pieces of advice you would like to give to international students at Kwangwoon University who are preparing for employment?

A. First, challenge yourself as much as possible.

Applications and interviews become more familiar through practice and real-world experience. Rather than trying to prepare everything perfectly from the beginning, I recommend applying to multiple companies and gaining experience.

After each interview, take some time to reflect on what you did well and what you could improve. Through this process, you can gradually develop your own approach and confidence.

Second, don't compare yourself with others.

When you are preparing for employment, it is easy to become anxious when you hear about your friends getting job offers. However, everyone has different experiences, strengths, circumstances, and goals. Instead of comparing yourself with others, focus on your own experiences, strengths, and goals.

Third, spend plenty of time on self-analysis and practicing how to express yourself.

Think deeply about who you are and practice explaining your thoughts to other people. Expressing your thoughts verbally is more difficult than simply thinking about them, but you will definitely improve through repeated practice.

Q. During your job search, when did you feel most confident and think, “I made the right decision by coming to study at a Korean university”?

A. It was the experience of maintaining a full-tuition scholarship throughout all four years of university.

When I received the scholarship results during my final semester while preparing for employment, I felt a strong sense of confidence as I realized, “I managed to maintain this achievement consistently for four years.”I also received positive feedback whenever I talked about this experience during interviews.

I believe that Kwangwoon University's strong scholarship system for international students was an important source of motivation that helped me maintain my scholarship.

Q. Is there anything you would like Kwangwoon University to continue or improve for international students?

A. I hope that Kwangwoon University will continue to maintain its current high level of scholarship support for international students.

For me, the scholarship was more than just financial assistance. It was an important source of motivation that allowed me to focus more on my studies and continue challenging myself.

Q. If you could go back to your first year at Kwangwoon University, what would you definitely want to do?

A. I would like to explore a wider range of subjects through a double major or minor.

One of my concerns when I first started preparing for employment was that I did not have a specific career or job that I wanted to pursue. If I could start university again, I would like to explore various fields rather than focusing solely on my major. I think that would help me discover my potential and understand my interests more broadly.

A. I graduated this August and plan to begin working in Japan next April. After graduation, I plan to return to Japan, take some time to rest, and prepare for my new job. My first goal after joining the company is to adapt quickly to the organization and my responsibilities.

After that, I would like to obtain the professional certifications I have set as personal goals and gradually build my expertise in the logistics industry.

In the long term, I hope to become a professional who can combine my Korean-language skills, the experience I gained in Korea, and the logistics expertise I will develop in Japan to create unique value in an international business environment.