The spread of COVID-19 has further frozen the job market. According to an October 6 survey conducted by the Korea Economic Research Institute, 24.2 percent of the top 500 companies in sales from August 3 to 21 do not hire new employees in the second half of the year and 50 percent do not plan to hire new employees.

The Campus Journal conducted a survey on the overall situation of job seekers attending CWNU in the face of reduced opportunities in the job market. The survey was conducted online from October 27 to October 29. The results cannot be generalized because a total of 21 students from CWNU responded to the survey. (Among the respondents, 13 were women and 8 were men. The distribution of the studies of the respondents was 6 in Business School, 4 in the College of Natural Science, 4 in the College of Mechatronics, 3 in the College of Humanities, 2 in the College of Engineering, 1 in the College of Art, and 1 in the Cultural Technology Department. 15 of the respondents were in their senior years and six were in their junior years.)

When asked ‘Where do you get employment information from?’ respondents answered ‘JOBKOREA’ (54.5%), ‘Saramin’ (45.5%), ‘Acquaintance, Worknet, Naver/Daum Cafe’ (36.4%), ‘Human Resources Development Center’ (18.2%), and ‘CWNU Professors’ (9.1%).

When asked ‘What kind of occupation are you preparing for?’ respondents answered ‘Management Support Team’ (40.9%), ‘Marketing Team’ (27.3%), ‘Research & Development Team’ (27.3%), ‘Production Technical Team’ (13.6%), ‘IT Team’ (13.6%), and ‘Other (Civic Servant, Service Team, Academic profession)’ (13.6%). Some of the occupations that the respondents are preparing for are related to their majors (81.8%), while others (18.2%) are not.

When asked ‘What are you currently doing to prepare for your target occupation?’ over half of respondents answered ‘preparing for certificates’. These included certificates such as TOEIC, Computer Specialist in Spreadsheets & Databases. Other than that, there are NCS(National Competency Standards) and interview study groups, education at private academies, graduate school preparation, and other forms of academic and career development.

When asked ‘What are the difficulties they are facing while applying to the occupation they are currently preparing for?’ many talked about the lack of information available for the jobs they were interested in. Respondents were also worried about a lack of qualifications and the pressure to write a cover letter. Also, the number of job openings in desirable companies has reduced, which has led to increased competition.

There were various answers to ‘What activities did you do in your freshman and sophomore years that helped you prepare for a job? Are there any activities you wish you had done in advance?’ Respondents said that it was helpful to participate in occupation-related experiences through extracurricular activities, contests, and exhibits. It was also helpful to make connections and meet people through nonacademic activities, volunteer activities, and clubs. Respondents also said that it is good to complete a certificate that gives a competitive edge while job seeking before graduating.

It is important to do activities related to a target job in advance, to check if it suits well and to build up knowledge and experience related to the job. Respondents said that meeting various people helped them to stay positive, and that it was helpful to get information about employment due to the expansion of personal connections. Experience through these activities can also be included on a cover letter. In addition, the preparation for employment is intense as the senior year progresses, but pre-qualified certificates can save time.

When preparing for a job, job seekers may be failed in documents or interviews. Whenever that happens, self-esteem can hit rock bottom and job seekers can feel like the least qualified person in the world. However, rather than being frustrated by being rejected, one can learn from the rejection. Remember that it is important to take care of oneself and keep trying!

By Seo Hyo-bin cub-reporter  tjdowls99@naver.com

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