No matter how long you have been living in South Korea, I believe that life and work experiences are different for everyone. I know people who lived in Seoul for over a year and never got a part-time job. Others, in a few months, already managed to get part-time jobs in company offices. I think it depends a lot on the people you know and also where you look. Thatโs why I decided to tell you a little about my experience with Part Time Jobs in Seoul.
Finding a Job
Iโve lived in Seoul for a little over a year (one year and two months to be exact). I came to Korea with the dream of learning Korean and building a career in a Korean company.
I started with the language, because in fact, knowing how to speak Korean is something very important and can open many doors for you. I have been studying Korean since I arrived at Seoul National University, and it was only after 6 months of studying that I started trying to look for part-time job opportunities.
Due to my inexperience and not knowing exactly where to look for work, I started using craigslist to do so. Despite not being the best site to get work (questionable reliability), it was through craigslist that I was able to land my first part-time job.
My First Part-Time Experience
No, it wasnโt the best part-time position. I worked for 2 months in an Arab restaurant in Itaewon and it was not a good experience overall.
First, the ad asked for someone to work in the restaurant lobby. However, I ended up working in the kitchen as well and doing whatever work was asked of me. I also wasnโt paid the minimum that was allowed for part-timers (watch out for that, folks).
But I canโt say it was horrible. For someone who needed the money, for two months I was relieved to have enough money to get by, even though the workplace was bad. So I worked there as long as I could stand it.
In the meantime, I ended up getting to know the Job Korea app. I tried for other opportunities there that werenโt just in restaurants or cafes. After all, I am a graduate with a masterโs degree.
My Second Part-Time Experience
Despite my qualifications, I wasnโt able to find part-time work in an office.
My second part-time job (and current) is also in a restaurant located in Itaewon. Despite my previous bad experience, in this restaurant, I am having a very different work experience.
The workspace is good, the co-workers are great, and the bosses are awesome. What used to be tiring and demotivating, even if the job is in a restaurant hall, is a place where I happily go to work. From that experience, I learned that I shouldnโt judge places and jobs no matter how difficult they seem to be. It all depends on the people who are inserted in the place and not in the work itself.
At this place, I found a Korean family that welcomes me and helps me with my Korean whenever I need it. I also found foreign and Korean friends who teach me new tasks every day. We laugh, we joke, and we eat together while we work.
Itโs been almost 6 months working there and having this experience helped me a lot to have more confidence in myself and in the Korean language.
While in the first experience, I had problems with not doing the job right and thinking that it was my problem, in the second experience, I do everything perfectly and I am praised. Yes, the work environment matters a lot for any type of work, even your personal performance, so thereโs nothing you canโt do.
Recently, I was called for an internship at a Korean company that Iโve been following for a while, and by all indications, next month I will start my new work journey in Seoul. Still unknown, but I imagine it will be prosperous.
Conclusion
In fact, itโs not easy to find a nice place to work. I think everything goes by luck, but that doesnโt mean itโs impossible. Many times we need to go through a negative path first in order to learn a lesson. But the important thing is to never give up, and always keep looking. Of course, be careful with what doesnโt seem very reliable. And, feel free to leave if things take a turn for the worst. Iโm sure you will find your way too ๐
