I have been living in South Korea for a very long time, roughly about 3 years. So I would say that I have sufficient experience finding jobs and working in Korea. The journey was not as smooth as I thought it would be. However, I got past it and now I am enjoying my life working in Korea so far. I moved to Korea in 2019 as I received a scholarship for my bachelorโs degree and so I donโt have to pay for tuition. But fast-forwarding a year later, I found myself wanting to work and earn money to be more independent. I didnโt want to need to ask my family for money again. I felt like I am at the age where I should be taking care of myself. So, I decided to change my life by exploring the world through working. And, this is how it went.
How I Found a Job in Korea
I have some friends who were working and studying at the same time. So, it was easy for me to find a job because they recommended the place they were working. But for those of you who are trying to find a job without a personal connection, there are several options that can aid you on the job-seeking journey. For example, there are many famous websites that can help you find jobs in Korea. However, each of them has some specialties.
- Albamon: a popular Korean part-time job mostly for studentsย ย
- JobKorea: this website is for people who are fluent in Korean. Itโs a good site but not for foreigners who donโt know Korean
- KOTRA Job Fair: I got recommended this site by my university since it includes jobs for foreigners who want to work in a company
These are the few websites that might be of help to you in finding for dream job while living in Korea. All of them are recommended by the people who are working currently in Seoul.
Now, back to my โhow did I find my jobโ story. Firstly, I started to work at a restaurant as a waiter. I got offered the position by a friend of mine. I had little knowledge of Korean at the time, so the first day of work was a bit stressful because it was a new adventure.
However, I didnโt let that pull me down and fought through it. And, after a few days, I got used to it. The surprising thing for me while I was working there is that the manager, who is Korean, was really kind to me even though I donโt know much Korean. I really appreciated his patience so much. I worked there for about 8 months. Then, I shifted my attention to working in a company in order to gain experience working in an office.
Working in a Korean Office
So, I applied for a job at a money transferring company located near City Hall station. And, I got the job! It is a company that helps people who are working in factories in Korea to transfer their money to their home country so that they can support their families in their hometown.
My role is to help fellow Cambodians with the process and assist them whenever there is a misunderstanding of the money transferring app. It is basically customer service. Since I know my native language and English, the job is easy for me. Plus, I like to help my people, so it is a win-win situation.
I have been working there for 3 months now. The environment is sometimes a bit stressful when there are a lot of people calling for assistance. However, my colleagues are very nice and kind to each other, especially the manager. He always tries to let us relax and help us in difficult situations. I really enjoy working with them and will probably work there for the rest of my time at university. I will finish soon, in 1 year, and quite sad that I might be leaving South Korea soon ๐
Conclusion
In conclusion, all that I want to say is working in Korea for me has been a blessing and I have met many kinds of people here. However, all of them have been helpful and my experience working with them has been fun and enjoyable. I bet when you find your job in Korea, you will be able to meet people who are like the people I have met in your own journey.
Not everyone has such a great time working part time as a student in South Korea. There are some things you may want to be careful of. Click Here to read about why many international students choose not to have a part time job in Korea.
