Korea University hosts 2018 Career Odyssey Festival

The largest on-campus job fair in Korea, attended by over 170 companies from home and abroad, took place between September 4 and 6.

Korea University hosted the 2018 Career Odyssey Festival in the Hwajeong Tiger Dome from September 4 through September 6, at 10:00-17:00.

The three-day festival, the largest on-campus job fair in Korea, invited all the major Korean companies to attend, including Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motors, SK, GS, KT, CJ, LS, Lotte, POSCO, Hyosung, Dongwon, and Hanhwa, which plan to recruit university graduates and prospective graduates in the second half of this year. These firms offered on-the-spot job consulting services to potential future employees. The booths of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (Northern Branch of the Seoul District Employment and Labor Office), the state-owned company Korea Power Exchange, and foreign companies such as Bloomberg and Continental Automotive were present, and Japanese HR businesses such as PERSOL Korea, Manavi Korea and Connect Job also contributed to the fair.

The event was packed with KU students from day one. Participants formed a line in front of the booths of several renowned firms to gain personal job consultations on recruitment criteria, appraisal criteria, and company culture. “The queuing was worthwhile as I learned a lot of non-public information from company employees on the benefits and annual salary the firm, and the potential work assignments there,” said Jun-ho Eum, aged 23, from the Department of Electrical Engineering, after lining up in front of the booth of LG Electronics. “I've acquired an understanding of the precise expectations that many firms here have of their prospective employees. This information will be quite helpful for me to better understand what I have to do in terms of developing my personal statement,” said Min-jun Park, aged 25, from the Department of Economics.

The event was attended by not only graduating students and graduates but also current students, who came between classes. “As I have just started working on job applications, I need help in many ways. So I’m here and I learned of a lot of in-house information from employees in many firms,” said Il-hwan Kim, aged 24, from the Department of Electrical Engineering (entry class 2014). “I gave up my lunchbreak to be here, and it's been worth it,” he added. A HR manager who was offering in situ job consulting services to students said, “Not only graduates but also graduating students can get professional help through responses to their questions about preparing for jobs. As we also provide various free gifts in addition to consulting services, there's a lot in it even for more junior students if they decide to attend the fair.”

The festival also established several booths to offer students mock job interviews and on-the-spot proofreading of their personal statements. “The proofreader advised me that my account of my military service in my personal statement sounds too ordinary or obvious and the instance of conflict management I relate is unimpressive. Now I have a better idea of how to develop my personal statement,” said Seok-ho Lee, aged 25, from the Department of Korean Language and Literature.

Participants were able to register for the 2018 Career Odyssey Festival in advance on its website (www.2018kujobfair.com) or on the spot. Korea University arranged additional shuttle buses from Anam Subway Station Exit 2 and Korea University Subway Station Exit 1 to the Hwajeong Tiger Dome during the event to ensure easy access for students to the venue.