How to write a good CV when applying for a job at Korean companies?

The following article is a guide for Korean Language students before writing a CV to apply to Korean businesses or companies with Korean elements.

The faculty of the Korean Language and Culture Department are dedicated teachers with many years of experience in teaching Korean and are always dedicated to their students.

1. Understand the important role of CV in job application

We can consider CV as a “sales pitch” or product introduction. The “product” here is yourself. Just like customers who want to buy a product will carefully consider the sales catalogue or product introduction, businesses with their recruitment needs will first consider candidates through CV. Therefore, CV plays an extremely important role, as your first step towards the business. If you make a good impression, you will have the opportunity to meet directly and present yourself to the employer. On the contrary, if your CV is not well written, it is a pity that you have lost the opportunity to be recruited right from the start.

Understanding the important role of CV, we will spend more time preparing, being careful, and being more creative in writing CV. Not only writing CV, no matter what you do in life, if you understand the importance of what you are doing, make an effort and do it meticulously, you will be closer to success.

2. Show what the business “needs”

Korean teachers always give useful advice to students.

To impress the employer, it is necessary to describe yourself in detail, listing your learning process, work, hobbies, skills... It will help the employer visualize who you are. However, if your CV only focuses on showing what you "have" without paying attention to what the business "needs" - that is, not considering showing aspects of yourself that are suitable for the recruitment needs of that position of the business, then perhaps, the possibility of your CV being rejected is still very high.

Nowadays, there are many businesses, especially Korean businesses, with strict selection criteria, the final selected person is not necessarily the best person but sometimes the person who is "most suitable" for the job position currently recruiting. Therefore, a good CV is a CV that both shows the individual's identity and knows how to arrange and display one's knowledge, skills and work experience in relation to the actual recruitment needs of the business.

3. You should carefully research the position you are applying for.

You should carefully research the position you intend to apply for.

To know what the company “needs”, we should carefully read the company’s recruitment announcement with detailed descriptions of the position and job requirements. In addition, you can also refer to the company’s website, industry news, recruitment positions on online channels, newspapers, radio, ... or sources from employees working at that company. The more you understand the company and the job you are applying for, the easier it will be for you to arrange and present your personal information in your CV to match what the company needs and is looking for in a candidate. Try to put yourself in the company’s shoes and consider whether the CV you are writing meets their needs.

The way Koreans think and work is very different from Vietnamese people. Having a certain understanding of Korean culture and the Korean corporate culture where you are applying will also help you choose aspects of yourself to show in your CV.

For example, in the office environment, Koreans work with a plan and are very punctual. They also have a very high team spirit, individuals do not work alone but always aim for the benefit of the whole group and the whole company. Therefore, if you have these qualities, do not forget to describe them prominently in your CV.

In addition, Koreans and Korean businesses are very fond of people who are diligent, hardworking and patient in a "harsh" working environment. Having many years of experience working in a similar position before will be the key to help you succeed in the job application process, so be confident in showing this in your CV.

4. Some useful tips when writing a CV to apply to Korean companies

- Write a CV in Korean with the following 4 information: personal information (개인정보), education process (학습과정), work experience (경력사항), other skills (기타 능력). In addition, not all recruitment departments in Korean companies have HR staff who are fluent in Korean, so you should submit a CV written in Vietnamese along with the Korean CV.

- CV must be accompanied by a portrait photo (usually white background, polite and elegant attire).

- When listing things and events, Koreans tend to list them from largest to smallest, from highest to lowest, in chronological order from most recent to earlier. Therefore, when describing your education and work experience in your CV, you should also write in this order.

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- Diverse work experience can be a plus for you on your CV. However, listing too many different experiences in many different environments, in a short period of time, may make the employer think that you are a person who is not persistent and easily changed. Because Koreans tend to stick with and work for a long time at a company, you need to pay more attention to this point.

- CV (이력서) is usually sent with a Self-Introduction (자기소개서). When sending CV via email, please write a brief email subject including your name, the job position, and at the same time, write a few greetings to the employer in the body of the email before attaching the CV and sending it.

- List all the degrees and certificates you have achieved in your CV. Especially certificates related to Korea and Korean language such as TOPIK, certificates of volunteer participation of the Korean Volunteer Group, awards in competitions organized by Korea, ...

- Please refer to some standard Korean CV forms on online sites first, then choose the form that suits you and the job you are applying for. This way, you will learn a lot from the presentation and writing style of a standard Korean CV.

- You can ask your Korean acquaintances, friends, or teachers to edit your CV. You should ask people who know and understand you well. Only then can they give you feedback and edit your CV to highlight your own personality.

If you apply the above notes and tips well, you will be able to write a good CV to apply to Korean companies. Always remember that when writing a CV, you need to do everything to highlight yourself compared to other candidates, but do it skillfully and intelligently so that those characteristics must "match" the recruitment needs of the job position, and be suitable for the culture of the Korean company where you are applying. Only then will the outstanding characteristics of yourself described in the CV be convincing and make a strong impression on the employer.

Faculty of Korean Language and Culture