KDI School hosts Career Development Lectures (CDLs) to help current students meet alumni members in the field and pick their brains about the employment market.

Lecture 1: You’re hired! My strategy for the (KIEP) and UN ECLAC (March 3, 2016)

On Mach 3, MPP graduate Hyuk Ju KWON, research specialist at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), kicked things off for 2016 with his CDL on how to approach job openings at research institutes such as KIEP as well as international organizations like the UN ECLAC. Mr. KWON stressed the importance of focusing on your thesis rather than your GPA. He explained that “Your GPA can’t tell a prospective employer about your character and interests. Your thesis is a good way to create your own personal narrative.” Mr. KWON finished his session saying that it is better to focus on a handful of positions you’re really interested rather than sending in hundreds of cover letters to places you don’t even want.

Lecture 2: Public Financial Corporations 101 and how to get hired (March 24, 2016)

Speaker: Tae Seok KANG (2011 MPP)

Picking up the baton from his former classmate, MPP graduate Tae Seok KANG, assistant manager at the Korea Development Bank (KDB), held his CDL session to introduce public financial corporations and how to get hired by KDB. In particular, Mr. KANG detailed past and present KDB recruitment procedures to the group. In the past, recruitment involved application screening à written examination à working-level interview à executive-level interview. However, in 2015, a procedure to facilitate the National Competency Standards (NCS) was added to the process. Mr. KANG said that, “The interview questions remain pretty similar every year so it’s best to share information and practice with your peers .”

Lecture 3: Resumes and Interviews, what to write and what to say? (April 5, 2016)

Our final CDL for the spring season was hosted by MPP graduate Chan Ju LEE, staff member at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET). She discussed things that she wanted to know about resumes and interviews when she was job hunting. Some key points included not exceeding three items when summarizing your skills and competencies, otherwise it adds to much unnecessary fat to your resume, and asking a friend who’s a native in English to edit your resume.