To encourage students to take ownership of their career direction, KDI School has been working with employers, recruiters, and alumni to cultivate new and exciting career opportunities to support and assist the students with their career endeavors every step of the way. In this light, Career Development Lecture series (CDL) was continued this year with the help of the KDI School alumni and support from the students.

This is your moment to shine – tips for great job interviews

Interviews are probably the most significant part of the internship and job/post-graduate search processes. To help students better understand the format, structure and technique of the interview, the first CDL of 2017 was conducted by the KDI School alumna Ms. Yeon-kyoung KIM (2012 MDP) who works as an international master of ceremonies. On March 8, based on her rich amount of public speaking experiences, Ms. KIM provided practical interview tips which can be used during real interviews. The lecture focused on how to prepare for English interviews conducted by foreign companies in and outside Korea. Because foreign companies and Korean companies adopt different employment process and require different interview skillsets, she emphasized the importance of building special strategies for each case. She also highlighted some of the job interview etiquettes to impress the interviewers. Students were attracted to Ms. KIM’s own know-hows based on her extensive career path and life story. She advised students to not feel frustrated during the job hunting process as everyone will be able to achieve what they want once they overcome the difficulties at present. CDL with Ms. KIM was indeed full of encouragements and warmth for all students.

Pursue your academic interests – how to enter national research centers and institutes

For those who believe that innovation and knowledge can solve some of the world’s most critical challenges, working for a research center might be the perfect opportunity. On March 29, KDI School alumna Ms. Joon-mi KANG (2014 MPP) led the 2nd CDL of this year and shared her story of working for the Korea Development Institute (KDI). Ms. KANG currently works for the KDI, Center for Regulatory Studies, where she administered the Joint Research between the KDI and the OECD on Improving Regulatory Governance, drafted answers to the questions from Regulatory Policy Review of Korea provided by the OECD, was appointed by the Deputy Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and many more. She told the students how studying at KDI School where she obtained her Master of Public Policy with concentrations in Trade and Industrial Policy & Regional Development and Environmental Policy shaped her career path. Tips on applying and entering national research and development institutes, including the KDI, like actively networking with professors and selecting courses that match one’s professional needs, were shared. Students who participated responded that they could relate to her story very easily as Ms. KANG is an alumna and therefore understands general concerns that students at KDI School have, and because she provided practical information about being a researcher, such as the amount of income and the recruiting process.

Experience in working for international organizations based in Korea: Perspective of UNESCO

On April 13, the third CDL was conducted by Mr. Rigoberto D. BANTA Jr (2014 MDP) who currently works at Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding under the auspices of UNESCO (APCEIU) as an Assistant Programme Specialist. He started his lecture by introducing APCIEU and the roles that each organization within APCIEU carries out. He strongly suggested the students, should they wish to work for the education sector, that they apply to UNESCO, as more than 70% of the UNESCO budget is invested in the education area. He stressed that the applicants should have a clear picture of what they can contribute to the organization as well as the world in the field of education, and work towards their goals step by step. Also, UNESCO values the following three things: 1) the Cognitive, 2) the Socio-emotional, and 3) the Behavioral, and therefore places more importance on emotional activities rather than simple accumulation of knowledge.

Students, both domestic and international, found the lecture very informative as their interests in working for an international organization as well as applying for one were well reflected through Mr. BANTA’s talk.

Building a better working world – Why EY?

On April 19, Ms. Esther HWANG (2012 MDP) visited KDI School to deliver a special CDL entitled “Why EY?”. Ms. HWANG, who is currently working at Ernst & Young Han Young (EY) as a Consultant in Advisory Risk, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, has rich work experience acquired from different organizations with different capacities in the field of research in and outside Korea. Before joining EY in 2016, Ms. HWANG did her graduate studies at KDI School and KU Leuven University where she obtained her dual Master’s degrees in Development Policy concentrating on Public Finance and Social Policy as well as European Politics and Policies.

Introducing EY as the highest performing team with exceptional client service and outstanding global network, she explained what EY and its projects are all about. She used one of the projects she works for “The Development of Eco-industrial Park Technical Guidelines in Vietnam” as an example of many consulting projects she takes part in. Students who participated in this lecture were highly satisfied because they could be exposed to recruiting process as well as work life in a private company, and could learn which field of study they should focus while they are at KDI School. Ms. HWANG especially stressed that students must participate in debates and discussions held at KDI School, as negotiation skills are essential what at a consulting firm.

By External Relations and Development Divisions