Companies reach out to struggling jobseekers

Cosmetics company Bobbi Brown Korea holds a makeup class for job interviewees at Gallery Arche in Gangnam Station, Feb. 25.

By Kim Bo-eun

Menple, a job mentoring platform, enables jobseekers to get career advice from mentors.

Nonprofit organization Open Closet rents donated suits to young jobseekers at very low costs.

Landing a decent job has become increasingly tough for university graduates amid the prolonged economic slump and heightened competition. Consequently, knowledge of what companies seek is key to successfully passing the daunting process of preparing resumes, writing personal statements as well as taking tests and attending interviews. Yet getting the right information is easier said than done.

Prior to applying for companies, jobseekers need to know which fields they wish to work in. They should also to learn about what companies look for in applicants in the recruiting process. Mentoring programs have become increasingly popular for these reasons.

In addition to what is written in application forms and what is said at interviews, looking presentable has become an increasingly important aspect. Jobseekers are keen to look their best on the big day but are often clueless about what to wear or how to apply their makeup. But all is not lost.

Start-ups as well as well-established companies are now reaching out to these struggling individuals to offer them advice and perhaps even a good bargain.

Mentoring programs

Many companies are now offering mentoring programs that link jobseekers with their employees. They are devising programs in which mentors personally share their experiences and offer practical advice, as opposed to famous business persons giving career success lectures to large audiences.

One of these companies is Menple, a job mentoring platform that links jobseekers to mentors through a cup of coffee.

Jobseekers are first able to meet mentors through the start-up’s website, where they can search for those working in the field or company of their interest. When they apply for the service, mentors set a date, place and the number of mentees that can attend the session. The sessions usually take place at a coffee shop nearby the mentor’s workplace. The sessions are finalized when job-seekers send mobile coffee coupons to the mentor.

According to their website, Menple currently has 308 mentor members including those working at foreign companies, conglomerates, not to mention entrepreneurs, designers and pharmacists. The website indicated 190 mentoring sessions have taken place as of March 14 since the start-up opened in July last year.

“These days the tendency is for jobseekers to apply to dozens of companies, and work at whichever one accepts them,” Lee Seung-hun, head of Menple, told The Korea Times. This approach doesn’t always work well, however. “It is often the case that people start working at companies they knew little about, and end up leaving them, due to low satisfaction levels.”

This approach demonstrates how difficult it is for jobseekers to meet people who work at companies they wish to work for, he said.

“Private mentoring sessions are able to provide jobseekers with actual information that they are interested in, such as the lifestyles of employees. This helps them decide on their career paths.”

Makeup classes

Well-established companies have joined the cause to aid jobseekers as well. Cosmetics company Bobbi Brown Korea is providing makeup skills for job interviewees.

Last month, it held a makeup class for jobseekers at Gallery Arche at Gangnam Station. Along with the makeup lesson, it invited Kim Tae-won, manager at Google Korea, to lecture on career success.

This was part of the makeup brand’s annual Pretty Powerful campaign, aimed at supporting the empowerment of women. Under the campaign, Bobbi Brown donates all of the sales profits of a limited-edition pot rouge to the nonprofit organization Open Closet. The cosmetics brand’s local branch has also created an interview makeup video, which Open Closet distributes through QR codes placed inside the delivery boxes containing rented goods.

Bobbi Brown Korea’s collaborative work with Open Closet is modeled from its headquarters’ work with Dress for Success, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that provides interview suits and career development programs for women in the low-income bracket.

According to a PR team employee, Bobbi Brown Korea will continue to support jobseekers through various efforts. “The job interview makeup classes will be held on a regular basis; once every two months,” she said.

Sharing suits

Open Closet receives donated clothes and rents them out at very low costs.

“People have so many clothes that they do not wear. The idea was to do something fun for a good cause by sharing clothes with others,” Han Man-il, founder and head of Open Closet, said in a phone interview. Although it accepts all kinds of clothes, as long as they are clean and wearable, the focus is on suits, which are intended for young jobseekers.

“I went through the same phase, which I remember as a tough one,” said Han who quit his job at his former company to establish Open Closet. “And suits are essential, expensive items that people do not wear very often. Our aim is to help those who cannot afford to buy suits for job interviews.”

According to him, seven out of 10 who rent items at Open Closet are jobseekers. At 20,000 won, they can rent a suit for one week, which is about a fifth of what it would usually cost.

Having operated for less than a year, Open Closet is still in its initial stages. Han said about 10 people a day rent items, while some 500 to 600 visit the website.

Open Closet is currently involved in joint projects with several companies. Along with Bobbi Brown, it is also working together with the Shirts Studio, a men’s clothing brand that is currently donating shirts, ties, belts and shoes. Starting this month, it will provide tailored shirts to those who’ve successfully landed a job, while wearing a rented suit from the Shirts Studio. The women’s clothing line Valencia is providing items as well.

“Those who rent suits get back to us after their job interviews to tell us the results,” said Han.

The organization also plans to work with Wilson Learning Korea, a learning services company, to create programs for jobseekers who have failed in their applications.