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Ewha Womans University
Going to university just isn't what it used to be. With over one million youth unemployed in Korea today and counting, many university students are finding themselves pushed to the brink the moment they don their cap and gown at graduation. Unemployment rates have always been a thorn in the eye for everyone and things took a turn for the worse when the Lehman crisis took hold of the entire world. Countless analysts have been sought out for explanations and there have been many hesitant, if not vague "answers" to this massive crumbling of our economy. Despite numerous speculations and persuasions of how we can overcome unemployment, there is a chance this handful of basic directions will turn things around.
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Also, the 'fish in the sea' tend to chase these actions from stark fear that they become isolated if they do not follow the popular line of conduct. The feeling of insecurity that you are being left behind is sowed at a young age in Korea, and it deepens when your mother is not behind you, brandishing a giant whiplash. Young adults of this generation must escape this self-doubt and uncertainty and try to discover their own niche, preferably something they like doing and are good at. Vague and blas? as this may seem, excellence is rarely something a blind eye is turned to and someone is bound to take notice sooner or later.
Experimenting is important when finding your niche, and young adults should not be afraid to take time and try out what really suits them. The race against time for employment leads to harrowed emotions and excuses. In this era of technology and opportunities, there should not be. One unfortunate thing about young adults today is that most wait for things to come to them and complain when they don't. Taking the time and effort to pinpoint and execute what you want to do is essential; nothing comes for free. When you find your niche, a job position will most likely be waiting for you, and not the other way around. Becoming a rare fish does not happen when you are following the rest of the "school".
To hoist a rare fish out of the waters, a sharp eye for uniqueness is indispensable and employers should always be on the lookout for those out of the ordinary. Hiring new employees points to a deficit of manpower, and filling that void with the highest quality is a top priority. Unfortunately, some employers show they are unsure of what they are looking for in job candidates. When the South Korean government tried to improve employment rates by hiring more interns for public and corporate offices in the first half of 2009, most of the selected interns reported doing close to nothing and learning even less. Corporate employers should not only know what they are looking for but also what to do with the prize after they have secured it.
Giant corporations in Korea like Samsung and LG have already announced that they are increasing hiring numbers for the latter half of 2009. This will undoubtedly provide opportunities for the unemployed and employers alike. However, this is not the case for small- to medium-sized companies struggling to stay in business. These companies should make a change for the better by providing something different from major corporations, such as a more tightly-knit, family-like workplace. So many young adults are looking for work that these smaller businesses cannot complain about candidates being picky and refraining from applying to their companies. Companies should open up, learn to make the most of these new employees and most importantly, change. If the economic crisis has taught us anything, it is that what comes ahead is unforeseeable and we must change to accommodate new situations. Youth unemployment is surely a problem, but not one we cannot solve with cooperation on both sides. Investing in a better you and initially changing when hiring new employees would not be a bad start.
