The following was extracted from a recent interview with me about how to thrive in a Korean company.
“What are a few very important things I must do to get on the fast track for advancement in a Korean company?”
“The first thing is to be realistic.
“Korean companies don’t hire foreigners for high-level positions except in very rare cases, a few of which we’ve featured on Korea Business Central. If you’re working for an overseas office of a Korean company, you may advance several ranks up, but in most cases, Korean companies dispatch employees from head office to man the highest positions.
The career track and job terms for Korean employees are completely different from those for non-Koreans. If you’re working in Korea as a foreign employee, you’re probably there on a contract basis, meaning that there’s no advancement implied in your position and you continue in the position only as long as your contract is renewed.
The important thing to remember here is that the experiences and connections you gain during your employment in a Korean company like this can be extremely valuable for you after moving on in your career, and especially when you’re ready to move to a non-Korean or multinational company that does business in Korea.”
