In this blog post, we will introduce sample self-introduction letters with work experience suitable for distribution, logistics, purchasing, and trade positions.

 

Everything you need to know about textile trade

After graduating from college, I started my career at a trading company that delivered fabrics. I was in charge of sales management and support in the sales support team. I was mainly in charge of receiving orders from each company, managing production status, and unit price and cost-related tasks, and I learned how to prepare shipping documents such as packing lists and invoices. I was also in charge of sales settlement and monthly settlement for each supplier, which allowed me to learn the basics of trade. However, when the company relocated its headquarters to Busan, it became difficult for me to move with the company, so I decided to change jobs.
My second company was a Japanese clothing exporter. I was responsible for all aspects of the business, from supplying raw materials and supplies for production at the company’s factory in China to settlement and payment management. I was in charge of all shipping-related documents, container bookings (FCL: 2-3 times a week, LCL: 1-2 times a week), packing lists, invoices, and other documents. In addition to B/L management, I was also responsible for monthly settlement and payment management for raw materials and forwarding business partners, gaining valuable experience in textile trade.

 

 

Specializing in Japanese trade

When I was a senior in trade studies, I felt that something was missing in my school life, so I seriously considered going to graduate school. However, I didn’t want to study more in depth, so after much deliberation, I decided to study abroad in Japan.
I obtained JLPT N1 certification and left for Japan, where I spent three months improving my language skills before enrolling in school. I enrolled in the Tokyo School of Business, majoring in global business. I decided that it would be too much to study for another four years, so I enrolled in a two-year program.
I knew that I had to focus on my studies in order to improve my Japanese language skills to the level I wanted and broaden my knowledge of my major in a short period of time, so I lived a very strict lifestyle, studying from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day.
After returning to Japan, I started working in the overseas sales department of a chemical manufacturer. I was responsible for all aspects of trade administration, with my main duties being the development and management of overseas suppliers through overseas market research. Since we imported raw materials, it was important to always be aware of the production status of our raw material suppliers and analyze basic petroleum product trends. As I gained experience, I became responsible for overseeing the purchase of foreign capital goods in Japan. As it was my first job, it was new and enjoyable to learn everything step by step and gain practical experience. Even a single mistake in the figures could result in a different amount, so I checked all documents thoroughly to prevent any mistakes.

 

 

I worked in a management position at a large retail chain

I worked in management at a large retail chain for ○ years. I was mainly in charge of store openings, which may seem simple on the surface, but it is a field that requires a thorough understanding of the overall distribution structure, real estate, and the brands being opened. Of course, at first, I simply focused on managing the brands that were entering the store. However, as time passed, I found that I was stuck in a rut and unable to achieve results or profits that exceeded the targets. From that point on, I increased the amount of time I spent in the store and worked hard to understand the overall flow. As a result, I was able to hear the voices of the staff more clearly, and through this process, I was able to see the basis for my work and why the issues I had to solve arose. With this perspective, I was able to deepen my relationships with my colleagues, and the performance of my department and my evaluation within the company improved significantly.

 

 

I started working while attending college, and now I am a manager in the logistics industry

I started working at a factory right after graduating from high school, and thanks to the kindness of the factory president, I was able to attend a business school while working. It was my first time doing two jobs at once, and although it was a little overwhelming, taking responsibility for both school and work was a good experience for me. In addition, rather than just learning theory, I was able to apply what I learned to practical situations and think about it, which was like reviewing the material right away and allowed me to learn more realistically. After four years of intense study, I graduated from college and started working as a manager at the factory where I had been working. There was no major difference between my previous job and my new position as a manager, but I was now responsible for the overall management of the factory, including managing incoming and outgoing shipments and training factory workers. I was evaluated as having performed my duties well. I think those were days when I learned and grew through several conflicts with people at work. Then, the president established a distribution center that could handle both wholesale and retail, and entrusted me with setting up the system there. I started working at the distribution center based on the system I had established at the factory. I was most concerned about establishing a system while managing incoming and outgoing shipments, delivering products to new customers through sales representatives, and checking orders. Therefore, I took classes at a nearby graduate school to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. Through five years of hard work, the center is now running smoothly, and I feel a deep sense of satisfaction.

 

 

Talented individuals with practical experience and knowledge of distribution marketing

I majored in business administration at university. I obtained a computerized accounting certificate, which I thought was related to my major, in my first year, and as I delved deeper into my major, I became very interested in marketing. I also wanted to study public relations, so I took classes related to public relations in the journalism and broadcasting department. Through these classes, I gained a new appreciation for the overall flow of business and the importance of public relations and marketing in the exchange of products and services.
I took all marketing-related courses, including modern corporate management, economics, marketing research methodology, marketing strategy, consumer behavior and brand marketing, marketing communication, and global marketing. I was very interested in these subjects and got good grades, and I never missed a scholarship during my eight semesters.
While attending university, I worked part-time at GS25. It was not easy to balance school and work, but working at the store at night allowed me to learn how the knowledge I gained at school could be applied in the field. I always arrived before my shift and displayed featured products in a way that caught the eye, which increased sales by more than 15%. My work skills earned me the trust and recognition of my boss, who was particularly pleased with my accuracy. Through my part-time job, I gained early experience of working in a company and learned that the most important thing in an organization is for each employee to fulfill their role and treat each other with respect.
After graduating from university, I wondered for a while whether to continue my studies, but I decided that it would be important to gain some work experience first, so I started working. I joined the public relations team at Mulsan and, as the youngest member of the team, was in charge of promoting a new line of walking shoes launched in 2020. My role was to support my seniors, but I was able to understand the overall workflow by writing reports on data research and market analysis, participating in promotional strategy meetings, and writing meeting minutes. There was a lot of overtime work and I often had to work on weekends until the launch, but the process was well worth it. Through my work, I was able to identify the areas I wanted to study further, and in my second year, I decided to apply for graduate school, where I majored in distribution marketing.
No matter how good a product is, if customers don’t know about it, it won’t sell. Therefore, marketing is necessary to promote products to consumers and ensure smooth supply and consumption. You can start by sparking customers’ interest and then move on to differentiated, high-end strategies. By studying distribution marketing, I developed the ability to establish successful marketing strategies and apply them in practice.

 

 

I have practical experience in trade

I gained practical experience in trade. I wanted to work in an international field, so I thought that trade would be a good fit for me and majored in trade at university. While working in trade, I was in charge of trade documentation and translation. In addition to English-speaking countries, I also worked with many Asian countries, so I thought it would be good to learn other languages. Therefore, I worked hard to learn Chinese and Japanese. I thought that learning the languages of these two countries, which have active exchanges with Korea, would help me improve my practical skills. It was not easy to learn languages while working, but my diligent and sincere attitude was a great help in learning languages. By studying languages with a sincere attitude, I was able to acquire the skills to translate and write documents in English, Chinese, and Japanese.

 

 

Experience working in various stores in the distribution industry

While studying business administration at a four-year university, I was eager to play an active role in various aspects of society. I wanted to do something that I could do with my youth and outgoing personality, and I wanted to try something new. So, while I was in college, I applied to a department store and worked in a women’s clothing store. The women’s clothing store was busy all day long, and there was a lot of work to do. During events, I had to move items around, and during sales, I stood at the sales counter and promoted products.
At first, I was not used to promoting products, so I tended to shy away from it. I felt embarrassed standing alone in the middle of a large store and shouting out sales information. However, as I saw people coming over one by one to ask about the products after hearing my voice, I gradually began to feel a sense of fulfillment. Just standing at the sales counter and greeting customers who came in was boring, but when I tried selling products through promotion, I felt that I was successful at marketing using my own abilities. In order to feel this sense of fulfillment even more, I put more effort into promotion and store management.
After graduating from college, I worked at a fashion store like Uniqlo. I was in charge of managing store inventory and placing orders, which gave me a solid foundation in distribution. I worked at Uniqlo for more than six months as a full-time employee and was promoted to assistant store manager, where I was recognized for my ability to communicate with the head office and manage inventory. After that, I joined the Shinsegae Group, a food distribution company, where I worked in sales staff management and sales management. I was able to adapt quickly to sales management in particular because I had gained know-how from my previous part-time job.

 

 

I was in charge of trade at a software development company

After graduating from college, I prepared my portfolio and naturally found a job at a software development company. However, before long, I received a new offer from the human resources manager. They said that I was well-suited to the field of development, but considering my personality and potential, they suggested that I work in the field of trade, where I could utilize my specialized knowledge. I had no experience in the field of trade, but I started learning new things and began by communicating with customers based on the knowledge I had gained in my major.
I mainly utilized my knowledge of multimedia equipment, hardware, software development programs, and comprehensive development services. Many of the existing trade employees were experts in economics and trade, and there was a perception that I lacked communication skills due to my lack of specialized knowledge. In contrast, I received positive evaluations for my successful communication based on my specialized knowledge. I was then assigned to place orders based on demand forecasts and supply contracts, and I also participated in cost calculation and strategy establishment processes while cooperating with existing employees to carry out collaborative projects.

 

 

Building trust in the difficult logistics business with China

The logistics business with China was not easy. Although there were laws and regulations, not everything went smoothly. Sometimes, customs took precedence over laws and regulations. Shipments sent from Korea were delayed for no reason. The company was very confused in a situation where laws and regulations did not apply. I went to China to meet with the person in charge and found out that the delivery was delayed due to a misunderstanding by the top Chinese executive. It was difficult to meet with the person in charge, and it was not easy to clear up the misunderstanding. However, knowing that sincerity prevails, I conveyed the company’s position and expressed my sincere desire to maintain the relationship with China. I met with Koreans working in China to find out what had caused the misunderstanding, and as I thought about how to resolve the conflict, I realized once again the importance of trust. The situation was resolved after I explained that this experience would help us build even more trust in the future. Our company always prioritized trust in our transactions, and we have not had any misunderstandings since then.

 

 

International experience, exhibition management experience at a trading company, and accounting experience

After entering university, I gained international experience through an exchange program, which had a significant impact on my future life. After living in the US for several years, I became interested in the international community and developed a vague interest in the field of trade. Then, I was offered an internship at a trade company’s exhibition management team, where my experience in the US was recognized. I was assigned various tasks, including recruiting and managing companies for exhibitions in Korea, as well as budget management and simple accounting as the team’s general affairs and administrative assistant. It was my first job, and I was both scared and excited, but I learned a lot. I learned how to organize documents meticulously through accounting and clerical work, and as a general affairs manager, I learned how to be inclusive in a group so that team members could work smoothly. I also gained communication skills through contacting external organizations while managing companies and assisting with exhibitions. Through this experience, I was recognized by my team members as a responsible and capable employee, and as a result, I was able to finish my internship with their trust. I believe that this experience will be helpful in building good relationships with my colleagues and in my work.