In this blog post, we will introduce strategies for tailoring your cover letter to highlight your strengths as a new or experienced applicant for an overseas branch management position.
Growth
“Differences create competitiveness.”
Since I was young, I instinctively knew that I couldn’t win in competition if I was just like everyone else. When I see my friends wearing the same clothes as me, or using the same things as others, or when my homework isn’t different from my friends’, I feel like something is missing. I can change my clothes and stop using the same things, but to make a difference in my grades and achievements, I always needed to find something unique about myself. In order to find this difference, this unique point, I always thought a little harder and worked a little harder than others to have my achievements recognized as something special. This competitiveness and effort naturally led to results, and I think it is the accumulation of these things that has made me who I am today.
School days
“Nothing will change if you keep doing the same thing.”
I think I had a strong desire to live differently from others. I always wanted to try something different, and I wanted to try something that was visible. That’s why I joined a mime club. I found it appealing to be able to express my feelings and convey them to others through my body rather than through words or writing. As I learned mime and gained experience on stage, I think I learned what it means to be in the spotlight and stand on stage. The process of learning mime was interesting, and being able to perform on stage was a new experience for me, but above all, I feel that mime has given me another channel to communicate with people, and even now, I think it was a very good choice. In high school, I was a member of the student council, and with my unique enthusiasm, I made the school festival and sports day more colorful than ever before, which was well received by not only the students but also the teachers. It was a regular annual event with a set program, but I thought about it a little more and developed new programs with some help from outside, even though it was troublesome. The result was that the event, which was going to be held anyway, became more fun and had a better concept, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment.
“Rethinking my career path through backpacking”
Feeling stifled by going to college in Korea, I consulted with my parents and decided to go backpacking when I was in high school. My strong will was the most important factor in making this difficult decision. I spent a month preparing and explained to my parents how I would travel and what results I would bring back. At first, my parents were very worried, but when they saw my detailed plan, they recognized my determination and gave me their permission. Through my 40-day backpacking trip during the vacation, I realized that I was just a frog in a well and that I wanted to be able to compete in the global market, not just in one country. In addition, traveling alone for the first time and making friends regardless of age and nationality in each country was an important opportunity to broaden and expand my thinking. After returning from my trip, I decided to study abroad so that I could have more practical experiences like this. My study abroad experience in Canada was completely different from traveling. It was a whole new life, different from simply traveling to experience different cultures and meet new people. However, thanks to my unique adaptability and sociability, I was able to make many friends through various volunteer activities, not only in the Korean community but also in the local community, which helped me quickly adapt to life in Canada.
Strengths and weaknesses
“The difference made by the habit of preparing and checking”
I always feel that I need to differentiate myself, so I am always thoroughly prepared when it comes to work and meeting people. This is because I feel anxious when I am not prepared, and I believe that I cannot make the “difference” that I always emphasize. This trait is very helpful in my work and gives me a competitive edge in meetings and important presentations. However, because I always try to maintain this attitude, I often feel stressed and tend to be hard on myself at work. Once I start a task, I focus on it until it is completed, and people around me worry that I am pushing myself too hard. However, I believe that this is my strength and what sets me apart from others, and I think that I have to accept the difficulties that come with it.
Career history (or experience that demonstrates your work abilities)
I have been working at XX Company for 20 years, where I am currently in charge of local government relations, various business license registrations and issuances, branch office leasing, vehicle leasing, accounting, visa issuance, CNIA and medical card issuance, and other tasks related to the establishment of a branch office. Since these tasks were not part of my previous job, I was able to gain business knowledge and know-how equivalent to that of a start-up company. On the one hand, it was a bit overwhelming at first to be in charge of the start-up process in such a wide range of fields, but as the saying goes, “help yourself and you will help others,” I gained know-how and was able to find ways to do things.
At XX Company, I was in charge of overseas personnel selection (business trips to the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam), labor management (salary management, lifestyle management, welfare management), material management (customs clearance, local purchasing, inventory management), and on-site management tasks such as ” and other on-site management tasks. Since I was working based on my language skills, I was able to gain an overall understanding of most of the business areas, and it was a meaningful experience for me as it was my first opportunity to work on a project basis in addition to interpretation and translation.
At XX Company, I was in the early stages of my career and was involved in language-related tasks such as interpretation and translation, translation of various official documents, translation of contracts and speech materials, creation of English official documents, interpretation at meetings with clients, English presentations on construction plans, and interpretation during overseas business trips. At that time, most of my work was relatively simple interpretation and translation, but this experience served as a foundation for me to successfully perform business-related tasks later on.
Motivation and aspirations
Through my many years of living abroad, I have quickly absorbed various cultures, and through my recent branch office establishment project, I have gained a keen understanding of how new businesses are created and established in new areas. In addition, based on my belief that you cannot change by being the same as others, I have a strategy of perfection and differentiation in my work, which involves looking into things once more, making an effort, and double-checking everything. In addition, I believe that my language skills, which are essential for overseas business, as well as my experience in various types of communication, translation, and contract work through my previous jobs, have served as a good foundation for expanding and broadening my work capabilities. Based on the skills I have accumulated thus far, I am confident that I can be a great asset to various new businesses and the global expansion of your company. I will work harder than anyone else to achieve not only my personal goals but also the goals of my team and the company, and to increase job satisfaction.
