In this blog post, we will introduce effective ways to highlight your sense of responsibility and problem-solving skills gained through team project leadership experience in your cover letter for a computer science position.
Background
My father worked in the metal industry and my mother was an insurance agent. When I was young, my family was poor and we lived in a 12-pyeong basement apartment. My father left for work early in the morning, so I didn’t see him very often, and my mother cut my brother’s and my hair herself because she couldn’t afford to take us to the barber. As soon as my brother and I entered elementary school, my mother looked for a job to help support the family. She had to leave early every morning, so she couldn’t make proper lunches for us, and we mostly ate gimbap and rice balls. However, my brother and I did all the housework and cooked our own meals so as not to burden our parents, and we went to bed after they came home late at night. My parents were very happy that we did our chores and cleaned the house without complaining, and it brought our family closer together. Because I overcame these difficult circumstances, my motto in life is, “Do your best in the circumstances you are given.” Based on my philosophy, I have always worked diligently without shying away from difficult tasks since my days in the military. Now that I have completed my military service and entered the workforce, I will strive to be a person who is satisfied with my circumstances and does my best.
School days
When I was a candidate for the military academy, I participated in the Yeodan (military cadet corps) and performed at my seniors’ weddings. In particular, I was in charge of making the guests laugh with funny comments when the bride and groom passed by. This was during my fourth year as a member of the military cadet corps. At the time, I was the leader of the corps and was preparing for a wedding ceremony with my third-year juniors and fourth-year peers. However, as I had been conducting wedding ceremonies for some time, many of my seniors who had been discharged from the military said that they were tired of the ceremonies, so I decided to add some special comments to the ceremony. Then, by chance, I saw a professional wedding ceremony company conducting a wedding ceremony. The ceremony conducted by the professional company was very dignified, from the entrance to the demonstration by the assistants, and the ceremony was different from that of the military academy. I thought that if we used this as a model, we could entertain a large number of guests, so I started searching the internet for videos of other military academy ceremony teams and professional companies to use as references. However, since this was not the kind of wedding ceremony we had been doing, it took a lot of time to collect and organize the relevant materials. In addition, it took even longer because I was not preparing alone, but with my classmates and juniors, who were also unfamiliar with the script and ceremony. However, I tried to motivate myself by thinking about how we would be able to talk about our achievements when the ceremony was successfully completed. As a result, the new program was not only enjoyed by the guests, but also received praise from our seniors.
It was very difficult to gather information, apply it creatively, and work together with my teammates, but we overcame those difficulties and made the wedding ceremony a great success. That experience remains a valuable asset in my college life. Through this experience, I realized that it is important to break out of the mold and constantly innovate to impress guests, rather than settling for the status quo and avoiding challenges. After joining the company, I will strive to constantly innovate by thinking about how to satisfy customers from their perspective.
Strengths and weaknesses
My strength is my ability to get along with everyone without favoring one side over another. During my military service, there were many cases of internal politics and disputes between different departments. However, I tried to remain neutral and not take sides. In addition, whenever there was friction between departments, I coordinated to resolve the issue flexibly. As a result, I was recognized as a colleague who worked in harmony with the other non-commissioned officers around me, rather than as someone who was in opposition to them. Based on this experience, I will strive to work harmoniously with each team member when carrying out my duties.
On the other hand, my weakness is that I lack flexibility. My motto in life is “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” so I always try to finish my work. Because of this motto, I often ended up working late with my colleagues. They complained about this, so I decided to change. I worked to reduce overtime and improve work processes. As a result, the number of overtime hours decreased and work became more efficient. I realized that overtime was not the only way to get work done. Based on this experience, I will strive to work quickly and systematically.
Work experience (or experience that demonstrates work ability)
I served as an “operations officer” in the 1st Communications Battalion, 70th Information and Communications Operations Brigade, Armed Forces Command and Control Agency. My main role was to check the status of the communications network at the Army Headquarters Communications Center and supervise communications network construction to ensure smooth communications support within the Cheongju Air Base. This happened during the 20-day winter training. At that time, as the person in charge of communications network operations for the 1st Information Technology Battalion, I was preparing for training with the battalion staff and section chiefs. However, I had only been appointed as an operations officer for two months, and the schedule had to be changed quickly due to bad weather, so we had very little time to prepare. If we had used the same communications network operation plan as last year’s training, we could have reduced the preparation time, but in accordance with the battalion commander’s directive to always innovate and improve, we started from scratch.
To overcome my lack of experience, I studied communication network operation methods, including systems, hypotheses, wireless, audio, and encryption, late into the night. Then, in order to integrate the systems I had learned, I worked through the night to create a communication network plan and received feedback from my company commander. In addition, through discussions with the battalion planning and support departments, we established plans for everything from organizing campsites during training to food distribution and communication network operation, and created our own checklists to check the status of training preparations. Although the communication station chiefs who were preparing for the severe winter training with me complained of a lack of time, I tried to push myself a little harder, thinking about the moment when we would successfully complete the training. As a result of our thorough preparation for the cold weather training, we were able to provide timely support whenever communication was needed, and food and supplies were delivered smoothly. The battalion commander praised the communication network map I created, and it was shared with other companies for use in future training.
This experience remains a great asset in my military life, and I realized that problems can only be solved through teamwork and passion. Based on the experience I gained in the military, I will strive to solve problems with pride in my field and with passion and teamwork.
Motivation and aspirations
I believe that the greatest strength of XXXX Co., Ltd. is its advanced construction capabilities, which are based on its expertise and technical skills, making it the best in Korea. To help XXXX Co., Ltd. grow, I applied for this position to effectively manage the ERP system and website of XXXX, utilizing my major knowledge. I majored in computer science and focused on studying Java and database utilization, striving to improve my basic skills in program development. In particular, I worked hard to cultivate my knowledge by developing various programming languages such as Java, C++, and DB that I learned in college, and I have experience working as a team project leader, collaborating with team members to create a class registration program that links C and DB. Based on these strengths, I am confident that I can operate ○○○○’s ERP system and electronic payment system. Ten years ago, construction and civil engineering development skills were important in the construction industry, but I am confident that management support capabilities based on a robust computer management system will be the key to leading the next decade. I will do my best to contribute to the growth of ○○○○ Co., Ltd. as a computer engineer.
