In this blog post, based on my experience of boldly taking on challenges in unfamiliar environments, I will introduce effective ways to convey your enthusiasm and drive, which are essential qualities for a career in international trade, in your resume.
My background
As a child, I was a kid who could easily strike up a conversation with strangers. My hometown was home to many foreign workers due to its large number of factories, but I always felt comfortable talking to my friends who were not fluent in Korean and enjoyed spending time with them. My friends were a little wary or unfamiliar with these children, who looked a little different from ordinary Koreans, but I never thought that differences in appearance were a barrier that determined a person’s character, so I was able to approach them with an open mind. This was largely influenced by my parents, who always told me to treat people based on their personality and character, not their appearance. They told me that if I approached people with an open mind, I might find unexpected joys.
Thanks to my parents’ advice, I was able to spend my days in that neighborhood in close friendship with the friends I made at that time, and we are still in touch today. Knowing that being different does not mean being wrong, I was able to see those differences as a form of diversity and individuality. Listening to my friend talk about foreign customs and cultures allowed me to develop a more colorful way of thinking. I even dreamed of visiting that foreign country one day and experiencing it as a foreigner myself. I believed that in order to be treated with respect as a foreigner in another country, I had to show that I would accept people from other countries in my own country, so I tried to be more open-minded when making friends.
School life
It was a time when I was laying the foundation for free relationships regardless of age or gender. I believed that middle-aged people were not necessarily difficult to deal with, and that as long as we were considerate and open-minded in trying to see things from each other’s perspective, we could enjoy interacting with each other. I always sought enthusiastic interaction with others. This was probably influenced by the fact that I grew up in a large family, where I naturally had close conversations with many adults. I enjoy making friends with people regardless of gender, age, or position, and I hoped that this would help me mature as a person. Just as a stone rolling along a riverbank cannot be polished without constantly bumping into something, I have always been aware that people cannot grow without interacting and clashing with others.
This helped me to always be lively and not intimidated by customers when I worked part-time in the service industry. Rather than fearing the future without even trying, I believe that it is better to choose a path that allows me to grow, even if it means enduring a few failures. This belief has allowed me to remain calm and respond calmly in any crisis situation. Other friends envied my courage and asked me for the secret to my success, but it came from my belief in myself and my ability to face people without fear. It was also a weapon that allowed me to show confidence no matter what unfamiliar situation I found myself in.
Strengths and weaknesses
I have a friendly personality that allows me to easily break down barriers between people and approach them without hesitation. When it comes to making friends, people often hesitate to approach others because they consider the minimum requirements or standards that others must meet. However, I am confident that any encounter will ultimately serve as nourishment for me, so I have the courage to calmly close the distance and engage with others. Even if I encounter difficult or embarrassing situations, I believe that I can overcome them and use them as fuel to grow, so I have always tried to look at the positive side of things. This attitude has allowed me to build many relationships with people throughout my life.
Some people criticized my free-spirited nature, saying that one must be cautious when making friends. They said that no matter how many people you interact with, the number of people you can spend time with on a long-term basis is limited, so forming relationships indiscriminately will only lead to regret. However, I was able to stick to my principles because I was determined to use even those experiences as fuel to grow.
Values
Before doing something, I believe it is much more efficient to try it out for yourself rather than wasting time on excessive research and value judgments. There are limits to what we can simulate in our heads, so in order to find the real answer, it is much more time-efficient to take on the challenge directly. Some people say that life is short and we cannot waste opportunities, but I believe that spending too much time on preliminary research is even more of a waste.
If you want something, you should take on the challenge head-on, accept the failures and results, and use them as a stepping stone for your next steps. This will serve as a foundation for further growth. This is an essential quality for anyone who wants to forge their own path in life, and it is a value that I have strived for throughout my life.
Reasons for applying and aspirations after joining the company
When I was a child, there were many children of foreign workers who worked in factories in the area where I lived, but I was not influenced by the prejudices and preconceptions that other children often had, and I was able to freely interact with them. I have always valued encounters with people and actively engaged in communication because I believe that there are no differences between human beings and that it is not good to build walls between people. I have an outgoing personality that allows me to actively communicate with people who look different from me or come from different cultures, and I believe that my ability to actively respond to unfamiliar environments overseas fits well with your company’s ideal employee profile, which is why I decided to apply.
If I am given the opportunity to work for your company, I will do my best to combine my know-how and extensive local knowledge with your long-standing presence in Southeast Asian countries, which you have recently begun to focus on and expand into. This is because I am determined to demonstrate not only my personal skills and work abilities, but also my ability to get along well with anyone, as well as the friendships and trust I have built up over many years.
