WITH THE job market growing increasingly competitive, prospective employees require a greater degree of guidance and support than ever before. Accordingly, universities have been ramping up employment aid programs in recent years, in order to provide their students with an adequate amount of counseling and work experience to stand out amid a sea of applicants. Such programs are diverse in type and function and have been successful across universities in Korea, opening the way for greater future development. 

The necessity of employment aid programs

   The primary driver for university employment aid programs is the unforgiving labor market, which necessitates increasingly comprehensive preparation from job candidates. The difficulty faced by students searching for work can be gleaned through statistics, with a survey conducted by the Federation of Korean Industries discovering that 65.8% of near-graduates or graduates have given up looking for a job. 29.6% of students replied that securing work had become more difficult relative to the previous year. Length of preparation time is another indicator of the effort required, with 66.3% of 4-year university students stating that it takes over 6 months to get a job, while a hefty 36.4% say the process takes a year[1]. 

   Such challenges in securing employment are caused by a variety of factors, one of which is the simple lack of job openings; indeed, 38.8% of Federation of Korean Industries survey respondents were unable to gain work due to a shortage of available positions[1]. Second, another major factor is the sheer amount of skills required to be competitive in today’s job market, something that is exemplified by 49.5% of those who have decided to improve their skills and experience in lieu of continuing to look for work[1]. Required skills encompass everything from language skills to a multitude of certifications and work experience. Additionally, yet another hindrance for applicants is employers’ preference for students with prior experience, driven primarily by a need for proven employees to tackle rapidly evolving business trends. Such a tendency renders fresh graduates at a disadvantage, necessitating students to gain work experience through the likes of internships, part-time jobs, and specialized courses. Employment aid programs provided by universities are aimed at facilitating the aforementioned process for students. Furthermore, many students struggle with proactively settling on a career path. Kang Ji-hoon (Sr., UIC, Justice and Civil Leadership) has only recently become interested in business, after a long period looking to work in human resources. He believes this places him at a disadvantage compared to other students pursuing business, as they have had a longer time to prepare. 

Types of employment aid programs

   One notable form of employment aid is a central media hub for relevant information. Such systems most notably offer notices on interview or resume workshops, internships, job opportunities, notices for university-run extracurricular programs, and seminars by experienced industry insiders. Perhaps the greatest strength of media hubs is that they provide everything a student may need to chart out their career path, greatly simplifying the process and making everything easy to keep track of. Personalization is another benefit, as many such hubs enable students to filter search results by metrics such as employment type and business sector. A prime example of this is Yonsei’s very own Career Yonsei, which offers services such as job opening notices, mentoring programs, employment counseling, and resume proofreading. In an interview with The Yonsei Annals, Ham Se-kwang (Soph., UIC, Economics) said that he has utilized Career Yonsei for discovering extracurricular opportunities, internships, and career counseling services. He praises the platform’s diverse array of seminars as having played a crucial role in refining his career plans. Meanwhile, some universities employ big data to provide even more personalized career guidance. The Hanyang University Career Development Program (HY-CDP) system, for instance, gathers information from alumni who have successfully found jobs and filters them by company. When a student selects a firm they wish to work at, the system provides them with a comparison of their existing qualifications with those of alumni currently working at said firm, thus providing a concrete course of action.

   Enterprise support foundations are another common form of employment aid, with the purpose of supporting students who seek to become entrepreneurs. Such programs, exemplified by Yonsei Enterprise Support Foundation, provide students with a multitude of education, financial support, and investment assistance, in addition to necessary equipment. Some universities integrate employment aid programs within their curriculums. Giving students course credits for engaging in career exploration activities is one option that makes it possible for students to finalize their career paths earlier on. This policy is currently being trialed at multiple institutions, including Gachon University, Soonchunhyang University, and Ajou University. Offering lectures related to employment or facilitating job searches in foreign countries through study abroad programs are popular alternatives. Finally, many universities actively offer job fairs, which allow students to discover information about diverse companies from company officials themselves. Yonsei is no exception, having recently hosted its September 2023 job fair with informational sessions from companies such as Bloomberg L.P., Samsung Device Solutions, and Hanwha Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. Job fairs often complement information sessions with programs providing cover letter advice, interview consulting, and resume photo shoots. 

Successes and future outlook

   According to research by the Korean Employment Information Service and the Catholic University of Korea, employment support programs have generally shown positive influence. Specifically, completing courses related to career development and participating in interviews or resume consulting programs led to higher probability of employment[2]. Employment aid programs were also shown to bolster securing a job in fields related to students’ majors. However, the research demonstrated that career counseling and employment camp participants enjoyed less success[2]. Career Yonsei has also seen its share of successes. In an interview with The Yonsei Annals, Career Development Team representatives noted the frequent contacts they receive from successful applicants, who wish to either express gratitude or mentor younger students. 

   As effective as they are, employment support programs do have room for improvement. Currently, related courses are relatively unpopular due to their status as electives. Changing employment courses to major requirements would naturally incentivize students to better utilize such resources. Moreover, universities must take steps to provide prospective applicants with job prospect information for each major, so they can make informed decisions proactively. Finally, employment aid programs must ideally be designed in steps, according to students’ grade level; this will ensure the continued maintenance of an adequate degree of preparedness, while sparing lowerclassmen from the struggle of attempting activities far above their qualification level. 

[1] University News Network

[2] Korea Citation Index

[3] Dankook University