Career, Employment, and Scholarship Guide

Expressions for Choosing a Career and Major

진로(career path) means the work one will do after graduation or the direction one will take in the future, and 전공(major) means the field of academic study one studies in depth at university. The two words are often used together, but they refer to different things, so they must be distinguished. To a question about one's career path, answer with the name of the job one wants to do. To a question about study plans, answer with the name of the field one will study.

• -을/를 공부하고 싶다 · -을/를 공부할 계획이다 — Used when talking about the academic field one wants to learn in the future. e.g.) 나는 경제학을 공부할 계획이다. (I plan to study economics.)
• -이/가 되고 싶다 — Used when talking about the job one wants to have in the future. e.g.) 나는 기자가 되고 싶다. (I want to become a journalist.)
• -에 취직하다 — Means getting a job and entering a company or an institution. e.g.) 동생은 은행에 취직했다. (My younger sibling got a job at a bank.)
• -더라고요 — Used when conveying a fact one learned through direct experience. e.g.) 직접 해 보니까 생각보다 어렵더라고요. (When I actually tried it, it was harder than I expected.)

To check whether an answer matches the question, first check the interrogative word. If an answer to a question about a place gives a time, or if an answer to a question about what one wants to do repeats what was already said, the answer is wrong. An option that begins with '네' (yes) or '아니요' (no) becomes the correct answer only when content matching the question follows it.

Methods of Career Exploration

Career exploration is the process of investigating through various methods in order to find the job or major that suits oneself. The representative methods are gaining work experience, finding out what one likes, and receiving career counseling. If one gains work experience first, one can find work that suits oneself more easily, so it is better to think slowly while trying various jobs rather than deciding one's career in a hurry. There is also a method of finding out what one likes by working before entering further study. Going directly to university is not the only method of exploration, and choosing to try working first also belongs to the process of finding one's career. If one uses only jobs that pay well as the standard, one tends to get tired quickly while working, so finding work one likes is the starting point of career exploration.

• -기 쉽다 — Indicates a state in which something often happens or is likely to happen. e.g.) 배가 고프면 짜증이 나기 쉽다. (When one is hungry, one tends to become irritable.)
• -는 것이 좋다 — Used when recommending an action to another person or to oneself. e.g.) 시험 전에는 충분히 자 두는 것이 좋다. (It is good to get enough sleep before an exam.)
• 경험을 쌓다 — Means gaining skills or knowledge by doing something directly. e.g.) 인턴으로 일하며 실무 경험을 쌓았다. (I gained practical experience by working as an intern.)

In a discourse, the central idea is usually contained in the conclusion that follows '그러니' (therefore), '그래서' (so), or '하지만' (but). If one answers by choosing only the facts or examples from the earlier part, one easily misses the central idea. Many options include a claim that is the exact opposite of the discourse or content that does not appear in it, in order to confuse the reader. Therefore, one must check whether an option points in the same direction as the conclusion of the discourse. An option that makes an excessively definite claim, or that attaches a power relationship the discourse does not mention, is an incorrect option.

Career Counseling Application Guide

Career counseling is a system in which one talks with an expert about concerns regarding one's career or studies and looks for a direction. To receive counseling, one must first check the place for counseling, the application period, and the application method. For the interrogative '어디' (where), which asks about a place, answer with the name of a place such as a counseling room or an office. Answering with a time or a starting point does not match the question. In questions asking the purpose of an announcement or a discourse, one selects the option that states what the speaker wants to convey in one sentence. When the application period and the application method are repeated, they serve as clues for judging the purpose. One must not choose the purpose by looking at only one detail; one must examine what the speaker wants to announce across the whole flow.

• -을/를 받다 · -에서 신청하다 — Indicates the act of using counseling or a system. e.g.) 도서관에서 대출을 신청했다. (I applied for a loan at the library.)
• -기 바랍니다 — Used when conveying a request or an admonition politely in an official announcement. e.g.) 시험 시간에 늦지 않게 도착하시기 바랍니다. (Please arrive so as not to be late for the exam.)

Career Fair Guide

A fair is an event in which several companies or institutions gather in one place to introduce themselves and offer consultation. A job fair is an event in which companies introduce hiring information, and a career fair is an event in which various jobs and career information are introduced. Both events provide information to people looking for a career, so one must distinguish the target and the content of each event.

• 열리다 — Means that an event or gathering actually takes place. e.g.) 주말마다 공원에서 음악회가 열린다. (A concert is held in the park every weekend.)
• -대요 — A shortened form of '-다고 해요' (it is said that), used when conveying content one has heard from someone else. e.g.) 내일부터 날씨가 풀린대요. (I heard that the weather will get warmer starting tomorrow.)
• -을래요? — Used when inviting the other person to do something together or asking whether they want to. e.g.) 점심에 같이 먹을래요? (Would you like to eat lunch together?)

In questions asking for the option that matches the content of a conversation, one must be careful with options in which the time, the day of the week, the place, or the subject of an action has been changed. If the start time and the end time are swapped, or if an action performed by one person is changed to one performed by another person, the option does not match the conversation.