Working with Korea: Employment experiences and opportunities in Korean Studies talk series

Monash University Korean Studies Research Hub (MUKSRH) is hosted a talk series focusing on employment and further education opportunities available to current Korean studies students. The talk featured a number of presenters currently working in areas related to Korea, to provide guidance and inspiration to current Korean Studies students for their lives after graduation, with a particular focus on upcoming careers related to Korean Studies and Korean business. The talk focused students interested in pursuing a career in a field related to Korea and gave students a chance to hear about a diverse range of experiences, as well as to have any questions about Korea-related jobs they might have answered.

Teaching English in Korea: Getting onto the EPIK programme and getting qualified (CELTA)

Presenter: Eleena Chang (Monash Korean Studies Graduate)

Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Time: 1pm - 2pm
Location: Zoom / Room 141, Learning and Teaching Building (LTB), Monash University Clayton Campus

The EPIK (English Program in Korea) is an English teaching program in Korea that offer positions for native speakers to teach English to Koreans in primary to high school across various cities and provinces. In this talk, Eleena Chang shares her experiences on applying for the EPIK program and offered helpful advice to students on how to get qualified for the role via CELTA (a qualification to teach English as a foreign language). At the end of April this year (2024), she will be heading to the southern province of South Korea to teach English with EPIK in Jeollanam.

If you have any questions, please contact Eleena Chang:
Email: eleena.chang8@gmail.com
Instagram: eechanggo
Kakaotalk: eechanggoo

Studying and Working in Korean Education

Presenters: Andy Jackson, Lucien Brown, Hyein Cho

Date: Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Zoom / N502, Menzies Building, 20 Chancellors Walk, Monash University Clayton Campus

Lucien Brown presenting to students on the topic of academic careers and Korean Studies

This talk offered unique insight into opportunities available to Korean Studies students looking to either further their studies in Korea or Korea-related subjects or pursue a career within Korean education. The session featured three presentations followed by a Q&A, introducing scholarships and further study opportunities available to Korean Studies students (Hyein Cho), discussing life as an academic in Korean Studies (Lucien Brown), and working in Korea as an English teacher (Andy Jackson). On the day, 13 students participated in person in the Menzies building at Monash University Clayton campus, and 18 people participated online. As well as being an informative session about studying and learning in Korean Studies, it also provided a chance for Korean Studies students to network and meet with each other and academic staff.

You can also watch a recording of Andy Jackson’s talk on teaching English in Korea below:

Employment in Korean Studies

Presenters: Kate Kalinova, Blair Williams, Niha Sathasivam, Jennie Park

Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Time: 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Location: Zoom

This talk covered the diverse experiences of high achieving individuals working across a wide range of Korea-related employment, offering attendees an idea of the kind of opportunities available to them within Korean-related employment after graduation. This session featured four presentations followed by a Q&A.

Kate Kalinova

Passionate about international affairs and sustainability, Kate is currently working as a researcher with a Korean NGO, Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) in Seoul. Previously, she worked as a Project Manager at the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea and remains active in the Australia-Korea space.

In addition to her role at SFOC, Kate serves as the Director and Korea Correspondent for Asia Options, an Honorary Reporter for Korea.net, and Marketing Lead at ANZA Korea. She holds a Bachelor's of International Studies (with Honours) from the University of New South Wales in Sydney and a Master's Degree from the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. Her writing has been published in the East Asia Forum, Lowy Institute, and The Korea Times.

Kate presented on the importance of networking and utilising internships to kickstart one’s experience in Korea.

Kate Kalinova

Blair Williams

Blair is a marketing and communications professional with 8 years' experience working in Seoul, South Korea. After graduating from the University of Queensland in 2013, Blair moved to Korea to pursue an internship at a digital marketing agency, before taking on a full time role in the industry. During his time working in the region, he covered numerous local and global campaigns for leading brands, including Calvin Klein, American Express, and Samsung Global. Blair has also worked in the Korean media and entertainment industry, participating in a number of television, radio, and speaking roles. He is now back in Australia ontinuing his work in the field.

Blair presented a talk that combined both his experience and advice regarding interning in Korea, as well as his experiences working in Korean entertainment. He also covered the relevance of his experience in Korea now that he is back working in Australia.

Left: Blair Williams, Right: Niha Sathasivam

Niha Sathasivam

Niha is an ex-Monash Korean Studies student, currently working for the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), a non-profit, governmental agency of the Republic of Korea committed to promoting international trade and investment. Niha maintains high proficiency in Korean and has successfully incorporated his Korean language ability into professional life.

Niha gave a talk about his experiences with working for KOTRA, as well as providing valuable advice for students who want to intergrate their Korean Studies experiences and education into a career here in Australia.

Jennie Park

Jennie has extensive experience in finance in Korea, working for major companies such as Lotte Duty Free. She spent several years working in Australia overseeing the financial aspects of Lotte Duty Free’s acquisition of an Australian company, before moving to Hong Kong where she now manages Human Resources and Finance teams at Hyundai Rotem.

She presented on the hiring process at Korean companies, both in Korea and abroad. She provided students with realistic and practical tips for making themselves the first choice in the competitive Korea-related job market.

Jennie Park