The KAIST Herald interviewed KAIST international alumni about their experiences as students in KAIST and how these experiences have helped them in their current careers. This interview series was conducted in collaboration with International Scholar and Student Services (ISSS). 

Please introduce yourself. 

I’m Muso, I joined KAIST in 2014 and graduated in 2018. I did my bachelors in Computer Science and Business and Technology Management. Now I’m working at Naver as an Android developer.

What is your favorite memory in KAIST? 

I can’t pick one favorite! Back then, ISSS used to give us money to hang out with friends, so we would cook barbecue and chill every month. I was also in a guitar club, and we had concerts, which are very good memories for me. KAIST also had a global outreach program, I went abroad to Thailand and did volunteering, all funded. I guess because of the coronavirus maybe they are not doing that now.

What were the challenges you faced while studying in KAIST, and how did you overcome them? 

KAIST is definitely not easy. The competitiveness at KAIST is difficult if you don’t prepare. You feel like you always have to study more to catch up with Korean students, who normally study a lot. As a foreigner coming to Korea, it was challenging to overcome that. But I set my goal as just doing my best, rather than aiming for a 4.3 GPA. Of course, I also faced some challenges with language and culture. In the beginning, I had no Korean ability at all. Within the campus it’s normally okay, but outside KAIST you definitely need it. Since graduating I have really concentrated on learning Korean!

Did your view of KAIST change from when you were studying in KAIST compared to after you graduated? In what ways? 

I don’t think my view changed exactly, but let me describe my feeling. When you are studying at KAIST you hear a lot of people saying “wow” or “you must be a genius”, and Korean people outside KAIST really envy you, but you don’t really see the effect of it while you are studying. After graduating though, when you apply to [Korean] companies, they see KAIST on your resume and it’s a real advantage. After graduating, I first worked at a small company. At the time I didn’t have good Korean, but I think they just assumed I would be good since I graduated from KAIST. I now see the value of the KAIST name in Korea.

How did you first choose your career? How did KAIST help in your career choices?

For me, I really wanted to do computer science from the beginning. The freshman classes in biology and physics were bad for me! I was just able to stick to what I liked, which is programming.

What classes or activities did you pursue in KAIST that helped you in your career? 

All the courses that I took were helpful, but in [field of computer science], people care about what you did, rather than the courses you took. In order to do some projects, you definitely need some strong foundations. So the classes I took at KAIST maybe didn’t directly affect my career path, but did indirectly influence [the projects I worked on]. Now I’m doing Android development, [which started] as a hobby in my second or third year in KAIST. I can’t recommend particular courses, but I just think everyone should pick the classes they are interested in.

What advice can you give to current KAIST international students?

Learn Korean! As I said, I thought at first it wasn’t necessary because I would probably leave Korea, but now since [I graduated I regret not learning it sooner]. I realized that during my time at KAIST I actually had a lot of time compared to having a job, and I think “Wow, I had so much time back then, why didn’t I study Korean?” I just did my assignments and played football… 

The only other thing is that you should really apply to internships. Companies look more for experience than at your grades, since everyone is similar. I think there are many internships here in Korea, but international students often don’t follow up or skip [notices] if they’re in Korean. You should follow up on announcements from big companies! I think, from personal experience, even if your Korean isn’t good you can still get the internships if you manage to submit all your documents. Even just use a translator!

Why did you choose to work in Korea? 

I’m not sure if I chose to work here, or if I just ended up staying! My best job offer was in Korea, and back home (I’m from Tajikistan), there aren’t really a lot of computer science job opportunities. I don’t regret staying here at all!

What advice would you give to international students wanting to have a job in Korea?

Well, like I said, I think learning Korean and getting internships are the most important thing. Don’t stress too much about grades because you probably will never have to even submit your transcript. 

[In terms of the work environment,] I think many big companies are trying to be globalized, so hierarchy isn’t really an issue. In Naver, they really tried to eliminate it, and I call my boss by his name. In any company, I think you should make an effort to fit in, and adapt to the culture. When in Rome, do as Romans do, right?