On September 15, Samsung Electronics, one of the groups under the Samsung conglomerate, held a job seminar at KAIST for the international students. This seminar was aimed at giving an insight on the job opportunities and work culture at Samsung Electronics for international students. This seminar was attended by nearly 100 international students and was organized by the Office of Advising & Support for International Students.

The Assistant Human Resources Manager, who happens to be the first international student to be recruited under the new recruitment policy, clearly explained the policy for international students. He went on to say that the international students are recruited by a special process which consists of a written test called GSAT (Global Samsung Aptitude Test), followed by technical and HR interviews for the candidates who successfully pass the GSAT. The successful applicants of the interviews are then called for a medical test and are given the joining date.

The recruitment for international students in Korea for the Samsung conglomerate takes place twice a year, one in the spring and the other during fall. This job seminar was aimed for the fall recruitment of Samsung Electronics, the first one specifically held for the international students at KAIST. The manager highlighted the main qualities applicants should possess. He highlighted that one needs to be creative and flexible to accommodate the Samsung family. This is supported by the fact that Samsung employs the highest number of international students out of all companies here in Korea. The seminar was accompanied by a Q&A session during which several potential applicants had their questions answered. Some of the famous myths regarding Samsung that were asked to be clarified were those regarding late-night working hours and no holidays. The manager told the students that the average working hours at Samsung Electronics is 45 to 50 hours per week, which is similar to that of any other Korean company. He also informed the students that according to the new recruitment policy, the internationals are treated as Koreans, with all the rules that apply to Koreans also applying to the internationals as well including the sops, which make up a sizable chunk of one’s income by the end of the year.

Pranveer Singh Rathore, a 2010 Mechanical Engineering graduate from KAIST, feels that “Samsung is a huge company with huge responsibilities and expectations; amazingly it lives up to every bit of it.” Pranveer tells us that “Samsung is on its way to being a global company, so the work culture isn’t all rosy but isn’t bad either and apart from the occasional communication problems, the work culture is pretty much the same as in any other global company.” One of the best things that Pranveer likes about his work at Samsung is self–development. He said, “I have been working with state-of-the-art facilities which have improved my skill set and the experience of colleagues helps in a big way!”

During the seminar, the presenter also provided some interesting statistics regarding the Samsung conglomerate, including the fact that the revenues of the Samsung conglomerate stand to be $137 billion and contribute nearly 20% to Korea’s GDP. One of the interesting facts that amazed many students was how much Samsung Electronics contributes to the Samsung conglomerate, making 65% of the revenue, having about 70 to 75% of the total work force and generating 13% of Korea’s GDP.
 

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