This blog post introduces how to effectively convey job suitability and practical experience in a trade/international sales resume, based on market understanding and communication skills gained through economics club activities.
Growth Process
“A life of sharing meals and enjoying together”
I have always loved gathering with people to share food and have a good time. So, from a young age, I often invited friends over for elaborate birthday parties at home, and each time, the time spent with friends brought me great happiness. Starting in kindergarten, we celebrated birthdays together, and even in elementary school, we gathered annually to commemorate each other’s birthdays. Even after entering middle school, we still met frequently to celebrate each other’s birthdays and share the small joys of everyday life. Our bond grew ever stronger, and our gatherings gradually evolved into a warm space that embraced our families too. As our parents became close, they cheered on and supported our friendship. We visited each other’s homes, sharing intimate moments with our families, and thus built a solid foundation for our relationship.
Upon entering high school, our paths diverged, and we each went to different schools. Some friends ended up living far apart, and at first, it felt a bit disappointing. But to avoid feeling distant, we planned regular gatherings. We made sure to meet at least once every two weeks, sharing meals, catching up on each other’s lives, and talking through our worries. Those small meetings made our high school years even more meaningful, and each time we met, sharing delicious food brought our hearts closer together. Sometimes we made big plans and went on trips. With our parents’ permission, we traveled to places like Gyeongju or Jeju Island, and the time spent together enriched our memories.
When we entered university, we each went to different cities. University life was busy, and with schools far apart, it became difficult to meet as often as before. Nevertheless, our longing for time together remained unchanged. So, even during our college years, we planned trips and traveled together as a group. We also participated in events like the National Hiking Expedition, continuing our activities. We tried various experiences unique to youth. Though our fields of study differed, we shared useful information and grew together. Especially during the process of building our resumes, we constantly interacted—organizing study groups for TOEIC, sharing exam information, and exchanging tips for job preparation.
These friends are the most precious assets in my life. The time spent with them helped me grow significantly and provided immense support during my job search. Despite various challenges, my desire to always be with them never wavered, and that feeling brought us even closer. The experiences shared with them hold immense significance in my life, and they will remain precious people I can continue to be with in the future.
Strengths and Weaknesses of My Personality
“10 Minutes for Perfection”
I am far from what is commonly called a perfectionist. In fact, I would say I am more clumsy and scatterbrained. Because of that personality, my shortcomings tend to show. However, rather than leaving these flaws as they are, I try to overcome them. For example, I have a strong tendency to pursue perfectionism. To avoid appearing careless in front of others, I often demand more effort from myself.
During my university days, this was also the case when doing group assignments. We’d gather to divide the work and assign roles, and fulfilling one’s responsibilities was key to the team’s success. But my scatterbrained nature often caused problems. I’d forget meeting dates or overlook crucial details repeatedly. As this kept happening, I decided I couldn’t keep letting my teammates down and resolved to change.
From then on, I began managing schedules systematically and keeping records throughout each task. When studying, I organized necessary information into notes and shared progress updates with my teammates. Knowing others were aware of my progress made me more conscious and diligent. I also meticulously recorded dates and times in my phone calendar to avoid forgetting meetings, and double-checked important details an hour before each session.
I also made my verification process thorough. Initially, I started by just skimming through the materials I created from the first page to the last. But I realized that wasn’t enough, so I added a step to check each chapter again. Next, I reviewed the summarized content for each subtopic. Finally, I skimmed the entire document one more time to ensure everything was consistently connected. Going through these four rounds of checks naturally imprinted the content deeply in my mind and gave me confidence when introducing or explaining it to others.
Through this process, I gradually overcame my scatterbrained tendencies and developed the ability to handle tasks more meticulously and thoroughly. Ultimately, I overcame my weakness and grew into a better person because of it. As a result of this effort, I gained confidence not only in that group project but also in future tasks, minimizing mistakes.
In pursuing perfection, I didn’t just try to change my personality; I made small, continuous efforts to become a better version of myself. This experience taught me that acknowledging weaknesses and persistently striving to overcome them ultimately transforms them into my own strengths.
Extracurricular Activities
“Running a Cafe Booth at the University Festival”
During my university years, I gained experience operating a club booth at the school festival. The club I was active in was an economics research club, whose primary goal was to generate high profits through various economic activities. To achieve this, we prioritized ‘profit maximization’ as our top objective and brainstormed and discussed methods to accomplish it. Meetings were held frequently, and each time, numerous ideas were proposed.
Among these, my idea was to create a cafe-style experiential space. It was a concept to envision not just a place to drink beverages, but a multifaceted space where people could enjoy various activities together. This idea received positive feedback within the club, and we subsequently added further ideas to develop a highly polished plan.
Ultimately, we decided to create a cafe-style cultural space where people could enjoy board games. Drawing inspiration from popular multi-purpose cultural spaces, we designed a mall-style cafe. We planned to rent the school’s welfare center and decorate the space to attract many students.
The cafe space was envisioned as a two-story building. On the first floor, we opened a cafe to sell drinks and set up a space at the end where people could enjoy face painting. Only those who had completed face painting could ascend to the second floor, naturally guiding them upward. The second floor featured a caricature drawing area and photo spots, further emphasizing the fun atmosphere.
Additionally, we provided a space for relatively affordable nail art experiences and set up exciting interactive games, encouraging students to physically participate. The games we created included various types like ‘Capture the Flag’, ‘Quiz Challenge’, and ‘Puzzle Solving’. Participants could collect points through these games to win prizes. Many students participated, accumulating points and winning prizes, and we generated revenue from the game participation fees.
Additionally, visitors to this space showed a high rate of beverage purchases, allowing us to earn more revenue than anticipated. Through various activities and experiences, participants had a great time, and we gained meaningful experience as part of economic activity.
This festival booth activity was a valuable time that allowed us to experience actual economic activity firsthand, going beyond simple event planning.
Hobbies/Special Skills
“The Journey to Obtaining a Chocolatier Certification”
My interest in beverages and desserts first sparked during my university days while running a cafe. Before that, I thought frequenting cafes wasn’t appropriate for a guy. However, seeing the new cafes opening near campus, mostly run by young men, opened my eyes to a new perspective. From then on, I broke free from stereotypes, started visiting cafes regularly, studied like others, and even participated in beverage promotions. During this process, I also analyzed the profitability and sales strategies of cafes, leading to some fascinating research.
Furthermore, as my interest in desserts gradually grew, I naturally became drawn to the profession of chocolatier. Rather than wanting to do the job myself, I developed a desire to research chocolate design as an amateur chocolatier. I found greater interest in creating marketable products to present to the public than simply eating chocolate. This led me to enroll in a chocolatier certification course offered by a large cafe.
This course introduced me to the world of chocolate and allowed me to build deep knowledge about dessert research. Subsequently, I developed a hobby for cooking and obtained my chocolatier certification within six months. Currently, I work as an amateur chocolatier, primarily sharing my creations on social media. Though it’s a small beginning, I believe in future growth and continue to work diligently.
My journey as a chocolatier has been both challenging and joyful. Moving forward, I aim to create diverse chocolate pieces and foster opportunities to connect with people.
