In this blog post, I’m sharing a sample resume I personally wrote when applying for an advertising position.
Growth Process
“I love making people happy!”
As a kid, I was known as the class clown at school. During elementary school, especially in class, I was always on the lookout for the perfect moment to play pranks, determined to make my friends laugh. My playful and cheerful personality made me popular with classmates, but I was a headache for my homeroom teacher. My pranks sometimes went too far, leading to frequent summons for warnings and multiple visits from my mother to the school. Yet, my ability to laugh it off immediately after getting scolded left both teachers and parents helpless.
Then, one day in fourth grade, a classmate caught a severe cold and lost his voice, unable to speak for days. Unaware of the seriousness, I teased him as usual, saying, “If I’m wrong, say something! Are you mute?” I thought it was just a harmless joke at the time, but those words deeply hurt my friend, and eventually, his mother was called to school. That day, my friend’s mother came to school and scolded me. My mother kept bowing her head repeatedly to apologize to my friend’s mother. Watching that scene, I finally realized how thoughtless and rude my actions had been.
After that incident, I became disheartened, and school life wasn’t as enjoyable as before. I couldn’t bring myself to hang out with friends or focus on classes like before. Seeing me like this, my father, feeling sorry for me, suggested we go hiking one day. Hoping to lift my spirits, I followed him up the mountain. The conversation we had while walking the mountain path became a major turning point for my young self. My father cautiously asked why I had teased my friend, and I honestly told him it was because I liked seeing my friends laugh at my jokes. Then my father said that while the desire to make people laugh is truly a good thing, making fun of someone’s weaknesses is never desirable. He advised me that there are plenty of ways to entertain people without hurting them, and that I should find those ways myself.
After that day, I sincerely reflected on my actions and refrained from teasing or playing pranks that might upset others. Instead, I made an effort to interact with those around me in a joyful and warm way, using words and actions appropriate to the situation. My relationships with both my teacher and friends became much smoother. Looking back, that incident could have ended as a simple mistake, but it became a valuable experience that helped me grow. I still enjoy making people laugh, but I always make a conscious effort to choose considerate and warm methods so that laughter doesn’t hurt anyone.
This childhood experience became a precious foundation that shaped who I am today. Because of that sincere reflection and realization, I will continue striving to build positive relationships with people and become a better person.
Strengths and Weaknesses of My Personality
I am a lively and positive person. I naturally brighten the atmosphere wherever I am, acting as a mood maker. When class time grew dull, I would spontaneously step forward to sing songs or imitate comedians to shift the mood. Thanks to this personality, I was able to demonstrate leadership that fostered familiarity in my relationships with others.
During my university years, my bright and positive energy consistently created good synergy in department activities and club meetings. I believe that making others happy is what makes me happy, so I approached assigned tasks with a positive attitude and could tackle even difficult work with a smile. My nature of responsibly completing assigned tasks to the end allowed me to feel pride in myself and gain trust and support from those around me.
Another strength is my ingenious ideas and exceptional planning skills. My habit of constantly wondering, “Is there a way to make this more enjoyable and fun?” even in repetitive routines often earns me praise as someone “full of ideas” or a “novel planner.” Leveraging this strength, I participated in university idea contests, winning twice individually and once as part of a team. I am confident in approaching problems with a consistently fresh and creative perspective and in concretizing solutions.
However, this lively creativity can sometimes come across as distracting. When engaging with others or discussing diverse ideas, I often focus so intently on setting the tone that I occasionally lose my center. Whenever this happens, I recall my father’s constant advice: ‘Be someone who knows how to adjust your words and actions according to the situation.’ I reflect on myself and strive to exercise appropriate restraint.
Furthermore, I am not afraid to take on new challenges. Even when faced with unfamiliar environments or difficult situations, I do not easily give up or become discouraged; instead, I strive to find ways to overcome the problem. Maintaining a positive attitude with the belief that ‘everyone has something to teach me’ has led others to describe me as ‘reliable and enjoyable to be around’.
Moving forward, I aim to build strong relationships with more people and grow together, leveraging my strengths: bright energy, creative planning skills, and a responsible attitude. Recognizing and adjusting my weaknesses to develop in a better direction is also my goal.
School Life
“Ready to become an advertising professional!”
The rapidly advancing science and technology have significantly transformed the visual media field, which handles visual information. I felt that the 21st century, often called the ‘visual information age,’ sees video and media playing an increasingly larger role in our lives.
While contemplating a career path that aligns with my outgoing personality and brings joy to others, my interest in broadcasting and visual media deepened. This led me to major in Public Relations and Journalism. The curriculum, balanced between theory and practice, provided me with a broad understanding of the new communication environment and the characteristics of various new media.
Media not only shapes public psychology and opinion but also interacts with them, influencing content changes. This bidirectional nature of media sparked my interest, leading me to want a deeper understanding of social phenomena and human psychology. Consequently, I took elective courses in psychology and sociology to broaden my knowledge base.
Given the department’s strong focus on broadcasting and media, student clubs and academic societies were very active. I was particularly drawn to advertising videos and joined a society called ‘Advertising Enthusiasts’. Through seniors passionate about video, I learned production and editing techniques, and we continued the tradition of screening our self-produced department promotional videos at annual festivals.
Within the society, I also teamed up with like-minded friends to participate in various university competitions. I won an encouragement award as part of a team in an idea contest hosted by a financial company, and achieved success twice in an appliance idea contest entered individually. These experiences allowed my creativity, planning skills, and ingenious ideas to be recognized.
My department activities thus far have been invaluable times to deeply explore fields I genuinely care about. I am confident that these early steps as an ‘advertising enthusiast’ will serve as rich nourishment for my future career. Though my journey toward my dream has only just begun, I am already prepared. I eagerly anticipate my tomorrow as an ‘advertising enthusiast’.
Motivation and Aspirations
“An advertising professional who leads customer needs and trends of the times”
During elementary school, I often went hiking with my father. Climbing renowned mountains like Seoraksan and Jirisan one by one, I naturally fell in love with the allure of hiking. As you ascend, each step grows heavier and the backpack on your shoulders feels increasingly burdensome. Yet, enduring that pain and finally reaching the summit brings the realization: “It was worth every effort.”
While hiking, you follow the path, observing each tree up close. Yet, the view of the forest from the summit opens up an entirely different perspective. This ‘ability to see the forest while observing the trees’ has always been a core value for me. Similarly, in professional life, I believe a balanced perspective is essential—focusing on the details before you while never losing sight of the broader context and flow.
As a comprehensive advertising agency, your company demonstrates outstanding achievements across diverse fields including broadcasting, advertising, promotions, and events. I highly value this expertise and creativity, and I aspire to become part of this organization to grow together.
Should I join, I will leverage creative planning skills and intuitive ideas to accurately grasp client needs and create content that leads the trends of the times. I will approach projects not merely for show, but with strategic thinking that elicits customer empathy and participation.
Through this, I am confident I can make a tangible contribution not only to customer satisfaction but also to strengthening your company’s competitiveness and increasing sales. I will grow with a constant willingness to learn, advancing steadily yet decisively toward my goal of becoming an advertising professional who leads both customer demands and the trends of the times.
