This blog post introduces how to concretely and persuasively incorporate PR practical skills into your resume, based on your major in Advertising and Public Relations, field internships, and planning work experience.
Growth Journey
“A vibrant childhood spent crafting my own lifestyle”
I’ve lived a dynamic life since childhood. I exercised almost daily, traveled with my family every weekend, and frequently took overseas trips during vacations. Spending time with peers taught me how to naturally connect with people, and within that, I gradually developed my own lifestyle.
Even after entering high school, I didn’t spend my time solely focused on studying. I learned healthy ways to relieve stress and consistently pursued my usual hobbies, allowing me to maintain a good balance between academics and daily life. Thanks to this, I was able to make my high school years more fulfilling and meaningful than many of my peers.
The biggest secret to my ability to always live energetically and maintain my own rhythm was mental effort. I always strived to keep my mind calm and valued an attitude of getting along harmoniously with those around me. The reason is that when the mind is stable, daily life becomes more fulfilling, and life satisfaction also increases.
Indeed, when my mind was stable, it became easier to immerse myself in both studies and hobbies, naturally leading to better results. For me, a peaceful mind, a healthy body, and an energetic life were always key elements that balanced and steered my life in a positive direction. Thanks to this, even without special events or major happenings, I could enjoy and live my daily life itself.
Planning trips with friends every weekend became a major source of energy. We frequently went hiking together, climbing mountains, and the sense of accomplishment upon reaching the summit was indescribably immense. The satisfaction of reaching a goal through my own effort carried directly into my studies. That experience ultimately became the driving force propelling me steadily toward my desired goals, culminating in the achievement of enrolling in the Advertising and Public Relations Department I had dreamed of.
Even after entering university, I continue to lead an energetic life. This approach to life—constantly refining myself and proactively shaping my daily routine—will undoubtedly remain my greatest asset and driving force moving forward.
Strengths and Weaknesses of My Personality
I possess a serious and calm disposition. I value maintaining a quiet, steady presence over easily getting excited or taking the lead in everything. When with others, I tend to play a role that stabilizes the atmosphere rather than seeking attention, and I enjoy deep conversations. Thanks to this tendency, I often bring up meaningful topics or somewhat serious subjects in conversations with friends.
Consequently, friends describe me as “someone who gives you a lot to think about when we talk,” though I’ve also heard comments like “you can be too serious, making conversations feel heavy at times.” Depending on the situation, I come across as either a thoughtful friend with much to learn from, or someone who seems overly mature.
However, beneath this calm exterior lies quick judgment and immediate action in crisis situations. In daily life, I’m quiet and composed, but when crisis or urgency strikes, I assess situations faster than anyone and act accordingly. This holds true not only when I’m in danger myself, but also when those around me are at risk.
For instance, once while hiking with friends, we nearly had a minor accident. The friend walking ahead suddenly lost his balance and staggered, threatening to cause a chain reaction where the friends following right behind him could have fallen too. I was directly behind that friend. Instinctively, I made a split-second judgment, swiftly grabbed his body, and moved him to the nearby shoulder of the trail. I was physically exhausted myself at the time, but I didn’t hold back to prevent the accident.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Whenever I face a crisis, I tend to act swiftly without hesitation. This attitude naturally instilled trust in those around me, establishing me as someone dependable. While I’m usually quiet and reserved, I often hear that my ability to step forward and solve problems decisively in critical moments is impressive.
Moving forward, I aim to further develop this strength, growing into someone who demonstrates resourcefulness and inspires trust during crises and critical moments. I believe my greatest strength and unique charm lies in the swift judgment and decisive action hidden beneath my calm demeanor. I will strive to effectively utilize this asset in life’s diverse situations and become someone who positively influences those around me.
School Days
“I gained comprehensive knowledge and experience across all aspects of public relations work.”
During my university years, I was immensely proud to formally study the field I had dreamed of since high school while enrolled in the Advertising and Public Relations Department at ○○ University. My major curriculum included specialized courses in PR processes, media studies, and planning, with a particular focus on ‘PR Processes’. This focus stemmed from my clear goal of becoming a PR and communications specialist after graduation. Consequently, I pursued my studies with a strong emphasis on building practical PR knowledge from my school days.
While taking PR courses, I balanced diverse theories with hands-on practice. I gained a balanced understanding of theory and practice through subjects linked to real-world work, such as PR communication techniques, PR management theory, PR campaign case analysis, and special lectures by external instructors. Particularly memorable was the ‘PR Communication Techniques’ course. Over approximately four months, this class provided a systematic understanding and mastery of professional PR practice.
A standout aspect was developing core practical skills essential for planning and executing real PR programs. Through hands-on assignments, I directly experienced central PR techniques like writing, press release composition, and media communication. Writing, in particular, was closely linked to the field of journalism. We consistently practiced clearly distinguishing facts from interpretation and crafting press releases from an objective perspective.
We also focused on understanding the characteristics of various media outlets, such as newspaper articles and broadcast videos. By grasping the nature and role of each medium, we systematically learned how to effectively convey specific content through appropriate methods. This learning greatly helped cultivate the integrated thinking essential for a PR professional.
It was also a very valuable experience to practice practical work collaboratively with colleagues, rather than studying alone. Working in teams with classmates on practical assignments honed my real-world skills, and the meticulous feedback from the professors and external instructors who taught the classes became a significant foundation for my growth.
The experience and knowledge gained during this period became a major asset as I built my subsequent career. When formulating PR strategies or writing press releases in the actual workplace, I often recalled what I learned during my student days and even revisited my old notes and assignments for reference.
Thus, my undergraduate major studies became a valuable foundation that went beyond mere knowledge acquisition, simultaneously cultivating practical skills and confidence. Moving forward, I aim to build an even more specialized PR career based on the foundation laid during this time. My academic learning remains a steadfast starting point for me.
Success Experience Case
During my university years, I had a unique experience living in a shared house with foreign friends. A chance encounter with people I met while traveling led to forming a community, and within it, we made various efforts to understand each other’s cultures and live harmoniously.
At the time, I naturally built friendships while interacting with foreigners who enjoyed backpacking. They planned to stay in Korea for about six months, and my friends and I found a house together to start communal living. Those we first met through travel and lodging became one ‘living team,’ and we moved into the shared house together, living in a common space.
The shared house we moved into was a multicultural space bringing together people of diverse nationalities and backgrounds. In this new environment, meeting new people felt both refreshing and challenging. The first thing we encountered while living together was cultural differences. For instance, our foreign friends naturally left doors open, and there were differences in how they used the bathroom or common areas. At first, these aspects caused some confusion and discomfort, but over time, we came to understand each other’s cultures and naturally began establishing our own living rules.
The differences in food culture proved to be the biggest challenge. The kitchen and cooking space were shared, and differing eating habits often led to inconveniences. As Koreans, my friends and I were accustomed to sharing stews and side dishes, while our foreign friends were used to cooking small portions of their own food and eating separately. These differences led to some initial disagreements, but we gradually adjusted by respecting each other. Interestingly, over time, our foreign friends grew accustomed to the Korean way of eating, while we became curious about foreign cuisine and started trying various dishes.
Through this experience, I gained a new understanding of what it means to ‘live together’. Differences in nationality or culture weren’t important. I learned that spending time together, opening our hearts, and making an effort to understand each other is what truly builds a community. Becoming sincere friends, beyond just housemates, made even the distinction between foreigner and Korean meaningless.
This experience was a precious time for me, teaching me how to understand and respect people, far beyond just accommodation or daily life. Looking back now, I feel those days spent with them helped me grow into a person with a broader perspective. I aspire to continue living a life where I mingle with diverse people. That beginning stemmed from the small courage and effort I took in this share house.
Motivation for Application and Aspirations
“I will become an indispensable PR specialist for the organization.”
Since graduating from university, I have consistently built my career with the goal of becoming a ‘PR specialist’. My first job was at a beauty magazine, and that experience was a valuable opportunity to learn the essence of PR work and develop my expertise. Initially, I started with general administrative tasks, but my role gradually expanded into PR-related duties. This process allowed me to learn extensively and build practical skills.
Due to the magazine’s internal structure, I had to complete a three-month internship before transitioning to a full-time position. During this period, I approached my work with more passion than anyone else. After taking on public relations duties, I had to demonstrate practical planning and coordination skills, such as organizing print ad photo shoots, scheduling meetings during the planning phase, and managing timelines. I also handled writing press releases and maintaining ongoing communication with journalists to discuss coverage angles and meet with them. This process naturally developed my external communication capabilities.
Beyond this, I worked diligently to respond swiftly and handle tasks smoothly even in unexpected situations, such as handling advertising sponsorship requests or event planning. I particularly valued collaboration within the PR team, striving to respect each other’s roles and achieve harmony. Thanks to these experiences, I was able to grasp the overall workflow of a beauty-focused magazine relatively quickly and naturally learned how to adapt flexibly in various situations.
Amorepacific is a leading cosmetics company in the beauty industry, and I believe its industrial context aligns with the magazine company where I gained experience. Having handled numerous tasks of a similar nature—such as close external communication, brand image management, and content planning—I am confident I can quickly adapt to your company’s organizational culture and work structure.
I have consistently strived to be more than just a task executor; I constantly consider what roles are needed within the organization and work to become someone who contributes meaningfully. Based on this attitude and experience, I aim to establish myself as a capable professional with no shortcomings at your company. I will continue to steadily develop my capabilities and grow into a PR specialist who provides tangible value to the organization.
