This blog post provides specific guidance on how to articulate the experiences and strengths you should include in your resume when applying for landscape design positions.
My Upbringing
The most vivid memory from my childhood, spent visiting my grandparents’ house every vacation, is the garden landscape. It was beautiful like a painting, with all kinds of trees, flowers, and even a pond blending together. Having been born and raised in a city apartment where seeing wide open spaces was rare, I still vividly remember the time I spent running freely and playing in my grandfather’s mountain and spacious yard. My parents would laugh, saying I looked like a puppy when they saw me so delighted by the yard, but to me, it was an enchanting space, like a fantasy world from a fairy tale, filled with wildflowers and diverse trees rarely seen in the city. I remember lingering there for ages, quietly gazing at the flowers blooming in the flowerbed, imagining that perhaps a flower fairy might appear.
Even on days when I dozed off while waiting aimlessly, the soft feel of the soil and the warmth of the pouring sunlight were incredibly comforting. Grandfather’s garden was not just a playground to me; it was a special space that filled my heart. Even after returning home, I longed to feel that earthy scent again, so I placed a small potted plant on my balcony instead of the hard asphalt paths and cold cement walls. But compared to the yard, it felt too small, and I often felt lonely and withered.
As I grew older, my grandfather, who adored his granddaughter who never left the yard for a moment, began sharing stories about the garden one by one. To me, who thought trees and grass simply grew freely to create a beautiful landscape, it was astonishing to learn that a garden was the result of meticulous attention to detail—the distance and depth of the pond, the placement of each stone, even the composition of the soil. Listening to Grandfather’s stories, I came to see that place not merely as a ‘beautiful yard,’ but as an artistic creation imbued with meticulous planning and devotion.
In that beautiful yard, I played freely, sometimes watching flowers bloom while letting my imagination soar. I grew up feeling the sculptural beauty of nature, born from my grandfather’s touch, with my whole being. Those accumulated experiences and sensibilities became crucial foundations shaping who I am today, and my grandfather’s garden remains the most radiant memory in my heart.
School Days
During my school days, I remember joining the horticulture club at my school in the heart of the city, eager to connect with as many plants and as much soil as possible. I sensed early on that to one day create a ‘work of art in nature’ reflecting my taste and philosophy, like my grandfather’s garden, I needed to deeply understand the nature of plants, proper cultivation methods, and the characteristics of each variety. When I realized that varieties I had vaguely thought of as similar trees actually possessed distinct characteristics and charms, I would happily imagine placing them in and out of my future garden designs. Especially when I encountered plants I had seen at my grandfather’s house again, I tended to them with even more care, as if meeting an old friend.
When you actively delve into a field with genuine interest, progress comes quickly. I expanded beyond simple club activities into personal hobbies, rapidly absorbing knowledge about landscaping and trees in a short time. By a young age, I had developed quite a high level of discernment and skill. On weekends, when peers my age would go out to play or enjoy shopping for clothes, I would pester my father to take me to landscaping expos or plant nurseries, my eyes sparkling with curiosity. Looking back now, that scene might have been quite unusual and adorable.
At first, my father thought my interest was just a passing fancy, but over time, he recognized my genuine passion. From then on, he personally shared diverse information and experiences with me, offering generous support whenever needed. Thanks to this, I was able to steadily achieve my desired goals step by step, and that childhood curiosity remains a shining driving force in my life today.
Personality Strengths and Weaknesses
I have a personality that dives endlessly deep into whatever captures my interest. For instance, when I developed an interest in landscaping through my grandfather’s influence, my gaze naturally gravitated toward plants, artificially arranged stones, or ponds wherever I went. Even now, when I encounter unfamiliar plants I’ve never seen before or environments designed with sophisticated aesthetics, I’m completely absorbed in memorizing and analyzing them. As someone who dreams of one day cultivating my own dream garden, blending my unique tastes and knowledge like my grandfather did, I find it hard to suppress the desire to incorporate any new aesthetic experiences that elevate my sense of beauty.
During my university days, while accompanying my professor to a seminar, I spotted a rare plant displayed in a corner of the lobby. In that moment, I lost track of time pouring questions at the attendant and scrutinizing the plant in minute detail, ultimately delaying the schedule for several minutes. Fortunately, the professor positively acknowledged my interest and passion, allowing me to get away with it. Yet since that experience, I occasionally find myself pondering how to regulate this indiscriminate passion that sometimes revolves solely around my own interests. Of course, this immersion is both my strength and driving force, but I’ve come to realize I also need the wisdom to adjust according to the situation and context.
Hobbies and Special Skills
To further develop my aesthetic sense, I appreciate various artworks and pay attention to architecture. I also make a consistent effort to invest time in hiking or traveling to admire outstanding natural scenery, seeking to refresh my mind and eyes with nature’s inherent beauty. Since most of these hobbies are difficult to pursue while staying home, I rarely stay indoors when I have free time. Instead, I actively travel here and there, sparing no expense or time.
While I also cultivate my eye for beauty through practice and have a strong interest in architecture to enhance my spatial perception and the deliberate arrangement of objects, my absolute favorite pastime is encountering nature’s own divine artworks. Standing before the grand and majestic landscapes of nature, rather than man-made landscapes completed within the confines of human thought and calculation, I feel we are beings who can only strive relentlessly to pursue that beauty. Yet, precisely because humans are beings who endlessly challenge and evolve towards their limits, they are beautiful in themselves. Though fully capturing nature’s grandeur may be difficult, I constantly strive to refine my aesthetic sensibility, step by step, with the heart to draw closer to that realm.
Reasons for Applying and Future Aspirations
Since first encountering the beauty and allure of landscaping in my grandfather’s garden as a child, I resolved to create my own garden someday. I sought out diverse landscaping works to broaden my aesthetic sensibility. In this journey, I spent considerable time visiting numerous gardens and landscaping sites nationwide, observing, feeling, and studying. Discovering that many of the works that deeply impressed me originated from none other than your company sparked not just interest, but genuine respect and admiration. Your company’s unique landscaping philosophy, fresh attempts that transcend tradition, and vigorous spirit of inquiry resonated strongly with me, fostering the desire to one day commission my own garden to your company. Over time, this admiration evolved into a concrete goal: ‘I want to join your company to directly learn and master that philosophy and technique.’
Since childhood, I have viewed and studied countless landscape works not out of mere obligation, but with genuine interest and passion. Through this process, I have cultivated my aesthetic sense and knowledge over many years. I am confident that combining this experience and discernment with your company’s expertise will lead to greater synergy and creative achievements. Whereas I once viewed your company through the eyes of a client seeking to entrust you with my garden, I now aspire to become a creator myself, collaborating with your company to forge new value. I am eager to fully develop my potential within your company and take my first bold step forward—transitioning from the role of observer to that of creator.
