This blog post introduces how to effectively showcase practical skills and passion in your resume by connecting supporter activities and part-time work experience to exhibition convention roles.
Growth Journey
“Learning Proactivity Through Work”
I was a very passive child growing up. I cherished time alone, finding joy in quietly reading books or watching movies. Naturally, I assumed I’d end up in a quiet, culture-related job. Yet here I am, working in the bustling world of ‘exhibitions’ and planning ‘festivals’ that bring countless people together. It was “work” that led me down this unexpected path. Through part-time jobs, I discovered an active side within myself that I hadn’t known existed.
People say everyone has two sides to their personality. I, too, thought I was only quiet and introverted, but through the experience of work, I gradually encountered a different side of myself. The reason I started part-time work was due to my family’s financial situation. Back in my freshman year of college, my younger sibling was still in middle school, and my parents were getting older. To make matters worse, my father unexpectedly retired early, and our family’s financial situation grew increasingly difficult. Naturally, I started thinking about ways to help support us.
At first, I chose relatively quiet and simple jobs, like working at a convenience store. But as time went on, I found myself wanting a job that paid a little better. That’s how I came to take on a sales position in a store. At first, directly interacting with customers felt daunting, but the more I worked, the more enjoyable communicating with them became. Thinking about how to provide better service and experiencing customers’ reactions in real time became a great source of fun and motivation for me. The sense of accomplishment when a sale succeeded was greater than I had imagined.
A particularly striking change was discovering myself becoming more animated during work—my voice naturally rising, my speech becoming more animated, and gaining a vibrant energy. This unfamiliar yet fascinating side of myself, hard to imagine in daily life, simultaneously gave me confidence: ‘I can become this kind of person.’
Through these experiences, I learned that ‘work’ isn’t merely a means to make a living; it can be an opportunity to explore and grow myself. Proactivity isn’t innate; it’s trained and developed within situations. Building on the proactivity I learned at work, I gradually challenged myself in various fields like festivals, exhibitions, and supporter activities, and finally discovered what I truly wanted to do. It was a quiet child who genuinely came to love communicating with people and creating things together.
Looking back, it was ‘work’ that changed the direction of my life. I believe that small, humble beginnings like part-time jobs shaped who I am today. Moving forward, I want to build on these experiences to create meaningful work alongside more people.
Strengths and Weaknesses of My Personality
“I am a person overflowing with energy.”
The greatest strength of my personality is precisely this ‘energy’. I possess such vitality that I am not limited by my gender as a woman; I can juggle more tasks and activities than others without easily tiring. Looking back on my college years, while many friends found juggling one part-time job and academics overwhelming, I managed two part-time jobs alongside my studies and even participated in extracurricular activities. I consistently handled 2-3 extracurricular activities per semester, accumulating diverse experiences. Rather than feeling burdensome, this process became a driving force for my growth.
Truthfully, I used to be quite timid, limiting myself and holding back. But once I broke out of that shell, I changed beyond recognition. Like shedding a confined shell, I threw myself into diverse challenges without hesitation, participating as a supporter in everything from small exhibitions to large-scale festivals. Though the schedule could have been exhausting, I rarely felt tired. Thanks to my nature of always giving my best and seeing things through to the end, I never once gave up midway or quit any activity.
This dedication and passion led me to receive the Best Supporter Award, given to those who consistently participated more than anyone else. As a prize, I received an iPad and also gained the opportunity to go on an overseas training program. I consider myself a highly energetic person, always ready to tackle any task with passion. I possess a clear confidence that I can take responsibility for and see through any task given to me.
However, my personality also has a flaw: ‘perfectionism’. When I start something, I meticulously plan it out, and I won’t feel satisfied until I’ve executed that plan to the letter. I have such a strong fixation that I can’t sleep easily if I haven’t finished a task I’ve set out to do, and I possess a fierce determination to achieve anything I set my mind to. Thanks to this, I’ve often achieved the results I wanted, but there have also been times when I pushed myself too hard or compromised my health.
Still, I believe all these experiences have made me stronger. I’ve reminded myself that “suffering when young is worth seeking out,” persevering through difficult moments with tenacity. Recently, however, I’ve been consciously trying to pace myself, reminding myself that “work is a marathon.” I’m striving to maintain a balance: pursuing perfection without losing my composure.
Ultimately, my energetic personality and tenacious perfectionism complement each other, shaping me into who I am today. Moving forward, I aim to harmonize these two traits, becoming someone who tackles any task with passion and responsibility, seeing it through to the end.
Passionate Experience
“Lying down on the street for cultural promotion.” This might sound exaggerated, but it’s a vivid experience I actually had. During college, I participated in theater supporter activities in Daehangno, the heartland of theater. However, in a place where countless productions constantly premiere, making audiences remember an unknown play was far harder than I imagined. Unlike other teams featuring famous actors or actors personally distributing posters on the street, we were just ordinary university students, making it even harder to stand out.
After much deliberation, we came up with the idea: ‘Let’s recreate a scene from the play, like a movie trailer.’ We thought showing a dramatic scene would grab people’s attention more effectively than just handing out flyers. The scene we chose was someone being shot and collapsing. I played the character getting shot. Right in the middle of the street, I delivered a short line and then collapsed to the ground. At first, it felt awkward and embarrassing, but people started stopping one by one and looking our way. Their attention and reactions gave us strength, and before we knew it, we’d forgotten our shyness and were acting with confidence.
Interestingly, more people started asking about the play, and some even expressed interest in buying tickets. Ultimately, that day’s performance sold out. That memory transcended simple street promotion; it was a precious moment where I personally experienced how responsibility and creative attempts can lead to tangible results. Just as I stood on the street that day, reciting lines that felt awkward, driven solely by my love for theater and a sense of responsibility without receiving a single penny in return, I am confident I can approach my work at Culture Bank with the same passion and dedication. To bring culture closer to people and to ensure the stories that live and breathe within it reach more people, I am always ready to stand in the middle of the street.
Career Experience
“Experience Gained Through Internship at the Cultural Center”
During my one-year internship at the Cultural Center, I gained diverse experiences. I primarily handled online and offline promotional tasks and occasionally accompanied planners to meetings, also performing administrative support roles. Through these duties, I learned the overall flow of how cultural promotion actually works and gained practical knowledge by directly engaging in the field, not just theory.
Experiencing firsthand how online and offline promotions are conducted, and what approaches effectively reach culturally engaged audiences, proved invaluable. Witnessing both successful and unsuccessful marketing campaigns became a significant asset. Crucially, this went beyond mere promotion; engaging with diverse exhibitions, performances, and events allowed me to gradually discover which areas truly sparked my interest and suited my aptitude.
Through this process, I naturally realized that I was particularly interested in and well-suited for the ‘exhibition’ field. My senior colleagues also recognized this inclination and aptitude, and from then on, they actively guided me toward exhibition-related tasks. Thanks to this, I was able to participate in various exhibitions firsthand. I closely observed multiple stages—from exhibition planning and operations to on-site execution—enabling deep learning through practical experience.
Above all, while performing my internship duties, the hands-on experience I had gained through past cultural supporter activities proved immensely valuable in real work situations. It also became a pivotal moment where I personally felt the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Thus, my internship at the Cultural Center transcended simple training; it became a crucial starting point for me to concretize my future career direction and a catalyst for growth.
Self-Development
“Consistent Interest in Exhibitions”
Ever since deciding to pursue a career in the exhibition and convention field, I’ve believed that maintaining a consistent interest in exhibitions is fundamental and essential. I firmly believe that genuinely feeling the charm of exhibitions and having a genuine affection for them, rather than simply handling them as part of a job, is the true source of strength to sustain this work long-term. Therefore, I created a personal habit of ‘seeing one exhibition a month’ and have consistently practiced it.
Initially, my eagerness to see more exhibitions led me to visit two or three per month. However, I realized that viewing exhibitions too frequently actually prevented me from fully immersing myself in each one, causing my focus to wane. From then on, I shifted my approach to “choosing and seeing the exhibition I most want to visit once a month.” This approach allowed me to observe each exhibition more deeply, carefully sensing the curatorial intent, the composition of the exhibition space, and the connections and flow between the works.
This habit became more than just a hobby; it evolved into my own method of self-development. I no longer missed exhibition trends, and by directly experiencing how each exhibition was marketed, what message it sought to convey, and how it communicated with visitors, I gained practical insights. ‘Visiting one exhibition a month’ has become a precious routine for me, balancing work, personal taste, and growth.
Moving forward, I intend to maintain my consistent interest in exhibitions. I aspire to grow not merely as someone who handles assigned tasks, but as someone who properly ‘manages’ exhibitions and ‘leads’ them forward with genuine affection. As someone who genuinely loves exhibitions, reads their flow, and contemplates their future direction, I will take one more step forward today to ensure I remain unashamed.
Motivation for Application and Aspirations
“I will become someone who renews themselves with each passing year.”
I am still a newcomer, lacking significant career experience. While I have planned and diligently executed various activities, I still feel I have much to learn. Having never experienced full-fledged practical work, I will undoubtedly encounter moments of clumsiness and confusion when assigned actual tasks. However, one thing I can confidently promise is that I will transform into a better person with each passing year.
I will always approach my work with a mindset of learning. I will handle any task with responsibility and diligence, humbly accept the advice and guidance of my seniors, and strive to adapt quickly to the organization. Through this process, I aim to gradually understand the workflow, build my skills, and grow in my own way. While I still have many shortcomings, I aspire to change and develop over time, becoming someone who, three years from now, will hear, “We made the right choice hiring that person back then.” If you trust me despite my shortcomings and give me this opportunity, I will repay that trust. I look forward to working with you.
