This blog post shares strengths to highlight to HR managers when applying for an automation engineer position as a new graduate, along with writing tips.
Growth Process
“The Child Who Hated Books Learned to Love Them”
Both my parents are literature professors. Thanks to them, I grew up in a house with a large library. The shelves were packed with books by authors whose names alone were recognizable, and I naturally grew up surrounded by books alongside my parents. Unlike my younger sibling, however, I felt little interest in reading. Just opening a book felt bothersome and made me drowsy; I disliked reading itself. To my literature-loving parents, this must have been utterly baffling.
Then, during elementary school, my parents enrolled me in a robotics club, hoping I might find interest in another field. That decision became a turning point in my life. Through the process of building robots, I encountered books related to machinery, and from that moment, books took on a completely different meaning for me. I devoured books covering mechanical principles, design, and manufacturing processes, becoming increasingly engrossed. It was then that my dream solidified: to become an engineer. Initially, my parents worried about a career path so distant from the humanities and opposed it. But I persisted in persuading them, and eventually, I enrolled in a vocational high school’s mechanical engineering program.
The hands-on training in vocational school made me realize the reality of the engineer’s profession. When drawing blueprints, even a single millimeter of error was unacceptable. With many highly skilled classmates, I had to study relentlessly after school just to keep up. The pace of technological advancement was also incredibly rapid; missing even a single day meant quickly falling behind. While some friends couldn’t handle the pressure and said things like, “I’ll just settle for becoming an automotive engineer,” I harbored a bigger goal. I wanted to make the world more convenient not with simple machines, but with machines that could judge and move on their own.
To pursue this goal, I majored in mechanical engineering in college and, through consistent effort, graduated with excellent grades. Finally, I applied to LG Display, believing it was the place where I could leverage all the experience and capabilities I had built up. The journey of a child who disliked books finding a dream within them, and then racing to make that dream a reality, now stands at a new starting line.
School Days – “A Person Full of Energy Everywhere”
I have always been a person overflowing with energy. People around me often called me the “energetic one” or the “energizer.” The reason was that I always walked around with a smile. In truth, the reason I smiled so much back then was that, after persuading my parents for a long time, I had finally started doing what I loved. Doing what I wanted made every day joyful and energizing.
But looking back, that overflowing energy sometimes became a weakness. I would become so absorbed in my work that I failed to pay close attention to the situations or feelings of those around me. I realized this during a team project experience in college. In my senior year, I participated in an “Elite Program,” a job preparation course. There, I worked with students from various majors on projects, interviews, and presentations (PPT). However, my intense focus on achieving results often led to frequent clashes with other team members. Through this process, I came to understand that my actions were unintentionally causing stress or discomfort.
Afterwards, I had many conversations with the friends I worked with then and gradually refined my personality. I strove not to be merely an energetic person, but to regulate that vitality according to the situation and people involved. As a result, I achieved the top position in the ‘Elite Program’ and had the honor of receiving the prize money. Most importantly, through this process, I realized that ‘true vitality’ isn’t just personal passion, but something created in harmony with the people around you.
I am now growing beyond being merely a bright and energetic person into someone who knows how to share and coordinate that energy with those around me. And I believe this learning will make me a stronger and more valuable person in any environment going forward.
Personality Strengths and Weaknesses – The Will to Burn for What You Love
A statement actor Joo Won made on a variety show once left a deep impression on me. He said, “It’s not about what you like; it’s about how you know how to burn for what you like.” I nodded in agreement. It meant that simply liking something isn’t enough; knowing how to strive for it in a meaningful way is far more important. In fact, I’ve seen many people who have passion but get frustrated because they don’t know how to express or act on it concretely. It’s similar to a student who has the will to study but doesn’t know how to study effectively, so they can’t achieve results.
Fortunately, since high school, I’ve built the habit of consistent effort and developed my own methods for ‘how to strive.’ Thanks to this, I know the strategies and execution methods needed to move toward my goals, and through this, I’ve experienced the process of turning dreams into reality. Therefore, I believe I am not just someone with passion, but someone equipped with concrete methods to realize that passion—and that is my greatest strength.
Of course, my passion can sometimes run too high, leading to impatience or overlooking my surroundings. However, I know how to refine my character through relationships with others. I am confident LG Display has outstanding seniors and superiors. I will learn from their attitudes and experiences, transforming my passion into positive energy that brightens and elevates the organization’s atmosphere. Moving forward, I will further develop my strengths and address my weaknesses, striving to grow alongside the company.
Hobbies and Special Skills
“Become an engineer with imagination.”
My hobby is reading. Since my parents loved books and were always surrounded by them when I was young, the habit of reading naturally became part of my life. Initially, I read literary works because my parents encouraged me to, and I didn’t find them particularly interesting. However, over time, I gradually encountered books related to machinery, and from then on, reading became an enjoyable pastime and part of my daily routine. Later, I broadened my knowledge by reading books across diverse fields without limiting myself to any specific area.
Recently, the most impactful books I’ve read are those by French author Bernard Werber. Especially upon rereading and , I deeply felt how boundless imagination is and how it enriches life and thought. This experience gave me one conviction: I aspire to be not merely a technician handling machines, but an engineer who operates machinery while possessing rich imagination and dreams. I will continue striving to broaden my horizons through diverse reading and grow into someone who can integrate creative thinking into machine design and problem-solving.
Career Experience (Experience)
“A Mind Transformed by One Study Abroad Experience”
I spent one year studying abroad in the Netherlands. At the time, I had almost no prior knowledge of the Netherlands. I left simply wanting to learn a bit more English and take a break from the life I had passionately pursued for a while. However, that year became a turning point that completely transformed my entire way of thinking.
The Netherlands offered an environment vastly different from Korea. The population density was low, with vast expanses of land and plains stretching endlessly. The way of life I had taken for granted in Korea simply didn’t apply there. To go grocery shopping, I had to drive for an hour, and each morning I started my day gazing out at the seemingly endless meadows. Not only the natural environment, but people’s dispositions were also significantly different. Unlike Korea’s atmosphere where people easily become close, many were initially quite reserved, and the way relationships formed was markedly different. Experiencing these differences firsthand taught me how to think flexibly and adapt to any situation.
Furthermore, encountering different cultures and ways of thinking broadened my horizons and expanded my perspective. There were things I had previously thought were ‘absolutely impossible’. For instance, I believed it was impossible to fall asleep at 2 AM, wake up at 4 AM to study, pull all-nighters preparing PowerPoints, or immerse myself in English all day. But life in the Netherlands shattered those limits one by one. I personally realized that things I thought I couldn’t accomplish were actually possible with sheer willpower.
After returning home, I immediately began preparing for employment, which led me to apply to LG. While I lack relevant work experience, I am ready to tackle any challenge with the passion and eagerness to learn expected of a new graduate. Above all, my greatest strengths are my open-mindedness and flexible attitude. I want to grow my potential at LG and move toward a broader world through new challenges.
Motivation and Aspirations
“Humble and humble again, passionate and passionate again”
For me, mechanical engineering is not just a major; it has been my unwavering dream and life goal since high school. I have pursued this dream with more passion than anyone else, and I am confident I will continue to do so. The perseverance I showed in persuading my parents to support my career path in high school, the experiences of learning and growth gained through studying abroad during university, and the consistent drive to broaden my knowledge through reading books are my strengths and assets. I wish to pour all this passion and capability fully into LG.
I am eager to learn extensively. I will humbly accept every piece of advice from my superiors, make it my own, and translate that learning into action. At the same time, I want to discover myself pondering machines every night, seeking new possibilities. My belief is to approach learning with humility and work with passion.
I am a new hire prepared more than anyone else in terms of mindset. I will learn at LG, grow, and show you how I take another leap forward in the field of machinery. As a new employee who gives my all until the very end, I hope you will trust me and entrust me with responsibilities. Thank you.
