Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Recruits Suffer 'New Job Syndrome' By Kim Rahn, Korea Times

Kim Jin-wook, a 26-year-old employee at an Internet media company, suffered unusual fatigue when he entered the company six months ago. Some of his hair fell out and he also lost his appetite. There was no specific reason for such symptoms he had fortunately got the job right after graduating from university, his workload wasn't that huge and he got on well with his colleagues.

Six months later, the symptoms disappeared.

According to a doctor at Seran Medical Center in central Seoul, Kim was suffering from "new occupation syndrome," which is caused by stress.

Chae Sung-hee, neurologist of the hospital in central Seoul, conducted a survey on 120 people who had changed their jobs or had been newly hired within six months.

Around 63 percent were found to have experienced similar symptoms. Among them, the most common symptom was extreme fatigue at 31 percent, followed by indigestion at 19 percent, headache and sleep disorders at 17 percent, and muscular skeletal disorder and irritable bowel syndrome, both at 5 percent.

Also, 42 percent said they experienced the symptoms from within one month after they started their new job, while 32 percent said they began within two to three months.

The main cause of the new occupation syndrome is stress that arises from a change in environment.

The first thing is to exercise regularly. Physical strength helps to control stress caused by environment changes as well as relieve fatigue, headache and indigestion. "It is helpful to work out more than three times a week for more than 30 minutes each time," she said. The next tip is to have a balanced diet.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200504/kt2005041217332668040.htm

[Zark]

Not me!

I love starting a new job. Give me about two years - and I start getting bored - time to move on!

See you at the next place. . .

[sid]

Foreign scholars merit equal status
The foreign professor -- colleague or hired hand?
Foreign professors do most of the heavy lifting in terms of course loads, devoting themselves almost exclusively to teaching. Nevertheless, they tend to be treated as hired hands, without academic standing, and lacking the possibility of career advancement or tenure. They must submit to yearly contracts (compensated at a rate only 60 percent of their Korean peers) while walled off from the permanent Korean faculty who benefit from travel, research funding, sabbaticals, etc. Moreover, when hundreds of Korean scholars enjoy such perks at American and other foreign universities, something is obviously amiss.... According to the Samsung Group's chairman, Lee Kun-hee, to succeed globally, Korea must forgo the thought that Korea and being Korean is superior, and foreign specialists must be treated with respect.
by John B. Kotch; June 14, 2002; JoongAng Ilbo
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200206/14/200206142349223599900090109011.html

[Real Reality]