Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Lolimahro]

My husband is thinking of switching industries and he wants to get a bachelor's degree in computer science (or closely related area). He's thinking of doing it while he's in Korea.

We were wondering what employers back in the States might think of a Korean IT degree? How are Korean universities reputed?

The opportunity to get this degree while we're in Korea seems very cost-effective compared to opportunities back home, but it'd be a real shame to be unable to get a job if no one will take the degree seriously.

If anyone has any input on this, thanks in advance!

[ytuque]

[UknowsI]

Not that it really matters, but he might be a bit old compared to his class-mates. At my uni almost all the students come straight from specialised science high schools (which only takes 2 years) so the undergrad students are generally very young.

[pkang0202]

In the computer/IT industry, its pretty much what you know, not where you went to school. Many of the top programmers in the country never went to University.

How's your husband's math skills? Computer Science is VERY math heavy. Most CS majors double major in Math because its only a couple extra classes to get it.

If his math isn't as strong then maybe he can go into Information Systems. You still deal with programming, but its not as code/math heavy as Computer Science. It is a Business School degree, so he would also benefit from business classes.

[xingyiman]

[Lolimahro]

He's actually interested in Networking and other Information Systems type stuff than actual programming. Not sure how his math skills are in reality - he claims he hates it and is bad at it, but he says that about a number of things that he's good at. I'm just concerned about funneling thousands of dollars into a degree that won't suit him (if we go back home) or possibly wasting four years on a degree he can't use once he gets back home.

He is thinking of applying to KAIST and maybe Seoul National. KAIST is our preferred choice, but his last degree wasn't math-heavy at all, and neither was his high school coursework, so I'm not sure how likely that is.

We understand that he's getting up there in years compared to other undergrad students, but I there's really not much of a choice. The ability to work part-time is also appealing.

Thanks for all the input!

[UknowsI]

[DaeSung]

Don't want to sound too negative, and I've said this about other degrees from Korea in the past. Get a degree in Korea if you plan on staying in Korea or working there for a couple of years before you move (like 2 to 5 years after you graduate.)

I'm currently doing an MBA in the U.S. at a top tier university. Right now in the current job market in the U.S. a degree from Korea wouldn't even get looked at with out another degree from a school in the U.S. Heck one of my classmates did his undergrad in CS and has 3 years work experience for a major software company, is working on his MBA and he has a hard time even getting interviews. Sure 2 to 4 years from now it'll be a different story we hope, but you'd be better off getting a degree in the U.S. if you can.

A Korean kid at the community college I went to while in high school (AP classes) once said it this way. Even the crappiest community college in the U.S. is better than the best University in Korea. (I don't think this is 100% true if you want to work in Korea, but if you want to work in the states without some major work experience it seems accurate to me.)

I know that IT and CS might be a little different than an MBA, but I have colleagues and relatives that work in both IT and CS, a few of them have Masters degrees and they won�t be getting jobs for Google/Microsoft/Apple/Adobe any of the tech/software companies any time soon.

That�s just my two cents. Just my little motto but for me I always think if I can be successful in the U.S, I can be successful in Korea. On the other hand being successful in Korea has little effect on my success should I return back to the states.

[jvalmer]

Despite what the media and companies want you to believe, a CS or EE degree is no longer the ticket to guaranteed and high paying employment it was at the height of the boom. As someone mentioned, it's more who you know, not what you know. What you know might get you an interview and after that you better wow the guy, cause he's got tons of resumes in that drawer to choose from (I've been on the interviewer side a couple of times). Unless you really have a passion for computers and excelled at math in high school, I would go for different degree.

BTW I have an EE degree, after getting hired by a formerly big corporation, out of school, then being let go after the bust (the way they let us go was pretty sour). Then 3 years of getting a string of short term contracts, I decided the stress of getting new employment unbearable and decided to take it easy in Korea.

[Skippy]

Why doesn't he work towards some certificates like MSCE or CCNA or Network+.... He can likely take the exams here. Spend his free time studying.

As somebody commented above many of the greats in IT are not the ones who went to Uni they are the ones who just do it. If he spent more time programming on his own he would have more to show and use in the future then a Korean degree that many business would likely not understand.

[pkang0202]

[UknowsI]

[Lolimahro]

Thanks for all the really useful replies, everyone.

I think the main goal for my husband is for him to be able to have a job that interests him, not to make a huge salary. We just want to make sure he can get a job in it with the most cost-efficient education and training options we have available.

[pkang0202]

[xingyiman]