Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SuperFly]

So here's the deal. You have to interview Korean university students for the English portion of their company (Korean) interview. This company is a well known, much sought after job - yada yada. So you just know they're sweating.

What kinds of questions would you ask them?

Here's a list of my questions so far, feel free to add some of your own. I have 17 guys to interview today.


Position - Research engineer.

In order to create products how will you define or analyze customer's unknown or hidden needs?


What do you think of the current scandal issue between Shin Jeong-Ah and Byun Yang-Gyoon? (Uni prof degree scandal)

Soccer player Ahn Jung-hwan was fined 1000 만원 for his unworthy behavior in the soccer field. What do you think about this situation? Do you think the fining was fair?

Mr. Go San was selected as the first astronaut of Korea. What do you think his responsibilities should be, for the sake of Korea's future?

In your opinion, what makes people racist and discriminatory?


If I were to ask one of your professors to describe you, what would he or she say??


In your opinion, what would happen to the price of real estate if North and South Korea were to reunify?


Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks

[hubba bubba]

How many bottles of soju can you drink?

[mikowee]

Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

Do you like kimchi?

What's your favorite food?

[Scotticus]

Wow, I envy you. That torment you can exact on these poor, poor souls...

Do you really think their English is going to be good enough to handle some of those questions? Sorry if I sound skeptical, I've just met very, very few Koreans whose English truly was on a fluent level.

[SuperFly]

I do these interviews at least once every couple of months. 30% of them have studied at some of the best schools in America.

So, yes...some of them have spent 2-4 years in the states and can converse on a fairly fluent level.

[Juregen]

Position - Research engineer.

Shouldn't you be asking question in regard to the work they will perform?

I would be pissed in an interview if someone asked me about a soccer player or other scandals i have absolutely no interest in and have nothing to do with my capabilities as a Research engineer.

Why not ask things like :

What do you think has been the best work our company has done

What makes this job interesting and why would we want to hire you for this job.

make the questions relevant, PLEASE. I always hated irrelevant questions.

[SuperFly]

Hmmm, this "English interview" is to determine their SEPT level. (Speaking English Proficiency Test) so no, it has nothing to do with their job. That's what the Korean engineers will be interviewing them for in the room next door.

[Juregen]

[Corky]

How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Are you married?
What's your blood type?

Just kidding. How about:

How would you handle a disagreement in the office?

What would you do if you found a wallet with 100,000 won and there's was no ID?

Why do you want this job?

What kind of contribution can you make for our company?

[Optimus Prime]

"Can you use the fork and knife?"

[SuperFly]

How about: Do you think 20 Koreans on 1 foreigner is a fair fight?

[ttompatz]

Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

Intent: Early in your career, interviewers want to get a sense of your personal goals, ambition, drive, and direction. At mid-career, they will be listening for responses relevant to their needs.

Tell me about your proudest achievement.

Intent: This question, often worded as "significant accomplishment," ranks among the most predictable and important things you'll be asked. Interviewers want to hear how you tackled something big. It is vital you get an organized, articulate story.

Give me an example of a time when you had to think out of the box.

Intent: This is code for asking about your innovativeness, creativity, and initiative. Interviewers want to learn about not only a specific creative idea but also how you came up with it and, more importantly, what you did with that insight.

What can you do for us that other candidates can't?

Intent: Some interview questions are more important than others. This is one of them. It's another way of asking, "Why should we hire you?"

Tell me about a time when you failed.

Intent: No one wins all the time, so the key here is to forthrightly discuss what you learned from a situation that went awry. The interviewer also may want to hear how you handled any resulting fallout.

These will all test their SEPT levels -listening, comprehension and speaking (even if you avoid the other implications) and are fairly standard "out of the box" interview questions that would be considered acceptable even in the west.

[SuperFly]

Thanks everyone, I start the interviews in an hour and a half...this round should be fun.

[Col.Brandon]

I've done this kind of thing a few times. I can usually tell what their grade will be within the first five seconds.... if they have that 'deer in the headlights' look then it's going to go badly for them.

I once had a SNU graduate who couldn't answer any of the questions. I guess she was only a memorising machine. I wanted to tell her to go abroad, attend a few parties and get some life skills. Sad.

Some questions I've used:

What's the biggest issue facing Korea at the moment?
Tell me about the person who has had the greatest influence in your life.
Tell me about a memorable event from you childhood.

[pkang0202]

You can find a ton of interview questions online. I remember in my Human Resources class, we learned a few interview techniques.

I remember hearing about Bill Gates and his interviews. he's being you into his office and tell you to find a seat and sit down, relax. There are no chairs in his office. Their are chairs outside his office.

He did this intentionally to see what people would do. People who just stood their nervously didn't get the job. People who actually went and grabbed a chair signaled someone who was a "go getter".


Anyways, how can I get a job interviewing people?