When does a tech career change actually become a net positive for your life Many professionals in their thirties start exploring a tech career change because they feel their current trajectory has hit a glass ceiling. While the lure of a higher base salary or stock options at a global enterprise is significant, the reality…
Spending weeks in Ansan just to hold a torch I remember staring at the Ansan welding academy brochures, thinking this was the definitive pivot. I was tired of applying to office jobs that never replied, and the idea of actual, physical skill felt like a solid plan. I spent about 2.5 million won on a…
Is your video interview preparation actually helping you or just creating noise Many candidates spend hours debating which background blur filter looks most natural or stressing over high-end lighting gear. In my experience as a consultant, the candidates who land the job are rarely the ones with the most expensive cameras. They focus on the…
In my mid-30s, working in the tech sector in Seoul, I have seen a recurring cycle: the frantic scramble to join ‘Big Tech’ during a hiring boom, followed by the silent, often messy reality of structural reorganizations and layoffs. People treat career moves like a math equation—higher salary equals better life—but after actually going through…
Lately, I have noticed a surge in local government-funded programs claiming to turn anyone into an AI expert. Recently, seeing my nephew get excited about a ‘Gemini-focused AI assistant’ workshop left me feeling a bit conflicted. It reminded me of my own career path in my early 30s when I was constantly chasing certifications just…
Getting lost in the endless scrolling of job portals I remember sitting in front of my monitor late last Tuesday, just clicking through tabs until I felt like I was losing my mind. There is something uniquely soul-crushing about refreshing job portals in Japan. Everyone keeps saying that if you have N2, you’re halfway there,…
That awkward silence in front of the mirror I remember standing in my bedroom, staring at a wall while trying to record my one-minute introduction on my phone for the third time that night. It was supposed to be easy, just a quick summary of why I wanted to study at a 4-year university. But…
I remember sitting in a cafe in Gangnam about three years ago, staring at my laptop screen. I had just updated my LinkedIn profile to the ‘Open to Work’ green frame, convinced that being proactive would land me a high-profile role in tech. The reality? It felt more like hanging a ‘Desperate for Hire’ sign…
When the Perfect Workshop Space Becomes a Liability I remember planning a quarterly strategy workshop last year for our team of twenty. Like many, I started by looking for high-end convention centers or fancy co-working spaces in Gangnam. I figured that a sleek, professional atmosphere would automatically lead to high-level brainstorming. The reality? We spent…
Is landing a job at Google worth the intense preparation cycle Many professionals view Google employment as the ultimate career milestone, but the reality often involves a trade-off between immense preparation time and the actual return on investment. The interview process is notoriously long, often spanning three to five months from the initial recruiter screen…
Navigating the reality of a tech job change in the current market Many professionals in their thirties are considering a tech job change as a way to pivot their careers toward more stable or high-growth environments. However, the current landscape is far from the gold rush era of a few years ago. Major tech firms…
For a long time, I treated LinkedIn as just a digital rolodex or a place to lurk on corporate PR posts, like seeing SK Hynix executives meeting with industry giants. I thought updating it was purely for people desperately looking for a way out. However, after actually going through this, I realized that LinkedIn is…