The Winter holiday break is a couple of weeks away with only final examinations left for most Kookmin University students. Holiday breaks during the Summer and Winter seasons are always important for many university students all around the world as there are plenty of time to spend for yourself. What do you plan to do this winter holiday? Here are some of unique activities that Kookmin University students plan to pursue.

Ji- Won Kim

▲ Ji-Won Kim's Podcast: Hipcoca’s This & That

1. What activities have you planned to do during this coming Winter holiday?

In this coming Winter break I plan to invest more time in creating diverse content for my podcast that I recently began. Currently I record on a weekly basis for “PodBbang” and “Podcast” applications online, and I seek to improve the quality of my broadcasting during the holidays, which I wasn’t able to accomplish due to time restraints during this semester.

2. What is the reason for planning this activity?

To be honest, the reason why I began recording and uploading a podcast is that in this world, there are countless interests and hobbies that people have; it seemed cool and valuable to share the kind of interests and hobbies that people have. That is why I have created “Hipcoca's This and That,” which is the name of my podcast. Through my podcast, I wish to share and tell the world about the stories and hobbies of individuals that I interview.

3. How did you find out about this activity? And what made you to choose it?

As I commuted to school, I had a lot of spare time on public transportation. During commuting times, I got to know more about podcasting and thought I could gain more useful information and at the same time enjoy doing it. Through my interest in podcast, I thought it would be a great idea to make my own podcast on fields that I am interested in. Specifically the areas of film, food, music and fashion were my interests and I started my own podcast, which shares my interviewees’ interests and my own ‘this and that’.

▲ Ji-Won Kim interviewing a student for his podcast ‘Hipcoca’s This and That’

4. In order to succeed in Korean job hunting, what activities should you tackle?

I believe that in order to attain a job in Korea, there are certain certificates to acquire and specific activities that university students must participate in. Taking actions to achieve these goals is a great thing to do, but doing things that you love and are passionate about, and most importantly, if you can certify what you have done, it could serve as a competing factor that distinguishes you from others.

5. Is your planned activity related to job hunting? And if so, why?

I personally do not think that my podcast will align completely with attaining a job in Korea. However, I think that I could utilize my podcast activities as an episode of my story when I am writing up my resume. I try to think in an optimistic way that my plan during the holidays will be an unforgettable experience in my life.

6. What activities do you plan to do in future holidays?

In my future holidays, I want to take part in internship programs and also small start-up projects in order to attain a job in the near future. Rather than seeking for profit from a start-up business, I want to accept the opportunities as an adventure; as start-up businesses have high chances of failure, I wish to learn from the experience that many others cannot.

7. If you had more time and more holidays, what would you do?

If I had more holidays to enjoy, I would wish to embark on internship programs in fields that I am interested in. Additionally, on top of my internship, I would wish to expand my podcast programs to YouTube channels.

8. What are the things you value when deciding which activities to pursue?

I mainly focus on activities that I can be satisfied in. Of course time efficiency and whether activities I tackle during holidays are relevant to my job hunting are both important. However, holiday activities that can make me happy, and the amount of happiness compared with the time I spend is important. That does not mean that I have been playing around during my past holidays. I have done internships, volunteering activities and participated in competitions, which have made my past holidays happy and worthwhile.

Jun-Hee Hong

1. What activities have you planned to do during this coming winter holiday?

I have two plans that I want to pursue during this upcoming holiday. My plan A is to take the winter break semester and at the same time take a program called “Code States”, which is a programming education program for non-programming majors; I plan on learning Python. My plan B is to pursue internships and participate in either a marathon competition or triathlon. During my holidays, I will save up some money to go on a backpacking trip.

2. What is the reason for planning this activity?

Firstly, although I am a non-programming major, I want to increase my capabilities and competitiveness through studying computer coding. Secondly, the reason why I want to compete in a marathon or triathlon is beyond my interests in working out. I seek to create my own stories through these sports activities that would distinguish me from other students.

▲ Jun-Hee Hong studying programming and preparing for the Winter holidays

3. How did you find out about this activity? And what made you to choose it?

I found out about this coding program through my roommate who also competed and finished a triathlon competition. Additionally, I found my interest in coding through a school subject called software revolution. The reason for making my final decision for what to pursue this coming holiday is because I thought it was important to create my own story through activities that others cannot readily do.

4. In order to succeed in Korean job hunting, what activities should you tackle?

Due to the uneasiness of job-hunting in Korea, I think it is important to participate in activities that can highlight my uniqueness through differentiated activities. Studying for certificates or studying a second language can give applicants an advantage over others, but I believe it is more valuable to create your own life story. From the company’s perspective, especially the HR managers’, many of their applicant’s resumes look very alike; that is why I think it is necessary to pursue activities that are unique.

5. Is your planned activity related to job hunting? And if so, why?

Nowadays, because I am thinking of taking the field of software as my career, I believe that my plan of studying coding and beginning my second major are in line with my future job hunting. As I am beginning to study programming later than those who major in programming, I need to catch-up with the relevant knowledge within a short period of time.

6. What activities do you plan to do in future holidays?

During my fourth year, I plan on applying to K-Valley, an internship program offered to Kookmin University students in the College of Business Administration. I think that as Silicon Valley is called the hub of software, an internship there could serve as an opportunity to gain on-the-job experience.

7. If you had more time and more holidays, what would you do?

Because I know that I approached the field of software later than others, I would definitely study coding.

8. What are the things you value when deciding which activities to pursue?

There are three things that I value when choosing which holiday activities to tackle. Can I improve myself through these activities? Will the activity help me in the near future? Will I have regret if I do not participate in the activity in the future?

Young-Woo Park
The Kookmin Review Reporter
ywpark@kookmin.ac.kr