꼰대

요즘 이래저래 어쩌다보니 질문을 많이 받았다.

물론 이제 1년하고 3주차가 무슨 비즈니스를 논하고 인사를 논하냐만.....(그럼에도 불구하고 나한테 묻는 사람들의 마음도 알겠고, 그럼에도 불구하고 짜증나는 내 마음도 알아주시길...)

-옷차림은 자유롭다. 근데 이건 회사 분위기/부서 탓도 크고 사회 전반적으로 옷에 대한 제약이 좀 덜한 것일뿐. 넛츠포드 출근하는 날에는 나도 플랫 신고 오피스 룩으로 입고 가긴 한다.

-회사 토론에서 말을 더 많이 하라고는 하지만 이것도 그 회사 내부의 코딩에 따라 '말해볼 수 있으면 해봐'지 무조건 '헤이 요, 와썹'이 아니다. 

-업무시간이 자유로운 건 그만큼 일도 자유롭게 많아진다는 얘기. 만약 업무 시간을 9-5, 월-금으로 고정하면 나도 주말에 경기 안보고 놀겠지. 이건 업종차이.

-영어를 잘하니까 뽑아주세요...이건 충분조건이 아니라 필수조건. 영국 회사에서 난 영어 잘하니까 뽑아주세요 하는게 어떤 의미를 가지는 지. 내 영어도 퍼펙트 하진 않겠지만....

-일하고 싶어요!!뽑아주세요!!

메일 보낼 때는 제발 제목에 메일 본문 내용을 대강 짐작이나 할 수 있게. 메일 주소는 이름으로. 그리고 여긴 소원댓글 다는 네이트 판이 아님..... 

-난 언론 전공이니 언론만 노리겠음 

1) 한국에서  '언론고시'라는 말이 괜히 나왔을까. 

2) 어딜 가든 미디어는 박봉

3) 무급 인턴직이 당연시되는 곳이 더 많음 (한국 외신 인턴 공고가 문제가 된 것도 이 맥락)

4) 그럼에도 불구하고 이 일을 하고 싶은 사람이 많기 때문에 지원자는 박 터짐

5) 여기서 레퍼런스 없이 일하긴 힘들어서 무급이라도 울며 겨자 먹기로 일하는 경우가 많다. (물론 퍼머넌트한 건 아니고 대신 짧게 한 두달 정도) 뭐라도 하라고 맨날 입에 달고 사는게 이 때문.

-그럼 너는 얼마나 잘나서 된건가?

ㄴㄴ, 내가 누누히 말하지만 나는 순전히 운빨과 타이밍. 우연히 당시 맨체스터에 있었고, 이 회사를 올 줄은 몰랐음. (내가 낸 건 이곳  저널리스트를 뽑는 리쿠르팅 컴퍼니었는데 거기서 여기로 서류를 넘김).

-하는 업무가 재밌고 신나보인다? 맨날 선수 보나?

반반, 경기 컨텐츠나 뭐 컨텐츠 짜는 건 재밌지만, 그냥 일반 잡무도 많고 하기 싫은 것도 많고. 축구팀에서 일하는데 홈페이지 T&C 테이블 짜는 내 모습을 누가 상상이나 했을까. (테이블 짜는 게 세상에서 제일 싫다!!!!) 내가 공차는 것도 아니고 선수들을 볼 일은 그닥. 

현지에 있어도 우라까이 봇이 되어 움파룸파 찍어내는 일도 많고. 기본적으로 난 일할 때 트랜스레이팅할때는 바이라인에 그냥 원문 그대로 찍고, 내가 쓴 것만 바꾸는데. 내 마인드 셋업이 '저널'에 좀 더 치우쳐있어서 그런지 우라까이 찍어내는 게 유쾌하지만은 않다. 

대강의 생각들.

한국에선 드문 일이라 궁금한 건 알겠지만 가끔가다가 내가 왜 이런 것까지 답해줘야 하나 싶을 정도의 질문 (만수르가 연봉 많이 주나요?)을 받으면 ="=

일할 때는 그래도 최대한 지킬 선은 지키려고 해서 업무할 때는 개꼰대가 되려고 하는데, 요즘 내가 너무 꽉 막혔나 싶기도 하다. 하지만 지킬 건 지키는 게 상사도, 동료도 편하고... 일은 일이지 이게 내 전부는 아니니까. 내 생활을 지키려면 꼰대처럼 꿋꿋하게 내 바운더리를 지켜나가는 게 필요한 것 같다. 

Working for Club without player from my country....

Whenever I introduce myself as working for MCFC, every people asked me back,

'Do they have Korean player there? Or any chance?'

Unfortunately, for the time being MCFC doesn't have one and I cannot confirm about next season, even we haven't finished this season yet! (And BLUE BUS haven't arrived Manchester yet as well!)

As aspect of marketing and web traffic, obviously it's way better to have player from my country. I don't need to translate and I can issue out contents directly after match. Media in Korea will be more interested in MCFC as they did for Swansea, QPR, even now they are expert at WATFORD which is not in the Premier level yet.

Hence people easily consider I’d like to have one which is actually not.

I don’t have anyone at the moment, thus I don’t need to rely on specific player that other club having Korean player did so far.

If I have one, I couldn’t have chance to record New Year’s Greeting with James Milner, Micah Richards and my fav Stevan Jovetic. Or it wouldn’t be source of news that post of March 1^st.

Instead it will be really hard to attract media through contents because they will just find appearance of Korean player not contents itself. I don't want make this site as channel for Korean player in this team. 

They are enjoying MCFC Korean cause they didn’t expect MCFC, it’s kind of pleasure from unexpected one.

I do take pride on my work so far, not perfect though but try to BE CREATIVE, FUNNY as long as possible, since it’s football not a lecture nor nightline news. People watches football for fun, have rest, enjoy the time itself, and my reader will be far from the spot of match. They will watch match in very early morning, staying overnight and yarning in the office.

I wish I could give as much as I can to fan based in Korea, as I fully understand how they feel about the club, and reckon it would be same as my feeling toward my club. 

What I'm doing Here?

My job is Korean Media executive in Manchester City Football Club. 

When people got told about my job, they automatically asked 

"So, do they have any plans to buy Korean player or currently have?"

I already got used to replying 

"Nope, but this club is aiming big, and launched 11 languages including Korean."

First step of this job was translating all articles into Korean with local media.

MCFC has good quality in their own sites, so we do same thing as daily basis.

http://xn--2e0b17htvgtvj9haj53ccob62ni8d.xn--3e0b707e/News/What-the-papers-say/2014/February/What-the-media-says-about-MCFC-14-Feb

This article is combined with local contents mentioning historical part of Korea. It was not demanding to do, but it made big hit in Korea.

Before that, I also did New-year-greetings for Korean fans, according to 'Lunar' New year.

Here in UK, people uses 'Chinese' New year, so the hardest thing was to use 'Lunar New year' instead.

http://xn--2e0b17htvgtvj9haj53ccob62ni8d.xn--3e0b707e/citytv/Features/2014/January/Korea-New-year-greetings

http://xn--2e0b17htvgtvj9haj53ccob62ni8d.xn--3e0b707e/citytv/Features/2014/February/BTS-New-Year

(I was in the 2nd video ACCIDENTLY!)

I'm from small country, which has around 50k people, and only that people uses same language. In this company there's many languages used in continent, like Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese. 

Whilst working in here, I sometimes got frustrated since my country is small, thus number I could make was small as well. 

As half of the season passed, I found it got more opportunities from those reason.

1. One country

Obviously Korean has been used by one country (*N/S is originally one country, and unfortunately I don't think N.Korean people could have access to MCFC Korean amongst struggling from dictatorship) , so I don't need to consider politics within countries sharing same language.

For example, I've done SNS post about Independence day "There's no future for nation who forget their own history" or 1st of March "MCFC still remembers movement in 1919" which made big huge impact on Korea. (It covered main page of news)

2. Development of IT

If I need to choose one good point or strength of Korea, I do choose developement of IT. 
Majority of people uses smart phone (For god's sake SAMSUNG and LG!), so I have more channel to get in touch with them. 

For example Korean account on Twitter has 2,500 followers, however aspect of reaction from Korea is really dynamic like RT/ reply, speed of spreading contents.

I could do experiment on user behavior's on SNS and blog-sphere. Such as changing of condition including releasing time, length of contents, tone of voice on SNS, multi-media usage, and how to exploit 14o bites. 

Another good point is I got learned how to do multi tasking during working on various channel, and own web channel.

Fortunately I could have chance to have guest from Korea, watching match together in pressbox, doing video whilst having stadium tour, interviewing them.


http://xn--2e0b17htvgtvj9haj53ccob62ni8d.xn--3e0b707e/citytv/Interviews/2014/March/KR-Interview-Joosuc-at-MCFC

http://xn--2e0b17htvgtvj9haj53ccob62ni8d.xn--3e0b707e/citytv/Interviews/2014/March/KR-Interview-TRKim-at-MCFC

http://xn--2e0b17htvgtvj9haj53ccob62ni8d.xn--3e0b707e/citytv/Features/2014/March/KR-Behind-the-Scene

I could say I like my job, and I've learned from my job and still learning status. I never get used to tough schedule in English Premier, recently makes me bit tired. 

But as many footballer says (very cliché ) "Nothing is impossible in football", and SO DO I.

I am not sure what I will achieve in the very last day of my job, however, I do believe
the dot I made and still making in here will be connected in future. And that thread I've made in UK will connect to somewhere I cannot imagine in this time. 

The Story is Victory

The Story is Victory

-       Climbing the Himalaya, 100+ blood donations, all in order to get a job

The global recession has greatly impact many people particularly young graduates who are eager to work, who received a fatal blow. It is only 30 years since their parents from the ‘baby boom generation’ lived in a time of relative plenty. In comparison to their parents who were guaranteed to get a job after university, many youngsters nowadays struggle to find a career.

Normally questions on application forms ask for 1000 words stories of crisis in the applicants’ life, their motivations, or similar. In the end, applications can add up to more than 3000 words. [1] Many Korean companies use their own style, compared to other countries; for example graduate in Britain can use their CV several times when they applying because it only requires mention of factors which are ‘relevant to the job’. Applicants need to rewrite all the answers on applications, so they must rewrite from the beginning which can seem like a waste of time. One of my friends, who is a graduate in Korea said he was actually a writer instead of job seeker during the recruiting season.

During the recruiting process, HR managers receive tons of applications. They only spend a minutes or less to read all stories on an application. Everyone in this battle field already fulfills 3,600 formula;  TOEIC Test mark (full - 990) times GPA (full 4.5) 'HAVE TO BE' over 3,600. The point of this formula is that this number does not guarantee job, but 'indispensable condition' for job seeker.

To stand out from a crowded field, applicants strive to make unique, authentic stories to catch the eyes of the manager. Some of them are backpacking Europe (Entry level), India (Intermediate level), or Africa/South America (Advanced level) with no money (Proficient level). Some of them focus on internship/work experience, so their diary is filled with schedules of work like full-time job interviewee[2]. Blood donation and volunteering have already become clichéd among young generations.

   The point is that, all applicants are ‘entry level’, not glorious heroes like Tony Spark and Steve Jobs. They are only on their twenties just finished their studies and are about to stand at the starting line. Companies, however, seek ‘ready-made supermen’, who are able to be an ‘obedient’ officer just a few months later. The story may be spectacular in movies, in Korea however, every story ends up with tragedy of the young passionate job seekers who are not able to find work.

---

[1] In Korean Characters, it is equivalent to 1100-1200 words in English

[2] Work Experience programs are being pinpointed as exploitation of young generation, since bad conditions of work.

hmmm

I was nearly about to going back.....Seoul.

But?
I can't appreciate it also I can't sure about it.

What should I do?

Marketing? Journalism?

bittersweet real

I was quite defensive after coming here since I do not have full time job or even not fancy work like intern. Friends in Korea expected me to do some gorgeous work but actually I am not. I couldn't tell them I just do part time job  And to new people I cannot explain why I decided to move in here. Even to myself.

And I realized I had had lot of chances and privileges in the past, I could say out my background, my uni, job I've done. NOW? I hesitated all time to say "hmmm. part time job?" "need to wai....t?"

Before leaving, I showed off how brave I am, how humble I am, to be willing to some hard labor work. Since I started this job, I'm aware of I'm still too arrogant, childish, immature.

정신없다

1. FINALLY SUBMITTED both :-) wish me great great luck!

2. it's been two weeks to work in catering, (sigh)
I still cannot get how to use cash machine, and work is okay. Don't need to worry about lunch, get money (I can't tell it's enough for my budget), most important thing is I feel being useful.

3. London! Here I go!