Four Hobbies That Help You Get Hired in Korea

The best way to get hired in Korea is not one more certificate or submitting another mass application. It is picking hobbies that put you in the same room as people who can hire you.

You do not have to quit your job to do this. You do not even need a job yet. You just need to show up in the right places. Here are four hobbies you can start this week in Korea.

Hobby 1: Join a Business English Meetup

Korea has a special kind of meetup called a business English meetup.

This is not a normal language exchange. It is not foreigners and Koreans just chatting. It is different. The people who come are here for work English. Many of them are directors at big global companies. Some work on teams where English is used every day. Some do research at top universities.

So who is sitting next to you? People with real jobs and who help decide who gets hired.

I went to one of these with a director I used to work with. He met a developer at a meetup like this. Then he hired that developer. So I know these rooms are not just for talking, they are also for meeting people who have hiring power.

Hobby 2: Join a Sports Group Near Big Companies

The second hobby is a sports group. Think CrossFit or a running club.

But here is the part most people miss. You do not join just any club near your house. You join one in an area packed with companies. In Seoul, that means Gangnam or Yeouido.

Why does the spot matter? Because these groups are often affiliated to a company. So the people working out next to you already have jobs at those companies.

Show up and be someone people like and trust. Bring something to the table. Do that, and someone can pass your name along for a job.

I have done this myself. I met someone through a sports group tied to my global company and I gave that person a referral. That is how it works when you are in the right room!

Hobby 3: Volunteer

The third is volunteering. Two common ones in Korea are 유기견 봉사 (helping at animal shelters) and 연탄 봉사 (delivering coal briquettes to families who still heat their homes with them).

Two reasons this one is worth your time, especially as a foreigner.

First, it can actually help your visa. Volunteering counts toward the points system, so you can write it off there.

Second, it's a real network. My global company used to fund one of these organizations. Director-level people and regular employees all showed up to volunteer. So you're helping the community and standing next to the exact people who hire, at the same time.

Hobby Four: Join a Study

The fourth is joining a 스터디. Think of it as a small group of people with the same goal that meets every week or so.

Skip the generic ones. Join an app or service based study, where people gather to solve real business problems.

One of my ex-coworkers ran one of these after work for about a year. The service they built did so well it got funded and turned into an actual company. All the original members, some of whom were unemployed when they started, are founders now.

How to Find These Groups

For meetups and sports groups, use two apps. The first app is called Meetup.com. The second is Somoim (소모임). Somoim is a Korean app where lots of small hobby groups meet. It is where many of these niche groups live, compared to Meetup where there are more general, bigger groups.

Here is the simple plan:

1. Open the app.
2. Search for "business 영어."
3. Set your area to Gangnam or Yeouido.
4. Then search for a sport in that same area, like running or CrossFit.
   

For volunteering, check the 1365 site. You can also read more about volunteering in this article here.

For projects and study groups, try letspl.me/project.

Navigate to the site and you can browse all the current opportunities for app/service-based studies. Apply for a study that you’re interested in.

Don't join random groups just to feel busy. Your time is worth more than that, and it matters even more when you're job hunting. Pick the groups that have potential and your interest actually fits the goal.

The Real Point

Start at least one of them this week. Then keep showing up.

And before you walk into any of these rooms, make sure your resume is always polished in case they request it from you!

KOVE helps you position your resume for the Korean job market. If you need help, feel free to reach out!