Young people preparing for employment after graduating from college
are spending as much on private education as they did for college entrance exams, according to recent findings.
College graduates spend 380,000 won per month... Double the amount from four years ago
Recently, the number of college graduates receiving private education to prepare for employment has been increasing. Photo by Getty Images
원본보기 아이콘On September 11, JobKorea Content Lab
conducted a recent survey of 485 college graduates,
and found that 42.9% of respondents received private education to prepare for employment.
This is an increase of 11.3 percentage points
compared to the same survey conducted in 2021 (31.6%).
Job seekers who received private education
spent an average of 380,000 won per month
and about 4.55 million won per year, according to the survey.
This is more than double the amount from four years ago (2.18 million won).
A JobKorea representative explained, "The employment environment has changed significantly after COVID-19,
and with rising prices,
the economic burden on young people has increased."
"Essential Credentials"... Most Spending on Obtaining Certificates
On the 10th, when the government announced the plan to promote the "First Step Job Guarantee System," students were coming and going in front of the employment bulletin board at a university in downtown Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
원본보기 아이콘Looking at the detailed expenditure categories,
▲Obtaining certificates related to their major accounted for 64.9% (multiple responses), the highest share, followed by
▲English test scores and exam fees (56.7%), ▲Certificates unrelated to their major (37%),
▲IT and computer skills training (32.7%),
▲Consulting for resumes and interview coaching (17.8%).
One job seeker said, "Many companies list certificates or English test scores as preferred qualifications,
so in reality, you need to build up your credentials to increase your chances of getting hired."
"I consider it an investment for employment as I see my portfolio grow," the job seeker added.
71% Report Financial Difficulties... Balancing Job Search and Part-Time Work
73.8% of job seekers reported balancing job searching with part-time work. Photo by Getty Images
원본보기 아이콘Due to the high costs, 71.1% of respondents
reported experiencing financial difficulties.
Additionally,
73.8% of job seekers said they were balancing job searching with part-time work after graduation.
A JobKorea representative advised, "Rather than spending money indiscriminately,
it is important to set clear goals,
and gaining practical experience through internships or part-time jobs
can also be a good alternative."
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Reporter Park Eunseo rloseo8@asiae.co.kr
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Edit Kim Boram kbram6457@asiae.co.kr
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