"Just Apply First" Desperate Youths for Employment, Even 'Blind Applications' [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

1 in 2 Job Seekers Apply Blindly
Increase in 'Job Seekers Giving Up' Amid Severe Employment Crisis
Experts Say "Find Stress Relief Methods to Overcome Depression"

A job seeker is undergoing an on-site interview at a recruitment event. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] [Editor's Note] How is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we share the joys and sorrows unique to 'youth.'

"Since there are no jobs, I have no choice but to apply wherever I can.", "As long as I get a job in any position, I have no complaints."

Recently, the number of so-called 'blind applicants' who apply indiscriminately to job postings by companies has been increasing. Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the job market has tightened, leading these applicants to apply solely for the purpose of 'getting employed,' regardless of company size or job type.

In particular, as companies have repeatedly postponed or canceled recruitment due to COVID-19, some job seekers have fallen into despair and have even given up on job hunting altogether. Experts emphasize that it is important for job seekers to find their own ways to relieve stress in order to overcome feelings of depression.

Kim (25), a job seeker who identified herself as a 'blind applicant,' said, "I originally wanted to work in marketing, but since there are no jobs these days, I just submit applications as soon as postings appear." She added, "I thought the job market would improve in the second half of this year, but it seems to be getting worse. There is no sign of improvement, and if this continues, it will become even harder to get a job, so I am applying anywhere for now."

Cases like Kim's, where applicants apply to multiple companies aiming only for employment despite not wanting the specific job, are not uncommon.

A survey conducted by JobKorea on 1,415 job seekers looking for entry-level positions in the second half of this year about their 'application types' found that about half of the respondents, 50.5%, engaged in 'blind applications' or 'octopus-style applications' (applying to as many places as possible).

They applied to as many places as possible for reasons such as ▲feeling desperate and wanting to grasp at straws by submitting applications here and there (76.4%) ▲applying indiscriminately whenever job postings appeared due to the scarcity of recruitment announcements (39.4%) ▲to reduce gaps in employment periods (17.7%) ▲not knowing which company or job suits them (14.1%) ▲because many other job seekers are also applying blindly (13.3%) ▲to gain experience with aptitude tests and interviews (10.3%).

Job seekers in front of the job posting board. [Photo by Yonhap News]

This is related to the frozen job market caused by the COVID-19 impact. According to the 'October Employment Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 11th, the unemployment rate rose by 0.7 percentage points from a year earlier to 3.7%. In particular, the youth unemployment rate was 8.3%, the highest in two years since October 2018 (8.4%).

As a result, some job seekers, discouraged by repeated failures, are ultimately declaring 'giving up on employment.'

Park (27), a graduate of a university in Seoul, said, "Until last year, I preferred large companies over small and medium enterprises. So I prepared harder than others with certifications and language test scores." He added, "But this year, everything was disrupted because of COVID-19. How can I apply when there are no jobs?"

He continued, "It feels like all my preparations have gone to waste. I have become lethargic about everything," and added, "I will take a break this year and try job hunting again next year."

The number of those giving up on job hunting continues to rise. Job seekers who have the ability to work, want employment, and have job-seeking experience within the past year but have not engaged in job-seeking activities in the past four weeks due to reasons such as not finding suitable jobs or labor market conditions are defined as discouraged workers. According to Statistics Korea, the number of discouraged workers last month (617,000) was the highest since the statistics methodology changed in 2003.

Experts suggest that it is important for job seekers to find their own ways to relieve stress to overcome feelings of helplessness.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "It is important to create a lifestyle that suits oneself, such as hobbies, to overcome this." She added, "Exercising to maintain health, such as cycling or jogging, is one method, and listening to music or reading books that can encourage oneself is another way to relieve stress." She further emphasized, "It is important to find hobbies or self-development activities that suit oneself and decide how to allocate time and money."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.