POSCO Employment Academy 1st Graduates Become New Employees at Gwangyang Steelworks

POSCO-Gwangyang City Agreement Provides Customized Employment Competency Enhancement Program

Employment Stories of New Employees Who Joined Gwangyang Steelworks After Completing POSCO Employment Academy 1st Class

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik] The POSCO Employment Academy is a program launched in October 2019 through an agreement between POSCO and Gwangyang City to support local youth in securing jobs within the POSCO Group. It offers customized training including job knowledge, personality development, interview skills, and on-site education.

Up to this year, the POSCO Employment Academy has been conducted over two sessions, selecting 30 local young talents each time. Despite the difficulties posed by COVID-19, 23 graduates from the 1st session and 17 from the 2nd session successfully secured employment at major companies such as POSCO, SK Hynix, and LG Display.

"Since we recently succeeded in getting jobs ourselves, we understand how challenging it is these days. Although we may be lacking, we hope that our stories today can be of some help."

Today, we introduce the stories of three new employees who completed the 1st session of the POSCO Employment Academy, joined POSCO as production technology interns in February this year, were hired as full-time employees in August, and are currently working at the Gwangyang Steelworks.

Q. Hello! I heard all three of you joined POSCO in February this year. Please briefly introduce yourselves.

Employee Lee Honggu: Hello, I am Lee Honggu from the Steelmaking Maintenance Section of the Steelmaking Equipment Department. I am responsible for electrical maintenance of steelmaking process equipment.

Employee Jeong Yusang: Hello, I am Jeong Yusang working at the 2nd Plating Plant in the Plating Department. I am in charge of plating at 3CGL and working diligently.

Employee Yoo Junsang: Hello, I am Yoo Junsang from the Equipment Technology Department. I perform maintenance tasks through 3D measurement in the Equipment Accuracy Management part.

Q. Could you tell us why you wanted to work at POSCO?

Employee Lee Honggu: Since Suncheon is my hometown, I knew POSCO actively engages in community service. This aspect appealed to me positively, and I wanted to work at a company like this.

Employee Jeong Yusang: During vacations, I used to work part-time at construction sites, and I once worked at Gwangyang Steelworks. At that time, I noticed that safety equipment and safety management were more strictly enforced than at other sites, which built my trust in the company regarding safety.

Q. I heard all three of you are graduates of the 1st session of the POSCO Employment Academy. What skills were you able to develop there, and how helpful was it?

Employee Lee Honggu: The detailed coaching on self-introduction letters and interviews was a great help! There were no academies or programs with curricula for employment in this region. In that sense, I received many benefits, and it was especially helpful to prepare for the POSCO aptitude test.

Employee Yoo Junsang: Master craftsmen and current seniors at POSCO taught the classes directly, sharing vivid on-site stories that allowed us to indirectly experience POSCO’s culture. Also, learning the terminology familiar to interviewers in advance helped me a lot in the job search!

Q. What other preparations did you make for applying to POSCO?

Employee Jeong Yusang: I recommend thoroughly reading the POSCO Corporate Citizenship Report! The concept of ‘Corporate Citizenship’ might be a bit difficult at first. However, the report contains POSCO’s policies and directions as a corporate citizen. It’s available on the company website, and I believe it will be very helpful if you take a look.

Employee Yoo Junsang: I also suggest paying attention to your health. If your health is poor, it might affect your work even if you get a job. I gained weight while preparing for employment, which negatively affected me psychologically. So, I started exercising in the mornings and evenings. I recommend finding time to exercise whenever possible!

Q. What message would you like to give to prospective juniors preparing for POSCO employment?

Employee Lee Honggu: Since I also succeeded in getting a job this year, I know how difficult employment is these days. But if you prepare well, I look forward to the day we work together!

Employee Jeong Yusang: When you have interviews, answer sincerely and with earnestness so that it can be felt. I believe good results will surely come. A genuine attitude is the most important! Keep going until the end!

Employee Yoo Junsang: I am confident that if you prepare with desperation, you will definitely achieve success. I experienced the bitter taste of rejection twice in interviews. It was really tough, but the advice from Master Cho Gildong at Gwangyang Steelworks, "Turn crisis into opportunity," was a great encouragement. I prepared even more thoroughly for my weaknesses and carefully read POSCO’s articles and the Corporate Citizenship Charter to learn more about the company. Fighting until success!

When asked about their ultimate goals at POSCO, the three answered in unison, "To become POSCO master craftsmen." "Although we are new employees, we want to learn the know-how and skills from our seniors diligently and develop the capabilities to fulfill our roles as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, in August, Gwangyang Steelworks supported local youth facing employment difficulties by providing ‘Employment Consulting with POSCO and Gwangyang City’ and helped strengthen their employment capabilities.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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