[Work Life Handbook] "Finally Submitting My Resignation" Office Workers, The Art of Job Changing

Self-Realization and Higher Salary... Achievements Through 'Job Change'
'Objective Evaluation' Essential, Must Properly Understand Job Roles and More

"I had a dream that I felt I would regret not challenging now in 10 or 20 years, so I mustered the courage and made a decision. I heard that adaptation brings about a frightening resignation. So, before it got any later, I drew my sword. I hope to experience more in a bigger world and meet again."

In March 2021, actress Jin Ki-joo appeared on tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block' and shared part of an email she sent to her seniors and peers when she quit a large corporation she had worked at for three years. Jin went through various jobs such as journalist, corporate employee, and model before establishing herself as an actress.

Like Jin’s case, changing jobs can be seen as a kind of resolution made to realize one’s original dream or to earn a higher salary. Therefore, among office workers, there is talk that one must have the so-called 'job change skills' to say they have made a proper job change. Leaving the current workplace without hard feelings and with a smile, and receiving a satisfactory salary at the new company is the dream of many job changers.

Office workers are hurrying home after work. [Image source=Yonhap News]

36.4% of Job Changers Experienced a Pay Cut

So, what is the reality? One out of three workers who changed jobs in 2021 experienced a decrease in wages. Only about 11% of wage workers moved from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to large corporations.

According to Statistics Korea’s '2021 Job Mobility Statistics Results,' 62.5% of workers who changed jobs in 2021 saw an increase in wages. On the other hand, 36.4% of those who moved experienced a decrease in wages. This means that 3.6 out of 10 people changed workplaces with a pay cut. The wage difference before and after the move showed that the highest proportion (17.9%) had a wage increase of less than 250,000 KRW. The rate of large corporation workers moving to SMEs was 56.2%, while the rate of SME workers moving to large corporations was 11.1%.

Although wages may decrease like this, some workers are preparing to change jobs during the summer vacation. According to a recent survey by the employment platform JobKorea of 653 male and female office workers about their 'summer vacation plans,' 4 out of 10 workers plan to prepare for a job change during their summer vacation. Only 27.4% answered that they would take a vacation between July and August.

Regarding the reasons for preparing to change jobs, 43.1% answered that 'changing jobs is more urgent than taking a vacation.' Others said, 'to leisurely explore companies and apply for jobs during the vacation period (23.0%),' 'to attend interviews during the vacation period (18.1%),' and 'because preparing for a job change during regular work life feels awkward (14.1%).'

Corporate buildings viewed from Namsan, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to the article content. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Applicants Should Thoroughly Analyze Their Career Before Applying

Among office workers, there are sayings that one must be good at the push-and-pull with companies, or that having connections can be advantageous in salary negotiations. However, many workers experience confusion or lack preparation due to insufficient information during the job change process. According to a survey conducted by HR tech company WantedLab targeting about 1,000 junior-level employees, the areas where job seekers feel the most difficulty are ▲preparing resumes and portfolios (56%), ▲interviews (34%), and ▲salary negotiations (8%).

Choi, a worker in his early 30s who has prepared for a job change, said, "In conclusion, I failed the job change. It seems that my (job) experience and the requirements of the company I was trying to move to did not match well." Another worker in his 20s, Park, said, "Looking at seniors who succeeded in changing jobs, it seems luck also plays a part," adding, "For now, I am focusing on building a good portfolio so that when an opportunity comes, I can try changing jobs."

So, rather than relying on tactics like push-and-pull with companies, what should applicants properly prepare when actually changing jobs? An HR official from a company emphasized that understanding one’s own career and job duties is essential. Mr. A said, "If you imagine recruiting a soccer player, a swimmer applying would naturally be rejected," emphasizing that "analyzing the job information of the company you are applying to is a must." He continued, "If applicants write down their job experience themselves and match it with the company they want to move to, they can roughly know their chances of acceptance." He added, "This is an essential step to make salary negotiations favorable."

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