Following the message I sent my associate in the last post, I followed up with one more email related to my general understanding of the approach a non-Korean must take to be successful in Korea. I think this one is worth sharing too:
The principles I shared in the email above must be followed carefully by anyone wishing to have any success in Korean business.Hi <Associate>,
I am reminded of one other very important point in your Asia job hunt, that, with enough time, will get you past the challenges I described in my previous email.
It’s simply that you “get it”. I mean, you understand that to get, you’ve got to give; and that nowhere is this more true than in Asia. There are lots of non-Koreans in Korea just waiting for an opportunity; complaining that the Korean business world is biased against outsiders. That is true of course and it’s not going to change. And I’m not saying here that any specific effort you make is going to get you to your goal; Korea Business Central and I may turn out to be a complete dud for you. But you’re not just narrowly focused on your job search; you’re sharing (and sharing a lot!) with others along the way. If you have the patience to see it through, this approach is (almost) guaranteed to pay off.
It also mirrors the approach I’m taking with Korea Business Central and GyeongGi Province; in both cases, I’m trying to create enough value first in a strategic area so that in the future, it will come back to me one way or another. I’m not thinking at all about the short-term earnings; it could be years before I get my investments back. Not everyone has the patience for such a long-term approach, and I see that working in my favor.
I should point out that I’m not a naturally altruistic person; I simply see a kindred spirit in you that I want in my network. I appreciate very much your efforts on KBC and know that if you don’t get to Korea, I’m going to lose that.
Steven
Note: The photos in this post were taken at Nojeok Hill on March 10 after last week's snowfall.
