Job Coaching Costing 12 Million Won and SK Hynix Prep Classes: Job-Seeking Youths Sigh

So-called employment information companies offering one-on-one job coaching in exchange for membership fees worth up to 12 million won, alongside SK Hynix-focused preparation classes.

These have recently become a hot topic among job-seeking youths as a new employment consulting trend.

Amid a growing atmosphere where the gateway to entry-level employment is narrowing, so-called employment private education—which promises coaching from current employees or guaranteed job placement—is preying on the desperation of young people.

Recently, some academies have been charging membership fees of up to 12 million won upfront depending on the course, while launching specific large conglomerate employment programs such as Samsung Electronics DS interview consulting and SK Hynix preparation classes.

Although trainees pay substantial sums of money for opportunities like mock interviews supported by these programs, some critics point out that the costs in certain segments of the job market have become excessively inflated.

According to the results of a "Survey on the State of Private Job Education Costs" conducted by theing Foundation for Education Spring and the Youth Foundation targeting 565 youths aged 19 to 39 from June 30 to July 15, 93.7% of respondents reported having experience receiving private job education.

When asked about the reasons for receiving private education (with multiple responses allowed), needing a major-related certification was the most common at 52.1%, followed by language proficiency at 43.4%.

Employment consulting to help with cover letters, interviews, and portfolios ranked third at 40%.

For students preparing for employment while still in university, fierce competition involving rapid clicking, or so-called "gwang-keul," sometimes takes place just to secure spots in university-run employment prep classes to save on private education costs.

Kim Sun-hee, head of the research and project team at the Foundation for Education Spring, suggested, "Adult education falls under general industry rather than the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education," adding that "the government should consider conducting fact-finding surveys on how much youths spend on private job education and implement management and oversight."

Kim also added that improving the quality of government-funded education and having companies demand only job-specific qualifications from applicants are ways to reduce private education.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.