Helping Korean firms in Vietnam secure local talent

Ho Chi Minh City university tour offers employment roadmap

Kim Young-jin, head of the Korea International Trade Association's Ho Chi Minh City branch, delivers opening remarks at the K-Career Employment Special Lecture held at Huflit University of Technology in Vietnam on Wednesday. [Korea International Trade Association]
Kim Young-jin, head of the Korea International Trade Association's Ho Chi Minh City branch, delivers opening remarks at the K-Career Employment Special Lecture held at Huflit University of Technology in Vietnam on Wednesday. [Korea International Trade Association]

The Korea International Trade Association announced Friday that it had held a "K-Career Employment Roadmap Tour" to help Korean companies operating in Vietnam recruit local talent.

The three-day program ran from Tuesday through Thursday (local time) at three major universities in Ho Chi Minh City and at the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (KOCHAM), reaching about 280 university students majoring in Korean language and Korean studies.

Vietnam ranks among Korea's top three investment destinations and top three trading partners. According to the Export-Import Bank of Korea, cumulative overseas direct investment since 1980 places Vietnam third at $43 billion, behind the United States at $282.5 billion and China at $99.8 billion.

The lectures were designed to help Korean firms in Vietnam hire locally based candidates with Korean-language skills, while also strengthening students' competitiveness in the Korean job market. Sessions were held at the KOCHAM seminar room, followed by Huflit University of Technology, Hong Bang International University and Van Lang University — four sessions in total.

The curriculum covered KITA's Trade Academy and online trade-practice courses, as well as a roadmap for landing jobs at Korean companies.

Jeong Mi-jin, a career coach at the Trade Academy's Employment Support Center, told students that breaking into Korean companies requires more than language ability — they must also develop job-specific expertise and an understanding of the local market.

She also drew on an analysis of recent job postings by Korean firms in Vietnam to walk students through Korean corporate culture, the qualities companies look for in candidates, and the core competencies required for different roles. She additionally shared tips on writing Korean-style resumes and cover letters in both Korean and English, navigating AI-based aptitude assessments, and preparing for in-person interviews.

"The more than 10,000 Korean companies in Vietnam have created over 900,000 jobs and account for roughly a quarter of the country's exports, making them a core partner in Vietnam's economy," said Kim Young-jin, head of KITA's Ho Chi Minh City branch. "As Korean companies increasingly seek candidates who not only speak the language but also understand corporate culture and possess practical skills, we will use this lecture series as a springboard to expand our support for local young people pursuing K-careers in earnest."

KITA's Ho Chi Minh City branch plans to give students who attended the lectures access to the Trade Academy's online foundational trade-practice course, and to open an offline intensive Korean-language program focused on trade practice. It also intends to follow up with one-on-one job coaching and job-matching services for graduates to support hiring by Korean companies in the country.

Meanwhile, KITA co-hosted the "Korea-Abu Dhabi Networking Forum" with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday at Trade Tower in Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The forum was organized on the occasion of a visit to Korea by an Abu Dhabi Chamber delegation, with the aim of providing Korean exporters with information on entering the Abu Dhabi market and creating networking opportunities with local businesses.


eyre@heraldcorp.com