Humans of Yonsei

How I Pursued My Career at Google Korea and Samsung Electronics after Yonsei March 06, 2019

KGSP graduate Kodjovi shares his journey of studying and working in Korea

Yonsei alumnus Kodjovi Gnamavo shares his job-searching experience with international students who wish to pursue careers in Korea after graduation.

Name: Kodjovi Gnamavo

Major: Computer Science and Engineering (Class of 2015)

I joined Google Korea in January 2018 as part of a language specialist program, where we localize the existing features of Google into different languages and do engineering project management work. Before Google, I worked for three years at Samsung Engineering in the Power Business division as a project engineer.

I had wanted to major in IT since my high school years - Asia was already becoming a leader in technology in the 2000s, so I studied diligently and attained a scholarship to study in Korea through the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP). I wanted to learn how Korea went from a developing country to a developed one in just 50 years, and if possible, see how I could contribute to applying a similar system back home in Togo.

During my time as an undergraduate international student at Yonsei University, I learned to not give up and continue working on what you are doing until you get it done – a mindset that I carry with me today. My studies as a Computer Science and Engineering major really helped me throughout my career. The combination of engineering knowledge and computer science skills gave me the basics to quickly learn and keep up with new disciplines in various industries during an era where everything is shifting into technology and becoming interconnected. I also had a great support group at Yonsei; my friends helped me with my studies by explaining concepts I couldn’t understand due to language limitations and professors helped build my career by writing recommendations for me.

Since the beginning of my studies, my first intention was to work in Korea. I am passionate to learn how fast this country grew and how major Korean corporates dominated the world, so working in Korea and for a Korean company was something that was part of my plan. Ultimately, I hope to return to Togo and apply the knowledge and experience I have gained to my home country.

I advise Yonsei international students planning to work in Korea to embrace the Yonsei attitude of “Study hard and play harder.” Get the basics done by studying hard, and play harder to make good friends and create a network that can help you grow. Yonsei University itself is a big step that gives you better access to a large pool of great companies, and I encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity. So study hard, play harder, and enjoy it! Do your best and go for what you want – you will get it eventually.

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