Hanwha is one of the biggest corporations in Korea, renowned for its explosives. JBNU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering graduate, Lee Seung-jae, joined Hanwha Corporation/Momentum shortly after his graduation in February of 2022. Lee shared his experience and gave advice for those who are interested in his field.

Q. What does Hanwha Corporation/Momentum do, and what is your role in the company?

A. Hanwha Corporation/Momentum designs, manufactures, and installs production facilities for secondary batteries, displays, and semiconductors. It produces various equipment for manufacturing companies both nationally and abroad. Recently, it has extended its market to North America and Europe. I am a mechanical engineer that designs secondary battery equipment.

Q. Which university activities were important for your employment?

A. The project on mechanical design and production was the most helpful one. I made several practical machines with my teammates at HASH TAG, a JBNU startup club. The most memorable activity is when I built an autonomous mobile robot that handles sewage waste with the support from the JBNU Startup Support Center. I experienced trial and error when purchasing the right equipment, and when assembling and testing the robot, and with practice, I learned more about the mobile robot’s electronic controls. I think my experience with registering a patent for a self-made autonomous mobile robot from scratch was valuable for carrying out projects for a machine equipment company.

Q. You became a regular employee after an internship. What was it like, and which factors helped you become a regular employee?

A. Most companies are transitioning to occasional recruitments rather than traditional group-wide recruitments held once or twice a year. To become a regular employee at Hanwha Corporation or its subsidiaries, interns must pass an assessment after two or three months of the internship. For Hanwha Corporation/Momentum, applicants go through a document screening and an interview to become interns. After being assigned to teams best suited for their major and aptitude, they are given assignments which are assessed by their teammates and the head of the department. In the final week, the interns have an executive interview, where their full-time status is decided. I was given the task of researching one of the key pieces of equipment and finding improvements for the secondary battery cell process equipment team. The key was not about how many improvements I could find, but whether I showed willpower, sincerity, and diligence. Understanding the direction of the project was equally important. I think my active efforts in questioning mentors, interest in the equipment, and identification of problems were my strengths.

Q.  What are the employee benefits at Hanwha?

A. We receive welfare points, free health checkups, and access to Hanwha Group products and services including the Hanwha Resort, Aqua Planet, and its baseball team Hanwha Eagles. In Changwon, where I work, Hanwha Corporation/Momentum offers employee apartments at very low costs. It also offers free transportation and fuel reimbursements twice a month for those who live far away from work.

Q. Other than preparing to enter the company, what do you think you need to study after employment?

A. I am still studying English and preparing for a certificate related to mechanical drawing. I’m more focused on what is actually necessary for my job, especially about the project cycle system.

Q. What do you wish you had prepared more after having hands-on work experience?

A. I think company life can be divided into ‘general’ and ‘specific’ categories. As for the specific aspects, I think design drawing and decoding abilities are important as a mechanical engineer. If I had obtained a mechanical engineering certificate specifically related to my job in advance, I would have been able to perform my job more efficiently. In more general aspects, there are many cases where I deal with foreign nationals and English documents, so I wish I had experienced traveling abroad or studied English harder before graduating.”

Q. What do you think many people often miss while preparing for a job?

A. Many people think that a large amount of qualifications and a spotlessly written resume are the most important parts of getting a job. However, many interviewers these days place more importance on qualitative aspects, such as planning projects or trying new things, than quantitative aspects like licenses and a list of qualifications. Therefore, it is more important to have experience working on projects in a group than to have a busy university life alone. In my case, it was very helpful to experience the startup process and orchestra circles in HASH TAG and Brillante. I think one of the reasons why I passed the job interview is because I experienced a social life of conflicts, peacemaking, and conflict resolution in university clubs, even though it may not seem important in the resume.

Q. What is your ultimate goal?

A. My ultimate goal is to become a specialist in secondary battery automation facilities. I want to become an expert who has a complete understanding of the equipment and who takes the initiative in designing a single project to install in the production line.

Lee advised students who are preparing for employment not to be too immersed in the process, but to enjoy everything they can while remaining diligent in their studies. Major-related activities are also very important, but various other experiences will be the basis for true growth. In particular, he gave advice to interns. He said, “it is natural to feel the pressure to do well and to feel anxious, because being an intern is an unstable employment situation.” He added, “if you try too hard to achieve results, your stress may increase, and you may not be able to showcase your abilities. Therefore, I hope you can enjoy your internship knowing that it will help you to achieve your dreams.”

| Chin Da-youn Editor, Kim Doe-Hye Cub-reporter