Never even in my weirdest of dreams had I Though that I would be working in a Korean Firm, not because I dislike anything about the country or culture but solely because they were no way a Korean Firm based in India would be hiring a clueless fresher like me.

But my focus in this article is not about how I got a job or about my job profile rather I will be writing about a few things that I noticed about the work culture or so to say peculiar things that I believe one wouldn’t experience in an Indian firm.

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.”― Marilyn Monroe

The first day I showed up at work Mr. Kang (our Boss) gave me his business card. I was surprised to see that people still do that and later I got to know that in Korean Culture exchange of business cards is an essential part of initial meetings (or maybe even Indians and it is what everyone does at work but according to my observation it is a Korean thing).

Also they just don’t hand you over the card casually instead they stand up and politely handover a business card over with two hands, and receive one in return.

The second etiquette that I observed was Koreans bow to those senior to them both as a greeting and a show of respect. The junior person initiates the bow, bending from the waist. A less accentuated bow is returned as acknowledgment from the more senior person.

Importance of Eye contact is another thing that I got to learn at work. It’s important to keep eye contact with whom you’re doing business with to show your sincerity and trustworthiness (except when bowing). Maintaining an eye contact not only shows your confidence but also makes to other person attentive and they end up grabbing more than usual.

Koreans value punctuality so be on time or a little early. Also if you will be late, be sure to call ahead and let them know. Punctuality is a sign of respect. Something else that you should know about Korean people and their business culture is that it’s important to be as modest and humble as you can.

Avoid boasting too much about yourself, or even complimenting your Korean associate too much. Of course, everyone enjoys a compliment or two thrown their way, especially when deserved. But too much will be viewed as insincere in Korea.

These were just a few things I got to catch up on in my 3 weeks of working at the firm. I think as the time passes I’ll keep updating this article. Working in a company that has a different work culture has its pros and cons but what matters the most is you get to grow when you are not in your cocoon. Even a caterpillar becomes a butterfly the first thing it does is get out of its cocoon.