Engineer A, in the fifth year at a semiconductor equipment company, now heads to the desk at home after work instead of the gym. It's to apply for experienced hiring at SK hynix. The process technology-related role A is aiming for is also included in this round of experienced hiring.
A said they heard the personal statement is important and is analyzing the talent profile SK hynix wants using an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. They also look up acceptance reviews posted on YouTube and social media (SNS).
Recently, they even formed a study group with friends. A said, "I've been waiting for a role I can apply for at SK hynix to open," adding, "Now that a rare opportunity has come up, I'm preparing with everything I have."
With SK hynix posting a large-scale experienced hiring notice, office workers are jumping into job-change prep after work. As recruitment expands from production and design roles, including high bandwidth memory (HBM), to staff roles supporting business divisions, interest is growing in and outside the semiconductor industry.
◇ Recruitment roles, five times the recent average
On the 1st, the industry said SK hynix is accepting experienced applications for "(hy-way)." The application period runs through the 6th. Monthly Hy-way is SK hynix's rolling hiring process.
SK hynix plans to hire for a total of 54 roles this time. Considering the average number of roles in Monthly Hy-way experienced postings over the past year was 11.1, the scale is close to five times larger. It's 20 more than the 34 roles in the February posting this year, which had a broad hiring scope.
In this hiring, tech research and development roles alone are subdivided into 31. Included are HBM, NAND flash, process technology, system semiconductor design (SoC/IP), and AI/data engineering. As the recruitment categories have expanded significantly, expectations are rising that the hiring scale will also be large.
As SK hynix raises its profile in the HBM market, coupled with a recovery in the memory cycle and expectations for bonuses, interest has grown among employees at rival companies. Even employees in the non-memory business division within the DS (semiconductor) division at Samsung Electronics are showing interest in moving to SK hynix.
B, who works in the system semiconductor division at Samsung Electronics, said, "Even within the DS division, the gap in bonuses between business divisions has widened significantly, fueling discontent," adding, "If you belong to a 'loss-making division' outside memory, the mood is to at least give it a shot."
◇ "Education" requirement removed… "This is the chance"
The current hiring fever isn't confined to the semiconductor industry. As SK hynix recruits experienced hires across diverse roles such as construction, safety and health, and procurement, office workers at non-semiconductor companies are also trying for a move.
C, who works at a public corporation under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "I plan to apply for a construction role because I've worked about 10 years in mechanical management, maintaining and repairing building facilities," adding, "I think my preferred certifications and management experience could be a competitive edge."
One factor broadening the applicant pool is that SK hynix, as with entry-level hiring, has scrapped the qualification requirement of a "four-year bachelor's degree or higher" for experienced hiring. With less pressure on education, the mood is that it's worth applying by touting job experience.
D, who applied for a mass production technology role, said, "Previously, SK hynix gave the impression that it weighed academic background heavily," adding, "Given that they decided to prioritize job fit above all, I think this is a chance to change jobs."
◇ Personal statement classes also 5:1… even the consulting market is buzzing
Tailored consulting and lectures for SK hynix experienced hiring are booming. In this round, after a document screening based on the personal statement and career description, candidates go through the SK Comprehensive Aptitude Test (SKCT) and interviews before a decision is made.
For experienced applicants, the industry explains that the importance of document screening has grown because the cognitive abilities test is excluded from the SKCT.
Personal statement consulting typically costs at least 200,000 won. It involves editing and commenting on the applicant's personal statement. Many also pay extra to get interview coaching.
A firm touting consultants who previously worked at SK hynix doubled its usual capacity and held a hiring briefing late last month. It decided to add seats as applications poured in early. One personal statement class, capped at 10 people, drew 50 applicants, pushing the class application competition ratio to 5 to 1.
A person in the consulting industry said, "Right after entry-level hiring, the experienced hiring was announced, and inquiries about classes are flooding in," adding, "It looks set to be the biggest event in the job-change market in the second half."