Notice your surroundings. What do you first think of when you hear the sound of a vehicle? The Ajou Globe (The AG) can expect people to say “car.” Cars are closely associated with modern life. Cars are comfortable and cool; special cars have a cool design. Thus, people like cars. In Ajou University’s College of Engineering, many students study machines. Thus, a number of students are not only interested in cars but also a career in the car industry. However, other students may not have such a clear view of their future. Calvin’s story below might help. Who is Calvin? The AG talked with him to give students viable career ideas. His name is Calvin Kim. He is 39 years old. He likes kimchi jjigae and pork belly. He enjoys listening to classical, jazz, and rap music. He seems like a normal person.
What’s unique about him is his job. Have you heard of the title of PR manager for cars? This job is not common in Korea. It may sound strange to students. In simple terms, he explained his job. The primary focus of his job is to shape the image of a brand and influence the perception of both the public and media. His role’s secondary objectives are directed toward engaging the media and influencers in the United States. In contrast, the company he works for is known worldwide: Porsche.
“Porsche is a famous company because of its conviction in manufacturing the purest sports cars in the world. By producing vehicles that represent the ideal sports car in each of its vehicle segments, Porsche has made an aspirational brand that ensures customers and fans of the brand are always satisfied with not only the performance of our cars but their daily usability as well,” Kim said.
When asked about his memorable experiences as a professional, he said, “In my line of work, there have been, thankfully, many experiences of not only award-winning performances but also meeting famous influencers.” He then shared the most impressive stories. One is on establishing the 918 Spyder as the pinnacle of sports car technology. The 918 Spyder beat the McLaren P1 in lap time at a famous race track in California. McLaren, itself a famous sports car company, ranks in the top five in the industry. He recalled meeting Jerry Seinfeld, Patrick Dempsey, and Maria Sharapova. His story is almost purely on cars, his words laden with his passion for cars. He has spent half his life around cars. Indeed, he often considers cars his family.
However, there was a time when he did not have a job. With a degree in mechanical engineering, he chose to work for a motorcycle magazine as a journalist at first. Then, he landed a PR manager role, as well as test driver. Throughout his life and career, he pursued his interests in all things mechanical. Constant curiosity helped fuel his passion in both motorcycles and cars from an early age. Later, he was able to pursue a career deep in the automotive industry.
He said, “My college life was very busy.” Apart from his coursework in mechanical engineering, he allotted time for his activities with the Air Force ROTC and Solar Car race team. Through these, he “learned how to manage people and resources to lead a project efficiently.” Thus, he honed competencies at the university. When faced with difficult tasks, he would seek the advice of his mentor, Paul Dean, his former boss at Cycle World. Dean encouraged his curiosity and nurtured his understanding of the needs of a business. Dean himself benefitted from the counsel of his own mentor.
The AG asked him his opinion on studying abroad. He said, “With the ease of information transfer, especially in design, languages, and technology, it is inevitable for certain people to move countries to find better opportunities for improvement. What’s been an interesting phenomenon is the ability of Koreans to adapt in other cultures while still maintaining their own identity. In this way, Korea will be able to attain differentiation in the face of increasing competition among other talented individuals from other countries.”
Lastly, He gave advice for Ajou University students. He said, “Life has a way of filtering out what’s truly important. The difficult thing is making sure you are aware of what those important things are! As humans have a natural tendency to look where they are going, always keep your passion at the forefront of your consciousness. Finally, always seek opportunities to learn and grow, even from difficult situations; you never know when the knowledge you absorb will help you.”