Chungnam Province’s ‘No-Spec’ Youth Policy Aide Job Draws 60 Applicants for One Opening

[Financial News, Hongseong = Reporter Kim Won-jun] Young people from across the country stepped forward to apply for Chungnam Province’s bold recruitment of a Grade 5 aide, which aims to break down credential barriers and bring young people’s perspectives directly into government. Despite a range of submission requirements, including document and video assessments, applicants flocked from all over the country, spanning the capital region and areas outside it.
 Chungnam Province announced on the 28th that it had publicly recruited one Youth Policy Aide (local government fixed-term Grade 5) to lead regional youth policy from young people’s perspective, drawing 60 applicants from across the country and recording a high competition ratio of 60 to 1.
 The recruitment was conducted on a “no-spec” basis, with all restrictions on education, experience and region abolished. To assess applicants’ understanding of policy, commitment to performing the job and creativity from multiple angles, Chungnam Province required them to submit a youth policy proposal, a personal statement and a video outlining their aspirations for the role and what they would bring to it, in addition to an application form. Despite the somewhat demanding application requirements, enthusiastic participation continued from across the country.
 By place of residence, applicants were evenly split, with 30 (50%) living in Chungnam Province and 30 (50%) living outside it. Applications from outside the province came from all over the country, including neighboring parts of the Chungcheong region such as Daejeon, Sejong City and North Chungcheong Province, as well as Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Daegu, Gwangju, Gangwon Province and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.
 By age, those aged 26 to 35 made up the largest share, with 38 applicants (63.3%), followed by 13 aged 36 or older (21.7%) and nine aged 25 or younger (15.0%). By gender, 39 men and 21 women applied.
 The aide selected for the position will plan Chungnam Province’s youth policies and develop a vision for the future, coordinate youth policies across departments, and establish a system for communication and cooperation with young people. The appointment will last two years from the initial appointment date and may be extended based on work performance. The annual salary is approximately 69.66 million won at the minimum salary level. The interview panel will include 15 youth evaluators selected from a youth database (DB), alongside expert evaluators. Results from a mobile survey conducted in advance among 2,000 young people in the province will also be used as reference material. 
 Chungnam Province plans to select the successful candidate after a first-round document screening and a second-round interview. Details of the selection process, including the interview schedule, will be announced separately when the results of the document screening are released.
 Lee Jong-ik, head of Chungnam Province’s Youth and Women’s Affairs Bureau, said, “We will select someone who can help build Chungnam into a place where young people want to live through an objective, transparent and fair vetting process.”

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter