In this episode, I sit down with global HR leader Juliana Yi, whose career spans Korea, Belgium, Japan, and the United States. With over 23 years in multinational organizations, she shares five key lessons from working across cultures.

We discuss how national identity looks different around the world, why Japan prioritizes precision over urgency, how “freedom” means something different in Korea and the U.S., the contrast between relationship-based and role-based hiring, and how fairness is defined differently across cultures.

Her most powerful message: there is no single correct career path. The right path is the one aligned with your core value. In today’s tough job market, that clarity matters more than ever.

In this episode, I speak with Juliana, an HR professional who has built her career across Korea, Belgium, Japan, and the United States.

We explore how organizational culture and hiring practices reflect each country’s history, education system, and social values.

One key takeaway: there is no single “right” system. Each culture defines talent differently.

We also discuss the invisible cultural gaps immigrants face — and why language alone is not enough to truly integrate into an organization’s inner circle.

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이번 에피소드에서는 한국에서 성장해 한국, 벨기에, 일본, 미국에서 커리어를 쌓아온 HR 전문가 줄리아나 님과 함께, 나라별 조직 문화와 채용 방식의 차이에 대해 깊이 있는 이야기를 나눴습니다.

벨기에에서는 “하나의 언어와 정체성이 전부가 아닐 수 있다”는 깨달음을, 일본에서는 정확성과 장기적 신뢰를 기반으로 한 조직 문화를, 미국에서는 ‘자유’가 집단적 해방이 아니라 개인의 선택권이라는 전혀 다른 의미로 작동한다는 점을 경험했습니다.

채용 문화 역시 각 나라의 역사, 교육 제도, 사회 구조를 그대로 반영한다는 점, 어느 방식이 더 옳은 것이 아니라, 각 문화가 정의하는 “좋은 인재”의 기준이 다르다는 점에 대해 이야기 했습니다.

또한 특히 이민자 커리어에서 마주하는 보이지 않는 문화적 장벽, 그리고 조직의 이너서클에 들어가는 것이 단순히 능력의 문제가 아니라는 현실적인 이야기까지 나누었습니다.

In this episode, we share highlights from a Korean-language interview with Yejune Cho, a trilingual speaker of Korean, English, and Chinese. Born in Korea, raised in Beijing, and now based in the U.S., Yejune is graduating this spring with a double major in Graphic Design and Engineering Psychology, and is seeking a full-time role in UX design.

We discuss identity in a cross-cultural, internet-native generation, cultural differences in communication between Asia and the U.S., and how global experiences and an art background shape Yejune's approach to design. The episode also touches on the value of internships, OPT for international students, and the importance of mentorship, feedback, and inclusive work environments.

今回は、韓国語で行ったチョウ・エジュンさんへのインタビューの要点をお届けします。 チョウさんは、韓国語・英語・中国語を話すトリリンガルで、韓国生まれ、中国・北京育ち、現在はアメリカ在住。今年春に、グラフィックデザインとエンジニアリング心理学のダブルメジャーで大学を卒業予定し、UXデザイン分野でのフルタイム職を目指しています。

本エピソードでは、複数文化の中で育ったアイデンティティ、アジアとアメリカのコミュニケーションの違い、インターン経験やOPT、そして成長を支えるメンターや多様性のある職場の重要性について語っています。

In this episode, we sit down with June Cho, a multilingual UX designer fluent in Korean, English, and Mandarin. Born in Korea and raised in Beijing, June brings a deeply cross-cultural perspective to her work and life. She is graduating this spring from Tufts University, where she double-majored in Graphic Design and Engineering Psychology.

June shares how her early foundation in fine art led her into UI/UX design through hands-on coursework, real client projects, and internships at Equiballot and Adobe.

The conversation explores how growing up across Korean, Chinese, and American cultures has shaped June’s creativity, collaboration style, and design philosophy. June also discusses the type of work environment she thrives in - one that values diversity, mentorship, open feedback, and creative growth - as she seeks a full-time UX design role.

조예준 (June Cho):

다문화 환경에서 자라며 한국어·영어·중국어를 유창하게 구사하는 UX 디자이너, 조예준 님을 소개합니다.

그래픽 디자인과 엔지니어링 심리학(Engineering Psychology)를 Tufts Univ.에서 복수 전공하고 있으며, 2026년 봄에 대학을 졸업할 예정이며, Adobe 뉴욕에서 인턴십 경험도 보유하고 있습니다.

예준 님의 강점은 단순한 디자인 스킬을 넘어,
* 여러 문화권 사용자에 대한 높은 공감 능력
* 하나의 시선에 갇히지 않는 문제 정의
* 영어 기반 환경에서의 명확한 커뮤니케이션
입니다.

미국·아시아 문화 모두에서 학습하고 적응해 온 경험은 UX에서 가장 중요한 “왜 사용자가 이렇게 느끼는가” 를 자연스럽게 질문하게 만듭니다.

현재 예준 님은
* 다양성과 열린 사고를 존중하는 팀
* 피드백과 성장을 중시하는 환경에서

UX 디자이너로 풀타임 포지션을 찾고 있습니다. 글로벌 사용자 경험을 고민하는 팀이라면, 한 번쯤 주목해볼 만한 인재입니다. 링크트인으로 연락이 가능합니다.

June Cho (Yejun Cho) is a UX designer who grew up in multicultural environments and is fluent in Korean, English, and Mandarin Chinese.

She is double majoring in Graphic Design and Engineering Psychology at Tufts University, with an expected graduation in Spring 2026, and has completed an internship at Adobe in New York.

June’s strengths extend well beyond technical design skills. She brings strong empathy for users from diverse cultural backgrounds, the ability to frame problems from multiple perspectives, and clear, confident communication in English-based work environments.

Having learned and adapted across both U.S. and Asian cultures, June naturally approaches UX with one of its most essential questions in mind:
“Why does the user feel this way?”

She is currently seeking a full-time UX designer role in an environment that values diversity, open-minded thinking, and feedback-driven growth.

For teams building global user experiences, June is a great candidate.
June can be reached directly via LinkedIn.

일·영 이중언어 프로젝트 매니저 마야 커민즈님의 바이링구얼과 이중문화 배경, 그리고 일본에서 쌓아온 커리어 여정을 나눕니다. 일본 대학 진학, 일본 기업에서의 도전, 번아웃 이후의 프리랜서 전환까지. 두 문화 속에서 “어떻게 일하고, 어떤 삶을 선택할 것인가”를 고민해 온 진솔한 이야기를 담았습니다.

* This episode is in Japanese. In this episode, we speak with Maya Kominz, a bilingual IT project manager leading global projects for major Japanese manufacturers. She shares how her multicultural background shaped her career, why she transitioned from corporate roles to freelancing during the pandemic, and what she learned through that shift. Maya also offers practical advice for bilingual professionals considering independent work—understanding project markets, using networks and agents, and creating a clear roadmap.

今回のゲストは、日系大手メーカーのグローバルITプロジェクトを担当する マヤ・コミンズさん。多文化環境での経験がキャリアにどのように影響したのか、パンデミックを機に正社員からフリーランスへ転身した背景、そして独立を考える人への実践的なアドバイスを伺いました。

This episode features Maya Kominz, a bilingual Japanese–English professional who studied and built her career in Japan.

She shares the challenges of adapting to Japan’s exam-based university system, navigating workplace culture, and finding her voice as a young professional. Maya also explains why she left the corporate world to pursue freelance project management and how being bicultural shaped her choices.