Always Looking Toward the Next Step

 

I Was Always Looking Toward the Next Step

I had to start working when I was 12 years old because my family was struggling financially.

My first job was as a helper in a small garment factory that made jackets. I earned only 90,000 won a month. I didn't have the protection of a stable family, and I never had the opportunity to finish elementary school properly.

At that age, I believed there was only one way for me to survive.

I had to learn a skill.

So I arrived at work two hours earlier than everyone else every day. I wanted to learn sewing as quickly as possible. A helper earned 90,000 won a month, but an assistant sewing operator could earn 150,000 won.

That difference meant everything to me.

Most people spent two years as a helper before becoming an assistant operator. I did it in less than a year.

That was when I learned an important lesson.

People notice hard work.

And when people start talking about your effort and ability, opportunities come much faster than you expect.

After working as a sewing operator for about five years, I decided I wanted to become a cutter.

The reason was simple.

The pay was better.

After finishing my regular work each day, I would spend extra time helping the cutting department. A few months later, the factory manager transferred me to the cutting department, and my salary increased to 350,000 won.

About a year later, I set my sights on becoming a marker maker.

In those days, a skilled marker maker could significantly reduce fabric consumption, which directly affected the factory's profitability. It was a position that required both skill and responsibility.

Fortunately, I had a natural talent for it.

I became known for creating highly efficient markers, and before long, I was considered one of the best marker makers in the factory.

But once again, I wasn't satisfied.

Up until then, I had only worked on products for the local market. Then I discovered a different world—high-fashion garments.

There were factories producing men's and women's tailored suits for domestic fashion brands. The products were more sophisticated, more challenging, and far more valuable.

I knew that was where I wanted to be.

After a great deal of effort, I found an opportunity at a small women's wear factory. Within a year, I had mastered the sewing techniques and construction methods used in high-end women's garments.

As my skills became known, I was recruited by Nasan Group, one of the largest companies in Korea at the time.

Later, I was recruited by a garment vendor, where I began working with patterns and sample room management.

Most sample room managers were in their fifties.

I became a sample room manager at the age of thirty-five.

Looking back, I realize that I was never satisfied with where I was.

I was always looking toward the next step.

Whenever I found a goal, I chased it with everything I had.

For someone with very little formal education, no English skills, and no special advantages, becoming a sample room manager at a global garment vendor was not an easy journey.

But I never stopped learning.

Over the years, I earned the trust of buyers, received recognition for my work, and built a career doing what I loved.

This is not a story about talent.

It is a story about refusing to stay where you are.

In my next article, I will share how I managed sample rooms, developed patterns, and worked directly with buyers throughout my career.