Samsung SW Academy for Youth – or shortly put, SSAFY, is a program specially designed for university students and job seekers to familiarize themselves with new technologies and ultimately become specialists in the field.

SSAFY graduates have shared their perspectives on their experience, the difficulties they confronted, and how they gained confidence.

Unsure at first but a joyful challenge towards the goal

Jun-Seok of the first graduating class of SSAFY at Gwangju Campus joined the academy to strengthen his SW competency and to gain hands-on experience.

Jun-Seok recalled his first meeting with SSAFY, “At first, it was reassuring to have outstanding colleagues around me since I didn’t know anything about software. But there were also times when I struggled since I felt left behind."

Nonetheless, Jun-Seok did not give up. He devoted himself to become a well-prepared talent with strong foundational knowledge and a handful of experiences. The hard work paid off. Jun-Seok is one of the 1,009 SSAFY graduates to be employed at the end of the program*. He took the first step of his career as a developer at Daebo Communication and Systems, a domestic IT solutions company known for intelligent transportation systems.

“Remembering the warm and thriving memories I made at SSAFY, I will do my best as an outstanding developer who can lend a helping hand to the future generations.”

Fall 60 times, get up 61. Collaboration for the better

“I came across SSAFY when I was feeling the least confident, receiving two to three rejection letters almost every day from companies that I applied for. Nothing seemed to bode well for me.”

Joon-Hee, a first class graduate of SSAFY at Daejeon Campus recalls the time he was turned down after applying to more than 60 companies. Realizing the high threshold of employment, he joined SSAFY as a path out of adversity.

“By receiving heartfelt advice and keen consulting from an employment consultant, I was able to regain my confidence. Even in the times where I encountered obstacles, I sought advice from the professor and studied with my colleagues to strengthen my competency in software.”

According to Joon-Hee, SSAFY’s extensive training course as well as from the help of dependable colleagues and consultants was the major contributor to his goal of successful employment. “I hope everyone achieves what they want, with the love and support from caring colleagues and people around them.”

* A total of 2,087 participants from the first class to the fourth have completed the SSAFY training since December 2018. Of the participants, 1,411 students have been recruited by companies in IT, finance, and other fields, recording a 68% employment rate.