Ready for Creativity?

"Creativity” has been a buzz word in recent years as the current government is promoting creativity as the new driving force of the Korean economy. Despite promotions, it seems like using creativity is still a long way from fostering a change in the economic paradigm.

Korea has been widely known to have an export-oriented economy, largely depending on manufacturing industries led by conglomerates. Sales figures of mobile devices and automobiles are prominent economic indicators, making the two manufacturers the main pillars of the national economy. Many economy and business related reports focus on the reactions of the consumers and those manufacturers’ rival companies. They feature newest products as well as future expectations for those Korean companies.

Experts in related fields share a common view that innovative measures that will foster more profitable industries are necessary to improve the economic structure. However, it is hard to say that the ground for the paradigm shift is ready.

Many college students strive to enter major companies that provide high salaries and a lot of benefit. Aside from them, numerous youngsters’ foremost goal is to get a chance to work in the public sector as government servants. Such jobs are considered stable jobs in Korea hence favored by job seekers.

Also, there are many young and bright students who aim to go to law schools and become lawyers regardless of the field they are studying. It is not hard to find smart students majoring in business administration and those in the fields of science and engineering shift to pursue a career as a well-paid lawyer working for the nation’s top law firms.

For talented students in math and science, many of them aim to study medicine in college and become doctors. Although the situation has changed and not many doctors make much money and live lavishly, being a doctor is still considered one of the most desired careers for many students and their parents.

Actually, these two career paths have been the so-called top jobs in the Korean society for many decades. Studying very hard to become a lawyer or a doctor has been considered one of the best things a student can do for oneself and the family. Interestingly, even in this fast changing digital era, the situation has not changed much.

The fundamentals of a country’s economy can be fostering the right industries to improve competitiveness. To successfully shift the economic paradigm to focus on more profitable industries, it is necessary for people to be full of creative ideas. They should try to do what they really want to do, without worrying much about their future. This can create new ideas that can then be innovations. It can even build things that not many people have imagined before.

It is often said that creativity is the key in the future. Based on the experiences of foreign companies leading the IT industry, people should share the common view that a lot of things in the Korean society must change. Allowing many youngsters to dictate their future by choosing to follow conventional fields may not be desirable.

It is about time to start developing an environment that encourages more creative minds to find the job that can make them happy as they contribute to the society.