Samsung Design seeks to grow together with talented people who can lead lifestyle innovation. At Samsung Electronics, our doors are open to all designers with keen senses, an open mind, and creative ideas. We’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions from prospective design candidates about our hiring process and shared our detailed answers, to help those designers dreaming of launching a new career with Samsung Design.
opportunity
Q1.
I want to join Samsung Electronics as a designer. Where can I find job postings?
We hire designers for both entry-level and experienced positions. You can find job postings on the Samsung Careers website (www.samsungcareers.com).
#Job_Postings
#Samsung_Careers
Q2.
I can only see job postings in Korean on the Samsung Careers website. Are there no job postings in English?
Samsung Electronics designer job postings on Samsung Careers are based on working at the Seoul R&D campus, so design positions are only posted in Korean, but anyone can apply after checking the postings. Applicants living abroad can also interview remotely.*
Remote interviews require camera installation and a space where the interview can run smoothly without disruptions, not provided by Samsung Electronics.
▲ Samsung Seoul R&D Campus
#Samsung_Careers
#Apply
Q3.
How are entry-level designers hired? Who can apply and what is the process?
We look for graduates or prospective graduates at the time of joining. We don’t recruit for all roles at once—instead, we hire for different roles depending on the time of year.
We begin accepting applications when the “DX Division Level 3 New Employee Hiring” posting is uploaded to the Samsung Careers website. After the application deadline, a job fit assessment takes place, followed by portfolio review and the interview process (a design challenge and three interviews over two days). Specific business units and departments are assigned after the entire recruiting process is completed and upon final acceptance.
#Recruiting_Process
#Requirements
#Graduates
Q4.
I have around one year of experience. Will it count if I’m accepted for an entry-level position?
When applying for an entry-level position, experience of up to 2 years will be recognized for graduates and prospective graduates of a master’s degree, but other corporate experience will not be recognized. Please keep this in mind and apply for the position that fits you best.
#Graduate_School
#Work_Experience
Q5.
Does hiring work differently for experienced designers?
We’re always looking for designers with at least 2 years of experience. We post jobs on the Samsung Careers website, or we find designers with the required skills and experience for the job and recruit them separately. We find and contact candidates through a variety of channels, including internal recommendations, headhunters, and LinkedIn. We occasionally visit campus recruiting events for PhD recruitment, or global tech forums to find international designers, on an irregular basis.
The hiring process for experienced designers has three main stages. First, there’s the application and portfolio review, followed by a 2-week design challenge and the interviews.
#Experienced_Designers
#PhD_Recruiting
#Global_Recruiting
Q6.
Can I apply at any time?
We accept resumes on a rolling basis for experienced or PhD designers. Interested candidates should download and fill out the application form below and email it to hr.design@samsung.com.
Application Form Download
We will contact you individually if we have an open position that matches your interests and experience. If there are no open positions within two weeks of your sending us the resume, we will delete your email, resume, and any other information. We will not store or save any information we receive from you. (If the Personal Information Collection and Use Agreement form is not attached, your email will be deleted.)
We accept resumes from all designers with two years or more experience in related fields. For entry-level positions, please refer to the Samsung Careers website (www.samsungcareers.com) for more information on Level 3 New Employee Hiring.
Please note, we will not receive or review any ideas and proposals sent to us directly. This is to prevent any potential misunderstanding or conflict in case Samsung Electronics products, technologies, or services happen to be similar to your ideas, as well as to protect your own creative work and ideas. We hope you understand our concerns and refrain from sending any ideas including conceptual proposals to Samsung Electronics.
#Application
#Year-round
#Recruitment
Q7.
Samsung Electronics has a lot of different business units. How are designers assigned to a business?
New employees are placed in a business unit after a comprehensive review of their skills, desired business survey, and the vacancies in each unit. In contrast, experienced employees are placed directly in the position they applied for, since the business and department are determined from the start of the hiring process.
#Business
#Department
#Position
Applications
Q8.
What do you mainly evaluate in the entry-level job fit assessment?
We look at your college coursework and design-related work experience. We also determine if you have a sufficient understanding of the position based on the essay.
#Job_Fit_Assessment
#Application
#Essay
Q9.
Should I only include electronics designs in my portfolio, or can I include other products and services too?
For entry-level applicants, we provide portfolio submission guidelines to those who pass the job fit assessment. The guidelines are based on file size, the number of team or personal projects, etc. There are no restrictions on the domain, so you can include projects that aren’t electronics or app services as long as you think they showcase your core competencies. We hope you’ll incorporate your individualism and strengths as a designer, in alignment with the position you’re applying for.
▲ A Range of Samsung Electronics Products
#Portfolio_Guide
Q10.
Is it better to show a lot of portfolio projects, or one in-depth project?
For entry-level portfolios, there’s a maximum page limit so it’s hard to cover one project in depth over multiple pages. For experienced applicants, however, there’s no restriction on portfolio length so you can create it freely.
We recommend you refer to previous Samsung Electronics design job descriptions and interviews with designers, to put together a portfolio that highlights your skills according to the characteristics of the position. There have been cases where people have applied for an interaction designer position, but their portfolios contained only product designs. Submitting a portfolio that reflects an accurate understanding of the position you’re applying for will help you avoid similar situations.
Yes, you can add a link to your website in your portfolio.
#Portfolio
#Add_Links
Q12.
When I include a team project, how should I describe my contribution?
You can enter the total number of people involved in the project, then your role and contribution. We’ll cover this in our portfolio submission guide, too.
#Portfolio
#Team_Projects
Q13.
I’m an experienced applicant. At my previous company, I worked on secure projects, which limits what I can put in my portfolio. Is there another way to be evaluated besides the portfolio?
Experienced applicants who pass the application screening and portfolio review will be given a design challenge. You’ll have two weeks to design and submit it, focused on the topic provided, followed by an interview. A final decision will be announced based a comprehensive evaluation of the application, portfolio, design challenge, and interview.
#Experienced_Designer
#Recruiting_Process
#Design_Challenge
Interviews
Q14.
How is the interview process structured for entry-level designers?
It takes place over two days at the Samsung Seoul R&D campus. Day 1 is an 8-hour design challenge with no interviews. Day 2 is a full day with three different interviews—a job interview, a creativity interview, and an executive interview. For applications living abroad, interviews may be conducted remotely depending on the situation.*
Remote interviews require camera installation and a space where the interview can run smoothly without disruptions, not provided by Samsung Electronics.
#Day1_Design_Challenge
#Day2_Interview
Q15.
How should I prepare for the entry-level applicant design challenge?
We recommend you take a look at recent design, industrial, and sociocultural trends, and get some experience with Samsung Electronics products. Also, wear comfortable clothes when you come to the design challenge. The room may feel hot or cold depending on the individual, so please come prepared.
#Design_Challenge
Q16.
Can I get the specs of the computer in the design challenge room? Can I bring my own equipment, like a mouse, tablet, or laptop?
You’ll be provided with a Windows PC with the tools you’ll need during the test. You may bring your own mouse, pen, or writing utensils, but electronic devices like tablets and laptops are not permitted. If you brought an electronic device, you can hand it in to a moderator on-site before sitting the design challenge.
#Design_Challenge
#Specification
Q17.
For the second-day interviews, do we need to wait all day for our turn or are they held back-to-back at specific times?
Interviews are held throughout the day so applicants must wait. The order of the interviews can vary for each individual, too. Applicant A might have the job interview first, followed by the creativity and executive interviews, whereas Applicant B might start with the creativity interview, and then have the executive and job interviews after.
#Interview_Process
Q18.
How much impact does the design challenge have on the selection process for experienced applicants?
The process for experienced applicants is designed to recruit designers for specific positions. Applicants go through a comprehensive evaluation based on their application, portfolio, design challenge, and interviews, to determine if they’re a good fit for the position.
#Design_Challenge
Q19.
Should I wear a suit to the interviews?
You can come in business casual attire, so you don’t have to wear a suit.
#Dress_Code
Q20.
What happens after passing the interview?
For entry-level applicants, the final acceptance announcement is made after the medical check-up. Then, there’s an onboarding program, including the Samsung Value Program (SVP), the Samsung Electronics New Employee Onboarding (NEO), business unit onboarding, and training for new designers.
For experienced applicants, reference checks and negotiations regarding employment terms are conducted post-interview. After that, you’ll undergo a medical check-up, the Samsung Value Program (SVP), and the Samsung Electronics New Employee Onboarding for experienced employees (NEO-EX) before joining the workforce.
▲ Be Creative! Studio (A Space for Training New Designers)
