Hi !nnovation!

My name is Monika, and you might have seen me in the recent contents of SKinno News and GBS. I’m a mechanical engineer and translator working at SK hi-tech battery materials Poland (LiBS Poland), an overseas subsidiary of SK IE Technology. Today I would like to share with you my special bond with Korea and my exciting journey from last year as a member of SK Innovation’s big family.

Before I started my career at LiBS Poland, I had been living in Asia for 4 years, but my first destination was not Korea but China. While I was learning Chinese there, I made many Korean friends and one of them then became my boyfriend. Then I decided to follow my boyfriend to move to Korea and start learning Korean. To me, this must have been a turn of fate. Everything changed so quickly in just a short time, but the more I learn about this country, the more I love it. Even though there are some certain differences, I found many similarities between Korean and Polish culture. Therefore I was more motivated to learn the language, even though a few years ago it was totally not in my plan.

When I read about SK IE Technology’s recruitment in Poland, my home country, I believed it would be a golden opportunity to exert my abilities, including Korean language, and to begin a new exciting journey, so I applied for the job here. Once again, things happened in the blink of an eye. I landed my job in LiBS Poland, so I and my boyfriend (husband now) decided to move to Europe. It was another big decision that could not be made right away, but it did not take me a long time to realize how rewarding this change was. I was, and still am, amazed to witness how professional and talented my colleagues in LiBS Poland are. I truly love the international atmosphere where Polish and Korean people are collaborating and learning from each other. Especially, in a global environment like this, it is great to see how we can respect and try to understand our cultural differences. This is the true spirit of one team. Due to the COVID-19 situation we have not got chances to gather and share a meal after work, but through daily tasks I can still see the strong teamwork we have here.

 ▲“I’m excited to see how the construction of LiBS Poland plant is going to be completed soon.”

On a more personal level, I’m not only a mechanical engineer but also a translator. So I see myself as a “bridge” to connect Korean and Polish workers who face language barriers. I’m still learning a lot, but being a translator was what I had always wanted to do so I can genuinely call the current job my dream job. Besides, recently I also had chances to participate in various global activities organized by the Value Creation Center of SK Innovation. I shared my story through the “Moments of 2020” event, and last week I was invited to the GBS sunrise watching live streaming, then GBS New Year broadcast. It was quite a busy schedule, but I’m really glad to be a part of activities that connect our members all over the world, despite our physical distances. I believe rather than just sticking to your daily grind, joining in various programs like these can bring a fresh breeze to your work life. It is also a good chance to show more about yourself and your team, your coworkers.

 ▲“I hope there will be more activities like these to connect members all around the world.”

A new year has come with new challenges, but we’ve overcome many obstacles, so we will definitely have strength to move forward. I hope in 2021 we can achieve our goals and keep growing together with SK Innovation. I wish everyone will always be healthy, energetic and happy.