Reviews of employment as staff at SM Entertainment at Jobplanet have been recently translated and they are about as miserable as one would expect.

February 23, 2017 (management/planning/consulting, ex-worker)

“This company looks OK on the outside but it’s worse than small companies on the inside. You can experience the irrationality of the society.”

Advantage

– You can choose to come to work and go home whenever you want (depends on the department)

– The atmosphere is free, you’re free to wear what you want

Disadvantage

– The salary and benefits are absurd. The more you work for this company, the more you lose.

– If you get hired as an experienced worker, you’ll be treated decently

– They especially prefer workers that have worked for major companies

What I wish to the management team

– There needs to be a rational pay and benefits. Please know that the workers are your asset, not slaves.

I do not recommend working for this company

February 17, 2017 (distribution/commerce, current worker)

“It’s an OK company if you’re really passionate about the entertainment industry and ready to sacrifice everything. If you’re applying just because you’re interested in celebrities, it’s a waste of time.”

Advantage

– OK atmosphere. The company’s atmosphere is comfortable and nice

– It’s a good company to get experiences since it’s a well-known company

– Aside from your main job, you get to learn and do other tasks as well

Disadvantage

– Just like any other entertainment company, the underpayment is unimaginable. They pay you little but expect so many things. I barely go home on time. A lot of night shifts and some workers have to work on the weekend as well.

What I wish to the management team

– They know why the workers don’t stay at the company for a long time and leave, but they don’t even try to improve it. If you’re making someone work more, you should increase their pay as well.

This company will be the same after a year.

I do not recommend working for this company

May 19, 2016 (design, ex-worker)

“A company where you transform into a component from a human. You can survive if you have passion for this industry.”

Advantage

– People will you treat as a major company worker. You can experience various jobs. You’ll improve quickly since you’ll have a huge amount of work to do at once. The company card is pretty. They provide you taxi fees.

Disadvantage

– Your own life disappears. An interesting company that makes you think of the average happiness. You have to look on your phone all the time. One specific boss holds too much power. It’s very nerve-wracking but if you can survive through it, it can be a good chance.

What I wish to the management team

– The basic needs must be met. There’s no specific structure, either. They must realize that this is a problem.

This company will be improving after a year

I do not recommend working for this company

That’s just a sampling, but to sum up, it’s basically:

“Advantages: The atmosphere is cool and the company has a good reputation.

Disadvantage: Everything else. Broke my will to live. Made me reconsider the society and culture we live in. VIVA LA REVOLUTION!”

Like I know this is a serious issue, but the amount of reviews that basically said that made me laugh out loud. The abrupt transition from superficial bullshit as a positive and then having the soul sucked out of your body as a negative was amazing.

There are positive reviews as well, I’m sure, but overall they get low-2s out of 5 as a company. And honestly, this can’t possibly be surprising to anybody that doesn’t have their heads buried in the sand with regards to not only work culture in Korea but then add onto that the entertainment industry where they want you to pretend you can eat prestige. These Koreaboos who desperately want to work for these companies really don’t know what they’re asking for.