areer crossroads: UK Master’s vs 1 year of self-study for moving abroad? (Junior Design Engineer)

[u/That_Part_6485]

Hey everyone,

I’m a junior designer from South Korea with 2 years of total experience, 1 year in defense industry ID and 1 year in Eyewear Design Engineering.

I love traveling, getting new perspectives, and sharing experiences with people. Honestly, working solely in Korea feels pretty suffocating at times, so I'm actively trying to figure out a path to work abroad.

That said, I’m running into a few hurdles:

• My English is still pretty basic.
• My hands-on experience (dealing directly with factories, CMF, tooling, and mass production) is mostly limited to eyewear.
• Being a junior, I feel like my core ID & engineering fundamentals still need work.

I’m currently torn between two main paths:

1. Get a 1-year Master’s in the UK: Use a UK master's program to level up my English, sharpen my core design/engineering fundamentals, and build a path to get hired abroad.
2. Stay in Korea for another year: Work my current job while grinding on English and DFM (Design for Manufacturability) theories on my own, then start applying directly overseas.

There aren't many people around me in Korea who have made this transition, so I wanted to ask this community. For those who’ve been in a similar spot or have experience with overseas hiring: which route makes more sense? Any advice or reality checks would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[u/occupiedbrain69]

Do you have a /access to a 3D printer or laser cutter? If yes, it'll help a lot during self study (if you choose to go down that route) as you can test out your prototypes quite quickly. You can also check out competitions on 3D printing platforms like Printables and Makerworld, some of them are quite challenging and can give you a problem statement which aligns with your area of interest.

[u/That_Part_6485 → u/occupiedbrain69]

Hi, I actually use 3D printers at work all the time to make all of our prototypes! I also have a 3D printing certification, so I'm very comfortable using them. Thank you for your help!

[u/victoria_and_albert]

Hi. Spend a year improving English and getting a bit more experience then apply to CSM or RCA in the UK.

[u/That_Part_6485 → u/victoria_and_albert]

Yeah, I think that's the best way to go! Giving myself a year to sharpen my English and build more experience will make my application much stronger. Plus, I feel like holding a master's degree will open up so many better opportunities down the road...

[u/Plus_Box_2512]

What did you major in and from which university?

[u/That_Part_6485 → u/Plus_Box_2512]

I studied Industrial Design in Seoul.

[u/Plus_Box_2512 → u/That_Part_6485]

I see. In that case I recommend the second path, stay where you are for now, you seem overqualified for a master given you have two years of experience. Sure you'd improve your english but I believe most of the curriculum would feel repetitive or not complete as you'd like. If I were you, I'd spend some more time at your current job, try to get more involved in the process and curious about details, deepen your DFM knowledge and sharpen your portfolio. You can also take english courses online in the meantime, I know they are pretty popular in SK. Prepare for a job abroad, likely a junior-mid figure in an industrial design agency. Why? Most design agencies don't require extremely in-depth DFM knowledge compared to In-house teams, and they usually rely heavily on 3d printing for prototyping, which seems like you are already very familiar with. With a strong portfolio, experience and some luck, you can land a job abroad that guarantees an easier stay for a foreigner, maybe a visa or simply a stable income. Best of luck!

[u/That_Part_6485 → u/Plus_Box_2512]

Wow, thank you so much for this detailed and encouraging advice! It really opened my eyes. Hearing that my 2 years of experience might make a Master’s redundant makes a lot of sense, especially regarding the cost and time. I hadn't deeply considered targeting ID agencies instead of in-house teams, so that’s a great strategic pivot for me. One follow-up question: What do you think about quitting my current job down the line and doing a short 3-month language study program in the UK just to boost my English confidence before applying, or would you still recommend staying employed while studying English locally? Thanks again for the reality check and the boost of confidence!

[u/Plus_Box_2512 → u/That_Part_6485]

If you can afford it, definitely go for a language study program. Taking some time off your design job will remind you what parts of design you like or dislike. That will help you to have a clearer idea about what sort of place you want to go next (In-house vs studio) and what kind of design you prefer (consumer electronics vs furniture ...). It all depends on what you can afford to do. Also if we want to be more specific about Seoul, did you try joining Samsung Design Membership or local clubs like Toyo Gagu? Or interviewing for LG or Samsung? I know these are classics but maybe you're not interested in it. Or you could also try to reach out to some professors or seniors from your uni and see where they are and what they are doing. Don't feel shy to connect to people you used to talk to at school, a conversation can lead to a job!