This happened not long after I joined Samsung.
At the time, the Samsung Group regularly administered TOEIC exams to improve employees’ English skills. However, not everyone was allowed to take the test. Employees first had to pass a qualifying exam within their own company before earning the right to sit for the group-wide examination.
Unfortunately, the qualifying exam was scheduled on the exact same day as my mandatory military reserve training.
I was a brand-new employee and knew very little about how the company worked. What I learned much later was that the schedule could have been adjusted if I had just explained the situation in advance. But at the time, I simply did not know that. As a result, I missed the qualifying exam.
A few days later, the list of employees selected for the group TOEIC test was announced. My name, of course, was not on it.
I called the department responsible for the program and explained what had happened, arguing that missing a company exam due to a mandatory national military duty hardly seemed fair.
The answer from the other end of the line was simple and cold: “You are not eligible under the rules.”
The conversation ended there. But my thoughts did not.
The more I thought about it, the less satisfied I became. So, instead of giving up, I decided to visit the department in person.
The employee responsible for the program listened carefully as I explained my dilemma. Then, without a word, he began reviewing my personnel records. He checked my performance scores from the Samsung group training program and my evaluations from the new employee orientation.
I could not see what he was reading. In fact, he seemed careful to keep the documents turned away from me. After studying the records for quite some time, he picked up a thick folder, walked over to his manager, and the two began speaking in quiet whispers.
I stood there and waited, my heart pounding.
Eventually, the manager called me over.
“If you had explained the reserve training situation beforehand, this could have been easily arranged,” he said. He was right, and I had no argument to counter him. Then he continued, “According to the strict rules, you are not eligible.”
My heart sank. But before I could turn away, he added a final sentence: “However, based on your training record, I think we can give you a chance.”
I still remember the sheer wave of relief that washed over me.
A few weeks later, I took the exam. When the results were posted, my name appeared on the list of employees who had achieved Level 3 or higher. I was incredibly proud of the result.
But looking back, the test score is not what stayed with me over the decades. What truly stayed with me was something else entirely.
It was the decision not to walk away after hearing that first “no.” It was the courage—perhaps the foolish, naive courage of a young employee—to show up in person instead of accepting defeat over the phone. And it was the deep professionalism of that employee and manager who quietly reviewed my worth before passing judgment.
At the time, I didn’t even fully understand why everyone cared so much about achieving a certain TOEIC level. Only afterward did I learn that it opened doors to advanced language programs, competitive internal promotions, and future overseas assignments.
But the real lesson had absolutely nothing to do with English. It was about persistence.
Since that day, I have never accepted a “no” without first understanding the ‘why’ behind it. Sometimes the answer truly is no. Rules exist for a reason, and they must be respected.
But sometimes, a decision deserves another conversation. Sometimes, a situation deserves another look. And sometimes, the path forward appears only after someone is willing to stand their ground and ask just one more question.