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Meet our Coupang Eats Services rookies — Innovating to improve the quality of Coupang Eats delivery services

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My path to Coupang — Part 1

“My path to Coupang” is where our recruiters reconnect with employees after they've been hired to talk about how they got to Coupang, what their roles are like, and even some helpful tips for those interested in joining Coupang.

We met with two new hires who joined Coupang Eats Services (CES) in January 2023 through an open recruiting process called the “Rookie Recruitment Program.” 

 

Nice to meet you, Joseph and Tricia.  Please introduce yourselves. 

Joseph: My name is Joseph. I'm part of the Engagement 1 team under the Eats Delivery Partner (EDP) Operations at Coupang Eats Services. My responsibilities involve real-time delivery service management, EDP planning, and operations. My team analyzes the delivery time and distance data to ensure the operational efficiency of delivery partners. 

Tricia: I’m Tricia. I’m also from the EDP Operations’ Engagement 1 team and work on data simulations. My team uses simulation results to create guides for operational risk prediction and prevention. 

Tricia

What previous experience has helped you in deciding to join Coupang?  

Joseph: After graduating college, I spent a year and a half in the field of business support, making business plans and proposals. During that time, I gained an understanding of basic business tasks. This experience has helped me to quickly grasp what tasks are needed in business planning and execution at Coupang, too. 

Tricia: I joined Coupang right after getting my master’s degree in statistics. The statistical theories and methods I had learned at school became valuable at Coupang because I could apply them to the simulation tasks. 

 

How did you hear about the “Rookie Recruitment Program”?  

Joseph: I applied for my current position through the program because the job posting it looked like an excellent opportunity for me to solve business problems using data analysis.  

Tricia: I had always assumed that Coupang had a really high bar for new joiners. But I heard about Coupang’s program for entry-levels. Coupang was looking for new hires with a potential to grow together with the company. So I decided to apply because I firmly believed in starting my career with a company that believes in growing together.  

Joseph

Let’s talk more about what gave you the confidence to grow your career with Coupang? 

Joseph: I had always wanted to work in business planning and operations. But in business planning you need numbers, which means data, to support your ideas and to persuade people. I also wanted to challenge myself in data analysis. So this position seemed like a perfect chance for me to kill two birds with one stone — both business planning and data analysis. 

Tricia: Having majored in statistics, I can tell you techniques do matter. But you also need a good understanding of the field you’re analyzing. I chose Coupang because I thought I could gain the operational and planning experience even as an entry-level. Also, Coupang is well-known for its data-driven decision-making. So I wanted to grow professionally at a company like Coupang knowing its positive work environment and corporate culture. 

 

What did you find most challenging in the interview process? 

Joseph: The assessment was challenging because of limited data. But I decided not to invest too much time in data research. Instead, I thought about the problem the company wanted to solve. I concluded that the most crucial element in food delivery was ‘speed’ so I even worked as a delivery partner to explore ways to improve the existing service.  

Tricia: It was also the assessment for me. I didn’t know much about the delivery business and couldn’t find the data I needed even after researching. Rather than taking the methodological approach, I decided to focus on the core business problems — such as the needs of delivery partners and how feasible it would be to meet such needs for the company. In the end, I was able to suggest and explain my own solutions during the interview.  

 

Any tips for candidates looking to join Coupang? 

Joseph: Please don’t worry about qualifications or experience that you don’t have. The key is to focus on your strengths and how you will showcase them. I didn’t have a fancy career background, either. But in the interview, I gave examples from my past experiences, though brief, on how I improved processes from unnecessary and inefficient to vital and efficient.  

Tricia: I prepared the evidence and logic as thoroughly as possible for the assessment I had submitted. I also thought about how I could show my strengths based on Coupang’s Leadership Principles. Being confident is important, but you should also be open-minded and try to embrace the interviewers’ feedback with openness and grace. 

 

What reactions did you get when you shared you were joining Coupang? 

Joseph: My family and friends were really excited. Coupang is like a dream company for some of my friends seeking jobs right now, and they were so happy for me.  

Tricia: This is my first job out of school. So I got tons of congratulations from people around me. The one comment I kept receiving was, “I didn’t know Coupang hire fresh graduates. We are so proud of you.” 

  

Any memorable episodes since joining Coupang?    

Joseph: I’m gaining the experience I can’t get elsewhere as a rookie. My team has a regular meeting where all the team members get together and present their new ideas. Anyone can discuss and push their idea forward regardless of their job title or position. For example, I recently proposed an idea that everyone liked. So now, it’s currently in the development stage for implementation and execution. 

Any good idea can be executed at Coupang, no matter who created it.  

Tricia: I took a photo with my colleagues in front of the big rocket at our Seolleung Rocket Laboratory the other day. I am grateful to be working with such great people.  

 

Any goals you'd like to achieve at Coupang? 

Joseph: I think ‘rocket’ is the word that represents Coupang at its best. I want to build a new rocket for Coupang and grow further professionally.  

Tricia: I want to broaden my horizon as a rookie having started my career at a company like Coupang. I also want to solve business problems by continuously diving deep into the needs of customers and the type of data analysis to produce greater results and impact.  

Tricia and Joseph chatting with the recruitment team 

"Coupang is a place where new ideas can come to life, even if the idea is from a new joiner."  

Coupang is constantly looking for talented candidates — not just experienced candidates, but also rookies who can bring fresh ideas.  Explore Coupang.jobs to learn more about our diverse teams and find the right role for you.