According to a Ministry of Education’s survey, YouTuber was ranked fifth on a list of job preferences for elementary school students in 2018. This was the first time that YouTuber was included within the top 10 for job preferences for elementary students. What is a YouTuber? A YouTuber is a person who uploads videos to the free video-sharing website, YouTube. Anyone with a Google account can become a YouTuber and earn money through various routes. On YouTube, viewers watch a wide variety of content. Some YouTube channels are also broadcast on TV; hence making YouTube a very favorable job, as you can see some popular YouTubers even appearing on the regular TV shows. Let’s learn about the job ‘Beauty YouTuber’ by Kim Dan-bee from the Department of Law at Gachon University.

1. You graduated from the Department of Law, but you got the job as Youtuber for beauty content. What was your motive for starting on YouTube?
Originally, I wasn’t interested in beauty products and content. For me, it was the 2nd and 3rd grade in college when I started to wear make-up. At that time, I took a leave of absence from college and experienced many activities. One of them was a beauty experience. Working as a member of a beauty program, I found out that I liked beauty content and I got interested in doing it myself. At that time, I was also lucky to discover that NAVER beauty cafe was recruiting YouTube Creators. Thus I started from my curiosity in beauty and have come to where I am now.

2. I heard about ‘Studio GoMia’. What led you to set it up?
The job of YouTube creator was very unstable and was not regarded as an occupation then. I needed something to prove that I had a job because people around me didn’t understand what I was doing. So I registered as an individual business, GoMia Studio, and eventually changed it to a corporation business. I also needed a place to shoot because the space at home was limited. It is not just nominally registered as business, but it is a studio that looks like one of the studios in big corporations. In the studio, shooting and conferences are held with various backgrounds and concepts.

3. Did you study make-up technology, video shooting and editing on your own, or learn them at an academy or a company?
When I made a video without learning, I soon reached the limit. I wanted to make a better-quality video, but I couldn’t. I tried to learn everything about video. Among them, I learned Photoshop, video editing, and lighting at an Apple certified training provider. I also had only a private certificate in make-up. At that time a national certificate test was formed on make-up. Therefore, I applied for the test and obtained the first national certificate. I decided to obtain the make-up license because people usually think, ‘a person who can do make-ups well is not and can’t be a professional make-up artist.’

4. Does YouTubers have an agent?
Most YouTubers have an agency that helps them except in video making. This relationship is also called MCN. MCN means Multi Channel Network, where a manager has a role of cost handling, copyright management, and negotiation with cosmetic meetings. The recent fan meeting I had was also arranged by the agency, from renting the place to preparing return presents.

5. What is the most popular video? And is there anything you want to create in the future?
The content of ‘Wat-Da Ji-Reum Shin’ is the favorite for viewers. This content is called ‘haul.’ ‘Haul’ is the video with honest reviews about items after purchasing particular items in bulk. When I find favorite things, I make greater responses than usual. And the viewers like that. My comments on the strengths and weaknesses of products are also short and informative, so many viewers like it.
In the future, I plan to make videos for men because they have interests in doing make-up as well. So, I will make more diverse dramas with more content. Because the viewers are pursuing images that are comfortable for watching these days, I would like to create videos that are comfortable and free to watch, regardless of content, in line with these trends.

6. What is the most difficult thing about operating a channel?
In the early days, it was hard to endure people’s prejudices about creators. Many people did not know what a creator is, and they did not think of it as a proper job. Especially, I had a bad image because older people didn’t understand the job of YouTuber. In the first nine months, I gained no income at all. This was because the number of subscribers did not increase sharply from the beginning or brand cooperation did not come in. After operating the channel, there were many concerns about contents too. Literally, a creators’ job is to create creative works, I had to continue to create new and unique videos. However, as time went by, I felt like I was copying myself. I think it's very difficult to balance the content I want to create with the content that viewers like.

7. Please explain about income-generating structure.
Many people think that YouTube makes money from advertisements before the video starts. However, those advertisements don’t bring big income for beauty creators. Also, large number of subscribers don't make big profits. Sometimes big profits are made from advertising, but that happens rarely. Rather, creators make major profits when working with a brand.

8. Lastly, what would you like to say to the students who want to be the creators?
A few years ago, I wanted to say, 'try hard, it's so fun, challenge it,' but the competition has become very fierce these days. If you start with a light heart, you will only get tired. Actually, I have seen many of my friends who started with me but got tired because the subscribers didn’t increase, or it was difficult to make various contents. Rather than just thinking about profits only, I wish you could create videos with affection and passion. Viewers surely can notice the difference between a person who sincerely prepares with good contents and a person whose main goal is big profits.

 We are living in an era where not only our academic backgrounds and qualifications, but also our own distinctive skills and talents are required. Moreover, students’ dream jobs are gradually becoming more diverse and practical. I think one of the jobs that meet all the aspects with a dream job is YouTuber. If you want to show your talents to everyone, or if you want to share your own content with the world, start being a YouTube Creator. If you work with affection and enthusiasm, a small channel will result in a huge outcome that will soon bring tens of thousands of subscribers.