Hello everyone! 

It is currently my fourth day in Korea. Seoul is a pretty big city, much bigger than I even realized. Despite coming to study abroad here in the spring of 2024, I find that where my accommodation is placed now and where my company is located, there are definitely places that I have never ventured to previously. There are lots of new sights and new experiences for me in these first few days, which I am actively soaking in. 

Now, I am preparing myself for my first day at my company. As much as I love exploring the city and getting to know some of my fellow program participants, I am very excited to start working! My company, Korea Volunteer Agency, works primarily with young Korean clients who seek to participate in a fulfilling international experience. KVA is partnered with hundreds of organizations abroad and, therefore, has a large inventory of international programs that a client can choose to pursue. There are opportunities to participate in experiences such as internships, volunteering, NGO work, and working holidays in a plethora of different fields. In industries like nursing, senior care, environmental conservation, hospitality, and management, Korea Volunteer Agency caters to all types of interests and offers support for the process to go abroad. Another valuable service offered by my company is 1:1 English study with native English speaker staff to help prepare Korean clients for interviews and employment in all of the different programs, which are mainly in English speaking countries. This industry, more broadly, is one that offers unique and personal experiences in different countries for students and young citizens all over the world. Either working in partnership with various universities and university students, or separately like Korea Volunteer Agency, companies in this industry are very well used globally. 

Within this industry, it is key to be a clear communicator, personable, and good at compiling research. The international experience industry places people in different countries and supports them throughout that process, so the strength of being able to relay information between the company and clients, get in contact with clients and global organizations, as well as being able to provide helpful and encouraging assistance are all important aspects. This also ties into the soft skill of being personable and good at customer services. This internship is the second time I’ve been abroad and have worked closely with program coordinators, enrollment coordinators, and program managers from merely the idea of participating to the return after the study abroad experience. Something as big as going abroad to work or study is hard to do alone and can seem intimidating, so providing our services and aide in a comfortable environment is also a nice skill to have for the job. Among my tasks for this role in this industry, I am expecting the job of compiling more research about different global programs and organizations to work with and offer to our clients. Being an organized and proactive person when it comes to looking up and diving deeper into different organizations is a strength. Being able to do this research with little to no guidelines and present them for further programming opportunities is a very clear indicator of being a valuable team member for the company in the industry as well. 

In this industry and in South Korea, it is necessary to be able to have a strong personal work and also a group-oriented mindset. Punctuality, flexibility, and a strong work ethic are important to possess for work in the coordination between global entities and this company on a larger scale, and also between clients and staff on a smaller scale. Additionally, this expectation of being able to do tasks on your own with little or no supervision, and do everything well, is something that is a strong asset for work in the cultural experiences industry. In South Korea and as a foreign employee, conducting research and presenting findings for the further development of the company itself and programs offered is a competency that is highly valuable. It is also said that Korean professionals have a relatively indirect communication style, so being able to stay organized and successfully on-task alone, without always consulting other staff for this type of research work and outreach is a strength that will take anyone far. All in all, this industry deals with a variety of different programs and organizations all around the world, so cultural knowledge and sensitivity is a very prominent and important aspect of this profession. I am expecting to be in communication with partners from different countries, so having an open and understanding mindset going into said communication is useful and worthwhile. 

With all that being said, I am very hopeful and excited to see what this internship has waiting to offer!