Living and working in a new country pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I didn’t expect. I had never really had to deal with a language barrier before, and at first, it was honestly kind of scary. I was used to being able to say exactly what I meant and having people…
Tag: Maya McGann
Success in a Different Country
Coming into this internship, I thought I already had a pretty good idea of what “success” at work looked like. In my eyes, a successful intern gets their tasks done, does them well, and hits their deadlines. After spending my summer working at WeInteract in Korea, I’ve realized that definition is a lot more American…
Communication Differences in Korea
Regarding the communication scale from low-context to high-context, have you noted any communication differences and preferences in your host country? Have you had any miscommunication situations that you have had to overcome? Have you encountered any challenges or differences in communication in your work environment? I grew up communicating in a pretty low-context way, and…
Building My Leadership Skills
Before this summer, my leadership style was probably more hands-off. I’ve always believed in giving people space to figure things out on their own. I’m someone who doesn’t love being micromanaged, so I tend to avoid doing it to others. Usually, I tend to trust people and only jump in when something actually goes wrong….
Building Skills Abroad
Some soft skills that I have developed so far include time management, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Coming into the internship, I was not sure how the work I would be doing would be framed. After the first day, I realized that instead of having daily tasks to complete, I had one big project that I…
Halfway There!
Before landing in Seoul, I had an idea of what Korean culture and living would be like, but I wasn’t completely prepared for actually living inside a culture that’s so different from my own. Now, being a month into the program, I can honestly say the hardest parts of adjusting haven’t been the big, obvious…
Adjusting to My Internship
One of the greatest uncertainties I’ve dealt with in my internship has been the structure of my assignments. At school, everything is spelled out for you. On day one of the semester, you get a syllabus that tells you exactly what chapters to read, when the homework is due, and what you need to do…
Managing Life in Seoul
At first, the idea of living and working in an entirely new city with a completely different culture overwhelmed me. South Korea’s fast-paced startup environment is one that totally differs from what I’m used to back home. Additionally, with this being my first real internship experience, I was anxious about what the structure would be…
Week 1 – Assessing the Industry Environment
My company is focused on the technology and AI industry, specifically focusing on technology commercialization, innovation intelligence, and strategic decision-support solutions. My company, WeInteract Inc., is a startup company that has created a digital platform for innovators, researchers, and businesses to analyze information, allowing them to find opportunities and make better strategic decisions when it…
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