Cover Story

AMCHAM Internship Program


In Korea, we normally call qualifications to get a job specs, an abbreviation of specification. Specs include language ability (TOEIC score), educational background, work experience, certificates, a good GPA, awards, such as for idea contests, language study in a foreign country, and volunteering. Though many enterprises have announced that they will try to reduce the spec-oriented tendency in recruitment, job-seekers still feel the importance of specs. Therefore, the Gazette will introduce information to help you get a job more easily. It is an internship program with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea is an economic organization representing American companies operating in Korea. It is called AMCHAM Korea. AMCHAM Korea was founded in 1953 to make a better environment in trade and investment between Korea and America. Today, AMCHAM Korea is the largest foreign chamber in Korea and has about 900 member companies and 1,800 individual members. AMCHAM Korea publicizes the positive images and interests of member companies operating in Korea and their contribution to Korean society. It expresses the diverse opinions and ideas of member companies to the Korean and American governments and trade and industry groups. They also collect information related to economic policies as well as Korean-American trade and investment, and evaluates and shares this with its members.

The AMCHAM internship program is offered to graduates and undergraduates throughout the year. The period of internship depends on the department. There are five departments: Administration, Government Affairs/Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, and Partners for the Future Foundation. AMCHAM requires interns to work for at least 3 months, and full-time interns are preferred to part-time interns. Usually, the AMCHAM internship program is offered in summer and winter. However, interns are hired in spring and fall as needed.

You can get language ability and hands-on work experience together through the AMCHAM internship program. Moreover, the program helps graduates and undergraduates who have an interest in government policy, public relations, marketing and business administration. For example, AMCHAM Korea publishes a journal four times a year, and interns can participate in the publication work. Furthermore, interns can make press releases and manage the Facebook page.

AMCHAM Korea gives interns general background knowledge about AMCHAM and about the departments and their functions during orientation. During orientation, the interns also get a chance to hang out with other interns and AMCHAM staff. At the beginning of the internship, interns work in various departments and under a supervisor. Interns have to assist their supervisor, and supervisors provide the knowledge and skills necessary not only to work in AMCHAM, but also to get a job in the future. Moreover, supervisors become mentors for interns and they give feedback on performance.

AMCHAM Korea, which is a non-profit organization, can’t pay wages to interns. Therefore, the program at AMCHAM is an unpaid internship. However, AMCHAM Korea says that it gives interns value that no other organization can offer. It gives interns an opportunity to communicate with global business leaders as well as diverse knowledge about AMCHAM, and gives interns perspective on the foreign business community in Korea. Also, the interns in AMCHAM Korea can join meetings which many world-class guests attend. For example, on January 15th 2014, AMCHAM had a New Year’s press conference with newly elected AMCHAM Chairman James Kim. James Kim is also the president of Microsoft Korea.


To become an intern in AMCHAM Korea, applicants have to have some qualifications. All applicants have to be good at speaking and writing in English. They also need basic computer skills. Furthermore, it is useful to have a basic knowledge of the Korean and American governments and their economic policies.

You can apply for the AMCHAM internship program on the Internet. Download the application from the Web-site, fill the application in, and submit it with a resume and cover letter in an email to internship@amchamkorea.org. You can also ask any questions about the internship program in the email. AMCHAM Korea will check your application and send it to the relevant department. After this, the department will review your application and contact you within two weeks. If you pass the review of applications, you have to take an exam translating some texts from Korean to English or from English to Korean and summarizing an article in English. Finally, you have an interview. They check your preferred department and your abilities and experience like language ability and computer skills If you want more detailed information, refer to the Web-site www.amchamkorea.org.

The AMCHAM internship program gives you a valuable opportunity to communicate with global business leaders and a wider perspective on foreign business environment in Korea as well as an opportunity to improve your language ability and get hands-on work experience. The Gazette thinks that it will be a valuable experience for you.


-Interview

The Keimyung Gazette interviewed two students who have an interest in the AMCHAM internship program, Kim Sun-ju and Shin Ji-won. Sun-ju is a junior in the Department of Electronic Engineering in Keimyung University, and Ji-won is a junior in the Department of Organic Material Science and Engineering in Pusan National University.

Q. What do you think about specs?

Sun-ju: A few months ago, only 5 specs were needed and important. However, I heard that 8 specs, including work experience, volunteering, and awards, are needed these days. 8 specs are more difficult to manage than 5 specs. I have to fight to get the job that I really want. Particularly in the case of language ability, employers want a high score in TOEIC, though that is not the only condition to become an employee. I want to study English which is useful in my life rather than memorize difficult English words and get a high score on TOEIC.

Ji-won: I think 8 specs are important and necessary to get a job because specs work as a standard. Specs show my ability objectively to employers. Many students like me, a student in the Department of Engineering, study hard to get a certificate. For example, I want to get an Industrial Safety Engineer certificate. It utilizes my major and shows my ability well. Also, I think awards are important because an award is evidence of my ability. It shows that I can work well.

Q. How is the AMCHAM internship program useful for getting a job?

Sun-ju: I heard that the domestic employment rate of students who have graduated from four-year universities is low. Therefore, I am considering getting a job in a foreign country. English ability is the basic thing to get a job in a foreign country. If I join the AMCHAM internship program, I can learn lots of daily expressions and business expressions in English. I’m sure that it will help me to get a job in a foreign country because I can show that I am already accustomed to speaking and writing in English.

Ji-won: I think English ability is the basic spec for all job-seekers. The AMCHAM internship program is good because it gives interns hands-on work experience as well as an opportunity to learn English well. Furthermore, I think it will help job-seekers to get a high score on TOEIC and to interview in English well.

관련기사