It's official! I have been accepted to speak at the Council on Asian Affairs Young Researchers Symposium, presenting my paper "Determining the Success of Defectors: Does One Gender Profit More in Defecting from North Korea?" It is an honor to be chosen by my peers and I am looking forward to this opportunity. The symposium will be a way for young professionals to better their speaking skills in front of an audience, receiving feedback on their papers, and making it through discussion groups and Q&A. I will be posting the final copy of my paper to my portfolio so if you have any comments please contact me through email or on the site.
After all the hard work of searching for an internship, you've made it to possibly the most nerve-wracking part of the job search. While some interviews can be done over the phone, the person hiring will most likely prefer an in-person interview. The perks of a phone interview are not having to worry about your professional dress, having your resume and portfolio in front of you, and also having the internet at your fingertips. If you are having your interview over the phone, make sure you are in a place with good service, and a quiet atmosphere. An empty coffee shop can turn into a loud environment with the entrance of a few college students so do your best to be home during when the interview takes place.
Half of my job title describes me as "Internship Coordinator," using the expertise I have gained as a former intern, and current intern manager I've decided to throw some advice out into the world wide web, which already has a lot of good information on how to nail an internship. However, it seems that not everyone is reading those articles.
I've decided to make a three-part (how to apply, the interview, how to succeed) series on internship in hopes that it will get at least one person their dream [temporary] job. At this point, I should make a note that yes, most internships (especially those in Washington, DC) are unpaid. This is due in large part to the competitiveness of the internships and also that they are provided by the government, non-profits, and think tanks who for the most part, have no money. While the internships are not paid, sometimes graduate or undergraduate programs have scholarships you can apply for to get a stipend. I encourage you to look into those opportunities as soon as you realize you want an unpaid internship. Some internships provide their own stipend or include travel funds, and most internships allow you to go to lunch programs which provide FREE FOOD. Remember, an internship is an investment into your future, and also happens to be the way most young professionals get their first full-time job. If you are having trouble figuring out what exactly you want to spend your summer doing, browse through sites like idealist, indeed, or the global job board and see what piques your interest. I found my second internship, not because there was a posting, but because I was searching organizations that had to do with Korean studies and from the organization's website I found their application for Fall internships. If you have a specific organization you want to work for, go directly to their site and look for employment opportunities. Summer internships often ask you to apply early so start your search in December for internships at the State Department, and other institutes that you may need a security clearance for. Once you find the internship of your choice here are the MUST DOs when applying:
One of my favorite Korean scholars, Dr. Sue Mi Terry, published this article on June 16, 2014 for the NYT. She voices a lot of opinions I have about doing something about the North Korean regime, putting into perspective how the actual fall of the Kim government would create a lot of problems initially--but in the long term (she argues "very soon") would generate a lot of progress for a secure Northeast Asian region. Some of her main points:
In conclusion, Dr. Terry states that the U.S. and its allies should pursue a tougher version of containment, knowing that they may accelerate the collapse of the Kim regime. Worried that the U.S. won't have as strong of a stance in the region with a unified Korea? You are not alone, here are some sources that discuss the role of the U.S. with a unified Korea:
|