Going Abroad: My Internship Experience in Seoul

Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…or so I thought the first time I traveled abroad. I spent seven months in Germany for my senior year of high school with the Rotary Youth Exchange in 2019-20, the first time I had ever been outside the United States. After COVID restrictions loosened up and people could travel again, I returned to Germany in the summer of 2022 with USAC for a mandatory 10-week study abroad experience for my college major. Finally, as I buckled down to wrap up courses before graduation, I decided to try for one more trip—this time to Southeast Asia. I used the resources in my university’s Education Abroad Office to find an opportunity in South Korea, completing my third overseas experience in the fall of 2023 with WorldStrides.

My Korean abroad experience was unlike the German programs I had participated in. Those were mostly cultural and academic. I was there to improve my language ability, participate in everyday life, and study German history for course credit. During my high school trip, I was fortunate to travel across Germany and experience Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets, and I even took a school ski trip to Austria. However, the European tour was canceled with the pandemic. I was determined to see more on my return college trip to Germany. With so many countries only a train ride away, my hope was to use weekends and breaks to travel to France, the Netherlands, and more. But in reality, time was short and class responsibilities left little time for exploration. I again left Europe with a desire to experience and do more.

I was ready for a different experience and location when I took my third trip abroad. Nearing graduation, I looked for an internship program to broaden my work skills in communications and marketing. In the fall of 2023, I was placed with a South Korean tourism company called PlusPlanner. There, I wrote newsletters about upcoming and past tours, took part in tours to write about my experiences, and posted on the company’s social media accounts.

Being an intern rather than a student made this experience unique, as I could build my job skills while working in an office five days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. I experienced a commuter life and enjoyed the camaraderie of coworkers in a job that was always different and fun. The company even took us to lunch every day so I could try many different foods! The best part: Once the work day was over, I could spend my night how I wished, traveling or shopping in the nearby districts. This was such a change from the limitations as a student with nightly stresses of homework. And each weekend, my program colleagues and I would head to a different destination, most of them made possible by PlusPlanner.

My job had many perks, which was a nice surprise. These included benefits like starting work at 10 a.m. rather than a standard 8 a.m.; taking a lunch hour where interns, coworkers, and managers ate together in small groups to build camaraderie (on the company’s tab); receiving occasional snacks and goodies that managers had delivered to our office for a pick-me-up (this included donuts, drinks, and more); and most importantly, going on tours around Korea for either a discounted price or for free.

Now, if you choose to pursue an internship in South Korea or elsewhere, keep in mind that every company is different and has its own culture, rules, and regulations. In my program, two out of four of us worked with PlusPlanner and roomed together in Seoul. One other worked at a skincare company, and another at an engineering firm, each experiencing unique pros and cons on the job. The one constant was that we met as much as possible to explore all the city had to offer in the weeks we were there.

I’ve learned more about a country’s cultures and people each time I’ve been abroad. But even more importantly, I’ve pushed my boundaries and grown in so many positive ways, such as increased  confidence, independence, and awareness. If you’re considering an international experience, either for study abroad or an internship, do it! Choose a destination that speaks to you and let it change your life. Dream big and let that experience be more than a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Let it be the first step on your way to becoming a global citizen, someone who has lived abroad (not just visited for a few days or weeks) and gained a bigger perspective on life outside of the country and culture you’re from.

Kasidy Meyer, Texas A&M University, is interning abroad in South Korea with TEAN.