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Corporate internship or NGO internship? Which one is better? There's no one-size-fits-all answer for this question. While interning at a corporate organization is more like getting trained for a regular white collar career, interning at an NGO is more about volunteering your time to battle some of the real world challenges. Even though both of them are important in their own rights, you should try your hand at an NGO internship at least once in your student life, either in school or college. Opt for an NGO internship abroad, a great example of which would be an NGO internship in Korea.

NGO Internship Korea: What's In It For You?

Remember the time when you were a child and dreamed of fighting off all the evils of the world like a superhero and transforming the world into a better place for all? Well, doing a NGO internship in Korea would give you a similar feel. Here, you'll be face to face with the pressing issues that impact humanity and world. It doesn't matter if you don't see yourself making a career in the non-profit sector. You can still partake in the feelings of immense contentment and pride that one experiences after contributing to the community via a NGO internship Korea. You can think of it as setting an altruistic tone for your life ahead.

Expect This During Your Internship In Korea

While the work culture obviously differs from one NGO to another, most usually offer a family-like feel to the volunteers. The work environment is less formal than in a typical for-profit company. People are passionate about the causes that their NGO stands for and believe in working together to accomplish the common goals. During your NGO internship in Korea, you can expect to become a part of such energetic work environment and driven group of people. Throughout the time of your NGO internship Korea, you'll encounter ample incidents and meet plenty people that will leave you inspired. If you choose a bigger size NGO for your Korea internship, then your work designation and responsibilities will be more or less fixed. In large-sized NGOs, the administration tends to be highly compartmentalized. People have their job roles cut out for them. But in case you land a Korea internship at a relatively small size NGO, then chances are that you'll have to assume more than one or two work responsibilities. Small size NGOs have limited staffing. This means that in addition to your designated role, you may be expected to help out your colleagues in their tasks when you have free time. While this may seem overwhelming, it's actually a great opportunity to hone yourself as a generalist, someone who can multi-task. For example, one day you might be helping out a colleague on some field work, another day you could be helping organizing a fund-raising event, and some other day you may be writing a press release for your NGO.

Your internship in Korea will offer you a cross-functional training, helping you develop and refine several skills at a time. Rest assured, that with such diverse work routine, there will never be a dull day during your NGO internship in Korea. Being the vibrant nation that South Korea is, it's not surprising that its non-profit sector is just as dynamic. From organizations whose work focuses on securing human rights to organizations that work in education and health care sectors, the spectrum of NGOs in Korea is wide-ranging. Their work is not limited to just Korea, they also do substantial work in the developing countries of the world. NGO internship Korea gives you the chance to work for issues that matter the most to you and to the rest of the world.

Make Your Korea Internship More Amazing With These Tips

• Learn Korean language. It's okay if you are not fluent. But it'd still be helpful if you take up a Korean language course prior to beginning your NGO internship in Korea. Because you'll be staying in Korea for a good amount of time for your internship, it only makes sense that you learn the local language. It will make it easier for you to interact with the locals, plus this extra bit of effort will help you stand out from the rest of the foreign interns in your peer group.
• Try to blend in with the local color. This is the best way to experience the local lifestyle. Even though Korea is a cosmopolitan, it has preserved its individuality. So get to know the true Korea. Hit the local streets, mingle with the local population, taste the local specialty food, and maybe even wear the local fashion!
• Study up about the NGO organization that you are doing your internship in Korea Visit their website, read press releases about their significant work so far, talk to former interns, etc. This will prepare you for what to expect, in terms of organizational culture, during your internship.
• Have an idea about what you want to do, yet remain flexible enough. It's important that you form an idea about what you would like to do and accomplish by the end of your NGO internship Korea. Use this self-knowledge to guide your work during internship. Ask your mentor at the NGO to give you responsibilities that match your end-goals. Being clear in your mind about what you want to do will enable you to be clear with the skills that you showcase on your resume. But, as mentioned earlier, you may be asked to work on things that don't strictly align with your learning goals. In such scenarios, you should be accommodating towards the organization's expectations of you.
• Take initiative and make an impact. NGOs welcome the influx of fresh ideas. Coming from a different country, you have the advantage of having a different viewpoint on the state of things. So, bring your perspective into the mix. But don't assume that you know better! Offer opinions in a way that seems constructive, not in a way that appears to be patronizing.

Spend this summer break living your childhood dream of helping the world. Start planning your NGO internship in Korea now!APPLY NOW! or LEARN MORE

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