The Internship

In the learning process, it is normally a requirement for students to put the things that they learn in class into practice. There is normally a recommendation to go into the field to experience what they expect to do once they leave school. Two most critical engagements along a student’s course are internships and volunteer services. Internships and community work have exemplary life lessons to teach students. It is not just about doing a course to completion, but also gaining the moral values that the society expects from students.

Employers often need to know how experienced a potential employee is, and an internship session is one useful way to find it out. Another benefit of engaging in an internship is that it is one way of getting directly assimilated into the organization. Organizations tend to observe whether their interns are selfless enough, and, therefore, they often land jobs with organizations, once they are through with their studies. As a student, I had to do internship to make my learning life complete. Having been recommended to do an internship, I had to choose where I wanted it to take place. I had South Korea in my mind, so during the summer break, I did an internship and volunteer service in South Korea. I will provide information about my experiences based on the two below cases.

I did my internship at Keunil Enpla, which is a medium-sized company that produces automobile parts. The company’s mission is to manufacture the best automobile parts in the world. Some of the automobile parts manufactured by the company include: T.M.V BODY valve for brake booster, CMC cylinder for clutch booster CMC body for clutch master cylinder and single body valve for brake booster. I had neither been to South Korea, nor worked for any organization before. It was going to be the first moment, and, perhaps, the precise moment to define my potential. I got the notification of my first appointment with the company’s director through email. I felt very nervous and did not know whether to smile or ponder over my academic infirmities that could possibly disapprove my competence as an intern in the organization.

I did my preparation well in advance by checking that everything about me was up to standard. The previous week, I had made sure that I had some basic knowledge about my future destination. I made sure that my papers and everything else were in order and well-arranged. I clad in my best official attire, whispered a prayer and set off. I boarded a commuter bus that would drop me off at the entrance of Keunil Enpla. My appointment was scheduled for 8:00 am, so I arrived there at exactly 7:45 am. After showing my clearance at the gate, I entered the company’s compound. “Wow, what a place!” I exclaimed. The company had a pleasant, well- combed surrounding. It was as clean as “the golden streets of heaven”, as one church pastor once put it. I headed to the reception desk to confirm my appointment time, and it turned out that they were expecting me. "Wait a little, please”, said some eloquent young lady. Her radiant smile and angelic voice described the beauty in its perfect dimension. “I suspect she is the receptionist,” I thought. Seated, at the waiting desk, I gazed around, trying to take in every little detail. “These people look serious,” I muttered to myself after looking at the expression on staff members’ faces that seemed to say,“Our job is vital”. My stint at the company was a chance to shape the attitude that would possibly be expected from me later on.

Finally, I heard the young lady say, “You can now come in”. She pointed towards a door leading to the board room, and at this moment, my heart skipped a beat. It was time to face the slaughter, in case there was to be any. I knew that facing the company’s directors was not to be an easy task, “Just take onto your steps,” my heart seemed to say as I struggled to overcome my fears. The boardroom door was half-open, or should I say half-closed? I came in wearing a customized smile on my face and trying to remember any possible interview questions. In the room, there were two old men; at least their grey hair gave me the impression. “Welcome, young man, and be relaxed,” said one of them with a fatherly smile on his face. “I am the head of the human resource department at this company, and my colleague here is the head of operations. Our company accorded you an opportunity to serve an internship session in this facility after a detailed scrutiny of your papers presented to us a few months ago. We expect you to behave within the company’s rules and moral standards,” he said as he gave me a contract to sign. After a brief interview, I was free to go. We shook hands as we all parted to our respective stations. “We will watch you closely, and if you prove a point, we promise to retain you,” the head of operations said as they were leaving the room.

The organizational culture of this company is to promote its employees by encouraging them to do their best for reward. Proper administration and employee relations make things work remarkably well for Keunil Enpla. Everyone is always willing to listen to one another, and help is always near in case of need. Solution to employees’ problems is one way that the company ensures the provision of quality service.

Founded in 1991, Keunil Enpla got its official registration in 2004. The company employs between 101 to 500 employees, who hold their work close to their heart. The company’s staff are well-motivated and balanced. There is a fair treatment of employees, and one can see it by looking at their friendly faces. The company is obviously a reliable source of economic growth for the surrounding community because it employs people and fosters an improved income per person.

With an annual revenue of between $500,000 to 1,000,000. Keunil Enpla is a valuable booster of the country’s economy. Having an exemplary organizational system, it is a company I admire. Its customers come from all over the world. Keunil Enpla’s main markets include China, Mexico, USA and Iran. The company’s customer base has boosted its profitability over the years. It makes goods of tremendous quality, and hence its praiseworthy returns as a medium-sized company. In 1997, Keunil Enpla succeeded in developing a replacing cylinder body for 105 clutch booster to new fibre from cast iron. The company aims to localize its products by introducing advanced technological principles from developed countries and making use of engineering strengthened plastic. The quality and commitment to its services has made it highly reputable in the region. Many admire the company and would love to work with Keunil Enpla.

I got the internship by submitting an application. For a long time, I had admired the mystery behind motor vehicle operation. As a child, I was I was fond of playing with toy cars. A recommendation from school expressed the need for the company to offer me that opportunity to join and learn from them. I got my acceptance letter just at the start of summer holidays. It was a moment that I had anticipated for a long time. At least, that was an opportunity to express the knowledge I had gained in class and perhaps learn more. Orientation: upon reporting at the company, I was assigned to a senior automobile engineer who we were to interact with for the time that I was going to spend at Keunil Enpla. Being a pleasant and hardworking fellow, he was strict on duty and serious in training. The orientation time was quite hectic, but I had to go along with all the duties, and it was a fantastic learning spree. Many a times, I would be asked to go and collect parts I did not know, which I found quite challenging. Quite literally, I had to contend with everything, since every step was a learning experience. Every morning, my instructor would take me through a learning process. He would teach how me to fix certain mechanical parts by showing me their names and using a small handbook containing the parts’ serial numbers and ways of fixing them. After the instruction and lesson time, I would be assigned some small duties, which did not require much effort. Everything was conducted within my ability. Finally, I was transferred to the sales department where I was to oversee the sale and dispatch of goods to customers. I kept a record of all automotive parts sold on a daily basis. This was quite an exciting opportunity for me to learn automobile parts and dynamics of dealing with customers.

Challenges were also there. Sometimes, a customer would urgently need his order, and that would require me to work exceptionally fast. Before I could get conversant with the performance procedure of that section, I found it exceedingly hard to deal with the pressure. As we were always told, the customer is always right. I tried real hard to serve them with all the efficiency they needed. I sought help whenever things seemed unclear. The staff members we worked with were always willing to give us all help they could. I reported to the dispatch supervisor and ensured that everything under my jurisdiction was up to standard. I did my best to maintain high levels of discipline and worked hard in my area. I kept an open mind to learn new things every moment I had an opportunity to. Some things that I learnt were not within my area of study at school. Due to field experience one is able to acquire skills that are beyond one’s professional competence.

Working with people who were old enough to be my parents was another challenge for me. I found it rather abnormal to instruct people older than me, and, therefore, had to find some ways of coping with such challenges. I soon became friends with most of them. Work was not based on what you were to do, but rather doing all in order to help one another.  Everyone was happy, and there were neither wrangles nor cases of mistrust. Duty performance thrived because everyone was convinced that it was necessary to do it. I was once taught that a true leader is the one who makes others do things because they are willing to, and not because it is compulsory.

The responsibilities I had were a real application of my class work. I learnt aspects of administration, became conversant with different working environments and knew how to relate with employees. Work at the dispatch section was quite an experience. My working hours would begin at 8am and end at 5pm. I would put on my dust coat, take my working tools, which included order and receipt books, a pen and a laptop to make my recordings. The position required me to be precise and honest. My supervisor had to make sure that my records tallied with the store records. I had to do things swiftly because customers would crowd the shop to fetch their orders. A loyal customer relation was a requirement, so I had to wear a wide smile on my face as I talked to them.

All the time spent at the organization is worth remembering, as it shaped my life and helped me identify a few things about myself and the surrounding world. However, a few moments cannot go unmentioned. Staff members at Keunil Enpla are the one thing that I cannot fail to remember. Working together with the company’s employees was exceptional fun, as they were tremendously supportive and helped me identify the immense potential I had. In the department where I was, every staff member was anxious to interact and eager to know what I study at school. Because I was the youngest person in the department, they grew exceedingly fond of me. They all treated me as their own and taught me lessons, both professional and issues of life.

I looked forward to each new day at the company. There was no place for boredom, as I spent my time working and interacting with supportive colleagues. I learnt that I was fun to be around, and they all wanted to hang around me. I never worried about things I would need at work because there was always someone ready to see to that. They always had words of encouragement for me, and they were unlike anything I was ever told. Their hospitality helped me develop a new trait of friendliness. Another defining moment was the experience that I had during the orientation time. I discovered that I was an extraordinary fast learner. My trainer taught me a number of automobile principles. He was happy at how fast I mastered the things he taught me. Practically, I was able to learn how vehicle parts work to yield the functionality. I learnt how to assemble parts like brake booster and clutch master cylinder. The knowledge that I gained was indeed enough to earn me employment at an automobile company. It was a time worth remembering. The machine parts were indeed fascinating. I learnt the importance of committing yourself wholly to your work. My trainer taught me organizational behaviour and ways of dealing with diversity in my surrounding. I learnt that productivity increases when workers interrelate well and work together to achieve common organizational goals.

Another defining moment of my stay at Keunil Enpla was when I was doing record keeping. The tallies never seemed to balance and I became worried. In fact, I panicked, because I did not know how to explain it. I tried looking for a solution to the problem but could not. I tried to convince my supervisor that I did my tallies, but all in vain. I later discovered that one of junior workers had confused some parts by mistake. I was ready to hit him for putting my reputation at risk. However, we soon managed to sort it all out, and things got back to normal. I learnt that I cannot be patient when mistakes occur. What I learned from this experience is that mistakes are inevitable and may sometimes require acceptance and forgiveness. I would highly recommend this organization to others. I surely believe that the experience I gained working at Keunil Enpla is worth going through by others. It is a place where real experience is inevitably learnt. I can attest to the fact that everyone wishing to work in peace will surely find it here. The support that the organisation gave me taught me to be a better leader. Change of the learning environment is also absolutely necessary at some point in one’s life. We should not simply gain classroom knowledge and report to work with no experience. We may find it hard to deal with work dynamics if we neglect this critical part of learning. If I am given an opportunity to work for Keunil Enpla after my graduation, I will gladly take it. It is a medium-sized company that I admire a lot. Having made friends there, I would be best placed to go back. So I will not mind if such a challenge or something equivalent comes my way.

Sometimes, as intern may not get the exact value of experience that he or she expects during his internship. This should not be a reason to undervalue internships, but rather try and draw positive lessons from the experience. You can turn any situation into a learning experience, as long as you have a positive approach. Ideally, internship should provide skills that are related to one’s career path; but in case desire is not met, one should just know that they are learning something new. You may never know the benefits of a career until you venture into it. All internships teach soft skills; and that is why most employers emphasize behavioural interviewing. They also prefer

Students normally consider their internships to be a waste of time. It is important ant that students consider two factors underlying the issue of internship: 1) it can help you know what you want 2) it can help you identify what you do not want. It becomes much easier to make decisions about what you want to do and where you want to be, once you have learnt this.

Not every career choice is a straight line; the path is always bound to deviate at some stage. Everyone commences his journey with a dream. They are always determined to make it come to realization. It is a high time we realized that dreams are but guesses, which are based on issues that are hypothetical in nature. A fascinating thing happens when one starts working in the line of their dream career, but later realizes that that is not what they were meant to do after all.

Internships are indeed a unique opportunity that one is never bound to have for the rest of their life. This is the best opportunity to test drive different positions as a career seeker, so that you identify the one that suits you best and consequently stick to it. It is advisable to utilize this chance, spend summers or any other holiday season, depending on your school program to do an internship. Take time, be an intern.

 Community Service

During my summer break, I also did a voluntary service. Voluntary service means sacrificing one’s time to serve another person without being paid for it. It is never obligatory, but rather a choice that one makes in his heart. Offering service to the community makes the lives of others better. The community gauges a member by the good deeds he/she does for the community. Leaders always seek to impress their people so that they may gain the trust of many. The community always wants the kind-hearted to assume leadership positions. This delightful heart is by how free one can be to give free services to his/her community. Community service shows how caring one can be about the community. It is a learning process during which life lessons are instilled in students and stay with them for a life time.

The organization I worked as a volunteer at is Jungwoon Healthcare Centre. Jungwoon is a South Korean healthcare centre that offers voluntary services to areas around the centre. The mission of this organization is to help as many people as possible. Its willingness to serve and improve the life of community members was a major contributing factor to the organization’s growth. It is a small organization that provides services to people who are not able to help themselves, such as children, as well as the old,and sick. The organizational culture was to have genuine will and mind about what we were doing and have pride in what we do. One must be willing to be a part of this team with a contrite heart. The organization’s staff is comprised of volunteers, who are willing to extend a helping hand to others. It gets its funding from well wishers and non-governmental organizations.

Jungwoon’s initiatives have been able to change the lives of many people. Setting standards in the surrounding area by doing well to humanity has won many hearts. It is a source of encouragement for many people to start doing well too. Many members of the surrounding community have been able to serve others through this organization. Many are willing to volunteer to help their neighbour to feel better. The services that one offers to people while in the organization help humble him. I met different people and interacted with them by sharing their pain. There were people who had different moving stories to tell, and every day I was inspired by a story or more. I learnt a lot about the Korean society and the problems many people face. Life may sometimes be very unfair and some tend to give up. There were those who had given up but received help from Jungwoon. It was a brilliant opportunity for me to know more about these people. Although frustration and disappointment could be seen in many people’s eyes, there was always hope for them at Jungwoon. Never in my life had I thought of cleaning streets and being watched. This chance made me do that and all with the heart of helping others feel accepted in the society. Cleaning would otherwise be a lowly job that was to be done by the less educated in the society. I learnt to respect people who do cleaning and other so called odd jobs. I now appreciate them and understand the fact that we cannot live without such services.

Service to the community is one of my best hobbies. It normally feels expedient to make others feel loved. I remember a friend of mine in the junior school who was so dear to me. At a remarkably young age, he already had the heart to make others feel valued. I remember leaving school for home and walking down the street. Suddenly, a bunch of bullies appeared out of nowhere. They sarcastically greeted me and asked, “Hey frick, did you get a jab from your nice teacher today?” Bursting out laughing, they drew closer and started pushing me around.

I was terribly tinny back then, and so I could not even attempt to contend with them. I silently watched them perform their antics on me. “Hey, can’t you hear me? I asked you a question. I told you never to go to school just to get jabbed by those morons you call teachers,” he forked. ”Just look at us. We cannot go to that place you call school, because we cannot allow jabs on our skins ha-ha!” they laughed. When I was about to cry, my friend suddenly showed up. He was a bit bigger in size than any of them. He gravely disapproved of their act and tried to talk some sense into them. Slowly, each of them walked away beaten at his acts. My friend was truly sorry. He encouraged me never to give up in such situations. He escorted me home and promised to stay by my side and protect me from any other bullies.

Well my friend had a choice to either come to my help or pretend he did not know me altogether. He chose to help me by protecting me from a group of bullies. Thus, I learnt to be strong and stick to my genuine opinion. I felt loved and relevant to people around me because my friend made me feel so.

In our lives, we all have the option to either help people in need around us or ignore them entirely. Humanity requires one to consider and do well for the betterment of others. Using one’s knowledge and God-given ability to serve others and make their lives better is a splendid thing. It is this drive that made me approach Jungwoon organization and seek a chance to be one of them. I wanted to make others feel loved the same way my friend did to me. They accepted my willingness to participate in their projects and taught me many things that I was expected to do. A day of orientation was set, and I reported. I got oriented on the activities that the organization carries out in the surrounding areas. The orientation took place in groups and was performed by the organization’s staff. I profoundly admired the master drive and was eager to be a part of it. They gave the volunteers some brochures containing elaborate information on the things they always do in the surrounding community. It was said in the brochures that we would serve for free. They did not bind us by any contract but rather expected us to be in our best behaviour and commit ourselves wholly to our duties. The orientation took only one day. During the rest of the time we did not learn, because we were to learn in the field. I was to prepare psychologically for the tasks ahead. Since it needed a genuine calling, I was convinced that I had what it takes to do community work.

We had a number of responsibilities, such as washing old people who were too weak to do anything on their own. They were many of them, with some being sick due to diseases or old age. They were placed in a home where Jungwoon was to take care of their needs. Most of the old people were neglected by their families because of their unproductive status that overburdened them. Dealing with the washing task was quite a challenge, as it required someone with a pure heart. The sight of old, sick and helpless people is never pleasant under normal circumstances. Having pity for them and showing them love was all they needed. We were to make them smile and give them hope in life. We would make them feel comfortable and share the word of God with them. They also had a chance to share fascinating stories about their lives. Remembering their youthful lives was quite an exemplary moment for them. Remembering with absolute nostalgia things they did back in those days made their faces brighten up. They were quite an amusing lot during the entire time.

It is indeed clear that there is an extremely large number of neglected persons in the world today. The issue of neglect touched me to the very core of my being. There are many who are in dire need of attention and humanity. Old people are going through tough times and need help. Therefore, it is high time we all became responsible and started looking around. For instance, those who beg in the street do so because no one seems to care for them. They resort to begging simply to survive. Many die because no one loving enough comes to their aid when they are in need. The society lacks humanity, and, therefore, cases of neglect keep rising. Love is forgotten and everyone seems to mind their own businesses. Who will remember about the desperate in the society?  Who will come to their help? I also helped the helpless wash their things and move furniture. We cooked and served them food and encouraged them to stay strong.  We also engaged in organizing cleaning of the surrounding environment. Many cities and towns are never clean due to the large population that keeps littering in the street. By doing community cleaning services, people are discouraged from polluting the environment and even volunteer to help. Everyone would be living in places of high standards of cleanliness if all agreed to be responsible and cared about the environment. We opened blocked drainages and collected litter. We were also under obligation to create awareness among the residents of the area about prevailing pandemics. We taught them the importance of keeping their surrounding clean. We informed them on how to avoid calamities caused by lack of care for the environment. We provided counselling on certain social issues. There were those who had questions about issues of life. We taught youths on issues of gender and responsible sexual relationships. Lack of adequate knowledge had in the past taken many people to grave. Initiatives similar to those of Jungwoon, would certainly make our lives better. We taught residents how to maintain high standards of hygiene. The health center often organized free medical camps; I participated in this by helping register and distribute medications once in every two weeks. People with various health problems came to seek medical advice. They truly appreciated our work and wished us well. We also visited children homess, cleaned children’s things, taught and encouraged them. The children were in need of people to show them love. Most of them were orphans, while others ran away from their homes due to problems they talked about sometimes. I remember one girl who used to leave with a stepmother. “She used to scold me everyday, yet my father did nothing,” she explained.

My responsibilities at Jungwoon helped me develop sympathy for fellow human beings. They also helped me learn how to deal with pandemics and accept diversity of life situations. My interaction with people of various disabilities helped me appreciate my life and thank God for giving me good health. I learnt how precious life is and realized the need for everybody to take care of it and avoid being neglectful. Most of the disabled persons accepted their situations and lived with contentment in their hearts. I learnt how to nurse the sick and provide first aid. I learnt to appreciate and respect everyone despite their disabilities. Every day I looked at somebody’s face and marvelled at how I helped them; I felt complete joy in my heart. It was a chance to give back to the society the same way that I had been given in the past. “To whom much has, much will be”.

Voluntary service made me more humane when I needed it most. There were several defining moments but I will only mention a few. The superb compassion with which I did the social services showed me as a better social worker than in any other career. I realized that I loved dealing with children. Visits to disadvantaged children homes were the moments that I liked most of all. I enjoyed the company of little kids. They were fun to play with and aid. I listened to their stories and felt downright compassion for them. What could I do? I promised to help poor children realize their personality and ability. I promised to initiate a project in my country that would provide means to education and healthcare to the poor.

I vividly remember offering services and seeing an old man who looked at me and said, “My grandchild, I’m happy to see the light of this day. I’m not the luckiest”. I came closer being eager to listen to this old man’s thoughts of agony. He told me his story. He had a wife but they stayed childless for a long time. Suddenly, a miracle happened and his wife conceived,after 15 years of failure. “It was the happiest moment of my life”, he remarked. They celebrated the moment with all their friends and relatives. Little did he know that the worst was yet to happen in his life. Nine months passed, and the time came for his beloved wife to deliver. As they approached the hospital compound, Jin was utterly certain that he would finally become a father. From the delivery room came noises of labour, and Jin was sure that the baby was about to be born. To cut a long story short, there was a sudden silence, followed by commotion. “Why is not my son crying yet?” he wondered. Convincing himself to stay patient, he waited. Slowly, a a door of the labour room opened and a doctor came out. Jin almost jumped thinking that the doctor was going to tell him the much anticipated news. Wearing a sad look on his face, the doctor remarked, “She could not hold the breadth for long”. “What do you mean?” Jin asked. The baby and the mother had passed away at delivery, leaving him alone in this cruel world. There was no one to smile at him when he grew old, and no one to be the heir of his humble abode. There was no one to cook and taste his food.  He joined Jungwoon’s initiative one month ago. I washed his wounds and warmed his heart. “Thanks grandchild, I cannot be Jin without Jungwoon,” he could only say as tears rolled down his cheeks. “I’m here to make you smile again”, I assured him. After one month, he passed away, but I know he knew that someone was by his side. Jin helped me identify my ability to listen and warm the heart of a desolate person. That was one of the most defining moments of my voluntary service experience.

A young lady at a children home shared her story with me. She was extremely young and left to take care of her two younger siblings. “This was the most challenging moment in my life,” she said. “It was so painful to see my two sisters crying because they were hungry; they had no one else to cry to but me,” she added. Thanks to the organization that came to their aid they were taken to school. So, she made up her mind to become a social worker to never let anyone suffer.

Another defining moment was when I got the opportunity to address the community on matters pertaining to health and hygiene. I had not done that before and it was certainly a major challenge. I gathered myself up, stood straight and faced the crowd. I felt as I was going to tremble, but inside I had the determination to remain calm and sufficiently effective. By the time, I finished everyone seemed bewildered and wanted to know more. “You are a leader and an excellent instructor,” my supervisor said. I do not think I would have gotten a chance to discover myself somewhere else but Jungwoon. Jungwoon taught me a lot of virtues that the society places a lot of emphasis on. I got to learn and appreciate others the way they are. I thank the administrations for according me that wonderful opportunity and look forward to another.

I would like to recommend this service to others. It shows how one is mindful about his community. It gives one a chance to learn how to deal with various situations in one’s life. In the process of training others, I became knowledgeable about issues that make us go on living. We have to live according to what we are taught. People look to you for useful information and that is much better than being a king in an oppressed society. Those who aspire to be outstanding leaders in various organizations should first learn to give. We live in a world where charity should define the characters of a leader. Internship is a basic requirement for students pursuing careers. From them, students gain experience and are able to apply theory to practice. Internship is a means of further training after class work. In most cases, it is the experience that one gets in the working field that qualifies them to be what they dream to be. We are trained, but there are things that we can only learn by doing them ourselves. My service in the two organizations was particularly exemplary. I got decent reports that I am proud of, and I will still have a chance to do similar voluntary services. All WSOM students should try their best and do an internship and voluntary service. It is extremely beneficial, because it boosts their confidence in the service (Nye 42).

Internship and voluntary work enable a student to learn and master a lot of new things. I should say that I learnt a lot of employment dynamics.  Keunil Enpla is a reputable company that provided me with an excellent opportunity to learn. I learned a lot and prepared for future employment. Voluntary service is another recommendation for students. Volunteering helps people appreciate many things around them. Kindness and ability to have others in mind is the one thing that this world needs to ensure peace and harmony. At the end of the day, we all owe our origin to a common creator and humanity should always prevail in us. We should treat people in need the same way we would expect to be treated by others, if in the same position.