Across Time and Space
By: Egret Jin, SEAS ’23
Screenshot of a desktop with many pages open.
Saib – Seoul, Republic of Korea
When I first got my internship request I felt incredibly nervous. I was excited, of course, to embark on a new global experience, but I had no idea what to expect. Even though it would be virtual, an internship abroad still held daunting prospects. Communication seemed hard with the time zone difference and cultural barriers. I remember frantically researching the customs and unspoken workplace rules for Korea right before my interview and bedtime at 9pm, jotting down notes to reference later.
The first words my interviewer said to me, though, were “nice room.”
It turns out that despite the miles and miles of distance between us and the hours and hours of time difference, people are still just people, and we share many things in common with one another (like taste in home décor). My interview, while structured, was plenty relaxed and not at all the critical interrogation I was fearing. I learned a lot about the company and its values, many of which I resonated strongly with. In the end, we even bonded over our favorite YouTube vloggers!
I went into the next week full of excitement and a lot less apprehension. Communication with my supervisor proved easy after becoming familiarized with their software and amidst my assignments and research tasks the days passed in a blur. I met another intern at the company who was also doing GRIP at Penn, and we met up for bubble tea and made plans to work together next week.
In the first two weeks of my internship, I’ve been able to create new webpage designs and watch them progress and grow over the days, giving me a satisfying sense of accomplishment. While I was afraid I might not be able to handle the workload, my tasks have been manageable. Looking back, my previous fears seem so silly. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of things, I can’t wait to see what else this internship has in store for me and also what I’ll accomplish by the end of it. While it truly sucks that the pandemic has prevented us from traveling, I’m still very thankful to GRIP for allowing me this opportunity to experience new cultures and broaden my horizons. Additionally, the work skills I’ve learned through this internship will definitely come in handy in the future. I possess a stronger sense of confidence after going through these hurdles and am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.