On the evenings of September 28 and 29, the Office of Career Development of NSYSU’s College of Management held two online internship sharing sessions, attracting more than 90 students who listened to the career sharing of eight summer internship students and two NSYSU industry leader alumni. The internship sharing sessions were very informative and we believe that everyone took a lot from them. The industry leader alumni were Yu-Jen Tsai, an alumnus of the Institute of Human Resource Management who is currently working for Google, and Shang-Hsien Lin of Uniqlo’s Corporate Management Department, an alumnus of the Department of Business Administration. The internship students came from various departments of the College of Management, as follows: 
Ogilvy Taiwan – Department of Business Management – Hao Liu 
Microsoft – Department of Business Management – Yu-Chiao Fu Taiwan HP – MBA in Business Management – Che-Hung LinTaiwan HP – Masters in Information Management – Kuan-Ju Chen Bank SinoPac – Masters in Finance – Wei-Ting HsuCathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd. – Institute of Marketing Communication – Min-Hsuan Tang Acer – IBMBA – Chia-Ying Tsai ASML – GHRM MBA – Hsiang-Ting Huang
During the sharing session, faculty and alumni shared their insights on the purpose of internships, where to find internship opportunities, how to prepare internship applications, job content sharing, and the mindset to adopt during internships.
The Purpose of Internships
Industry leader alumnus Shang-Hsien Lin suggests thinking about what you want to gain from the internship before deciding how to proceed and achieve this goal, while Yu-Jen Tsai recommended thinking about the purpose of the internship in terms of the “Golden Circle”:
- Why: Why do you want to intern and what do you want to get out of it? Do you want to apply what you learned in school, or do you want to try out a different field?
- How: How do I apply for an internship? Through the company website, 104, by participating in business competitions, or by applying for corporate scholarships?
- What: What kind of internship should I choose? A project or permanent position?
Masters in Finance student Wei-Ting Hsu compared the difference between long-term and short-term internships. Because of the time cost of training interns, companies are more willing to provide resources to long-term interns because by the time interns have received basic training, the internship period for short-term interns may be almost over. Setting clear goals before applying for an internship can help you make the most helpful decision among the dizzying array of internship opportunities.
Where to Find Internship Opportunities
Participants were recommended to make use of job search websites, company websites, school resources, social media and other channels, and then choose the most suitable recruitment plan according to their personal goals. According to her experience at ASML, GHRM MBA student Hsiang-Ting Huang mentioned that ASML’s job openings are mainly advertised on 104, the ASML website, LinkedIn, and through campus recruitment. Hao Liu from the Department of Business Administration shared that there are 4 main channels to enter Ogilvy; besides the always popular and competitive Red Tie Program, there are also project interns, work study programs, and regular jobs. Institute of Marketing Communication student Min-Hsuan Tang introduced the Cathay Summer Internship Program (CIP) as a good springboard to enter the financial industry and make good use of LinkedIn to provide more opportunities for your network. Department of Business Management student Yu-Chiao Fu explained Microsoft’s an annual internship recruitment, which has an application period of around March and April every year. When preparing your application, she recommended participating in more Microsoft-related activities, such as Microsoft’s career sharing sessions and one-day internships.
How To Prepare Internship Applications
The details of the recruitment process vary from company to company, but the general application process is the same as that of HP interns, which was shared by MBA in Business Management student Che-Hung Lin. There are three stages: filling out the application form (submitting a resume), phone interview, and interview (which may be changed to a video interview during the pandemic).
Hao Liu shared that even if you have no working experience, Ogilvy still welcomes white papers when you apply for internships. The key is to continue to have the curiosity to keep asking “why did the company make this policy decision?” and find the core motive. Citing her experience in applying for an internship at Cathay Financial Holding as an example, Min-Hsuan Tang reminded participants that even if that do not have a bachelor’s degree yet, they can still try to highlight their logic and oral skills to attract the attention of the human resources department and interviewers. However, IBMBA student Chia-Ying Tsai recommended against applying for jobs in multiple departments in the same company at the same time, and mainly post relevant vacancies based on experience inside and outside the school, and to focus on positions relevant to your on and off campus experience.
Department of Business Management student Yu-Chiao Fu cites herself as an example for those wanting to apply for internships in different fields. Because she wasn’t familiar with the technology industry, he read books, watched YouTube videos, and went to official websites to learn more about the technology industry and products. She recommends students try out campus ambassadors, business competitions, etc. while at school and take advantage of the opportunities to improve their English skills and learn professional knowledge. The important thing to remember is that the earlier you prepare, the better. You can also learn more about the internship process from talking to students who are ahead of you in your program. When applying to an internship, you should also learn more about the department you are applying for, the internship program, and Microsoft’s products. Some questions to consider include: Is the department you are applying for is B2B or B2C? What competencies required for the internship program do you need to strengthen? What are the problems that the company’s products are designed to solve?
When it comes to writing a resume, Shang-Hsien Lin suggested that you examine the intersection of three things: what the company needs, what you are able to do, and what you like to do. According to the Voice of the Customers, as you design your resume, you can try to build a personal brand in the process. Hsiang-Ting Huang suggests that when writing a resume, try to quantify your accomplishments, for example, by specifying the percentage of revenue increase you helped the company achieve. The description of the job you’re applying for is also an important piece of information to consider. When customizing your resume for a job, you can list your experience according to the qualities and abilities required for it. Wei-Ting Hsu shared that the internship he applied for was mainly in accounts receivable management (ARM) paperwork, so before applying, he needed to understand that the internship required candidates to have the ability to analyze financial reports, be proactive, and have good communication and learning skills. He then listed the experience he had based on these abilities. Wei-Ting added that when applying for an internship in the finance field, the higher the English ability, the better, and a finance license is also considered a plus.
As for the interview, Hsiang-Ting Huang mentioned that one must be familiar with the job description of the internship, understand the company and its competitors, be sincere but not reveal ones shortcomings, and make good use of the STAR principle (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Masters in Information Management student Kuan-Ju Chen suggested that at the end of each semester in school, you can review any presentations and teamwork experiences you have done during the semester so that you have enough practical experience to share with recruiters when writing your resume and interviewing. Kuan-Ju then shared that, in response to the pandemic, her in person interview was replaced with a virtual video interview. The video interview may become a standard part of the application process in the future, so remember to stay confident and look at the camera rather than at your notes. In the group interview, it is recommended to first observe to avoid answering before thinking clearly.
Job Content Sharing
Hao Lin introduces Ogilvy Taiwan as an “image doctor,” helping companies to change their image, improve the problems they encounter, and find solutions to customer problems and expectations. The main tasks of project execution are graphic organizing, video shooting, launching products, and social media marketing. Hao Lin’s role was mainly in social media marketing.
Kuan-Ju Chen shared that she felt a sense of accomplishment when her project was adopted, and that the benefits of her internship included understanding her own shortcomings, examining her own abilities to see if they were helpful, and gaining a better understanding of her own values.
-Hsiang-Ting Huang’s main role was in Talent Acquisition, including screening resumes, conducting phone interviews, managing job vacancies using the Application Tracking System (ATS) and job posting, etc. Therefore she gained a new understanding of writing and submitting resumes.
-Che-Hung Lin shared that his main job at HP was to produce SCR (Supply Chain Responsibility) reports, including on circular economy, carbon neutrality, and renewable energy. In addition, in response to the pandemic, most his internship was spent in online collaboration and discussion, so self-discipline was even more important in order to deliver quality results on time when working at home.
-Min-Hsuan Tang shared her internship projects were divided into individual projects, departmental projects, and group projects, with the group projects being conducted in random groups of all interns. Due to the epidemic, almost everything was conducted online, but the human resources department provided many activities and online learning resources, which made the internship quite enriching. her main takeaways were networking, understanding of the financial industry’s marketing business, learning to be a competent team member, and improving her presentation skills.
-Chia-Ying Tsai shared her internship experience at AcerPure, a subsidiary of Acer. Because the internship was in marketing development, she visited customers and promoted products with her supervisor. The most important part of the internship was to try out bidding with other competitors in the field, and to understand the competitive relationship within the industry from a different perspective. Proposals are one of the most important steps in the market development process, so she learned how to think differently and make changes from the feedback she received from others. The communication process among the team was also a valuable learning experience.
The Mindset to Adopt During Internships
Min-Hsuan Tang encourages everyone to “not doubt the effort you have put in.” According to alumnus Yu-Jen Tsai, there are three key elements to have a good internship experience: a positive attitude, a sense of responsibility for the project, and an open mind to challenges and learning. For his part, alumnus Shang-Hsien Lin reminded students that, the truth is that companies do not necessarily require complete abilities and knowledge in interns and recent graduates, but rather positive personality traits and a responsible approach to problems and challenges. Finally, Shang-Hsien Lin encouraged everyone to take the steering wheel of life into their own hands, to hold on to their great dreams with enthusiasm, and to try to achieve them.
