Program Reviews

Yoyo good recall my vibrant and crazy fast-paced internship in Seoul this Summer. I don't know where to start but this was definitely a rollercoaster of high emotions and great food. I think food will give a good introduction so here we go. lol
As a typical Western European I was amazed and shocked as well how good AND spicy the food is over in Korea. It took my metabolism to adjust to the flavors and hot level, but once I mastered it I really didn't want to go back to Germany. haha
The night markets, the 24hr great drinking and bars that were open just gave me no other chance than going with my colleagues for sporadic drinks out sometimes.
Coming to the important bit my friends; The Internship!
Meiji did a great job placing me in a very successful startup focusing on English Learning platform and I was exposed to so many different business segments. Hey! No English teacher tasks, ok? Ah lot of IT, sales, marketing and even PR tasks were handed over to me during the three months I been there. The only thing I did not like was that sometimes working hours or work days changed, but I was informed in advance most of the time. This seems to be common in some Korean companies as other Meiji interns also told me that sometimes their boss had some promotional activities scheduled for weekends.
Last but not least, my Korean as well as my English has immensely improved and I was actually able to progress from Anyeonghaseyo to ordering food and talking about weather in Korean at the end. haha
I would say for anybody who wants to go to Asia, don't overlook Korea, because you gonna regret it. Bis denn Ihr Lieben! Alles gute euer Thomas!:)

At university I studied Tourism with the intention of working overseas in the hotel industry, and as expected Covid made finding real work experience overseas very difficult. During this time I had a chance to reflect on my next move, and so I set my goals towards Korea.

I got in touch with Meiji since I heard that the borders to Korea had opened, and at the time I didn’t want to waste any further time, so I selected the fast track option. I imagine my case was quicker than usual, but Meiji very quickly set up my internship with one of the top hotels in Seoul.

Once I arrived (earlier this year in May), life was much easier than expected. Korean’s are generally very nice and always happy to help, plus most of the important things will come with English translations. My daily work kept me busy enough, and as expected I found the work very interesting. During my 3 months at the hotel, I rotated around many different parts of the business function, so I was exposed to a lot. Also as it was an international hotel, I had no troubles with the language barrier.

The experience began with a Skype video call to discuss which business would work considering your interests, which I was glad to see. The interviews themselves went smoothly and I appreciated the care the staff showed towards my interests.

I speak very little Japanese, but I still managed to contribute to the company, primarily through creative marketing schemes aimed at international clients, as well as helping Japanese colleagues with their English.

I've learned a lot about how businesses work within Japan, and have gained a new perspective on the possibilities for my future career.

I needed an internship experience in order to graduate from university, so I used this as a chance to go abroad. Through some research and some talks with various student advisors, I became aware of Meiji Internships.

The culture of South Korea has always been of interest to me, so the thought of doing an internship there sounded really attractive. I was already relatively familiar with the culture, so the transition into the Seoul lifestyle was not really problematic for me.

Whenever I had a question Meiji were quick to respond and were always helpful. They made sure the company was right for me, and they ensured I had the best possible experience. I’m really glad I interned abroad, it’s given me so much confidence in both myself and my future career!

The experience I had with Meiji was faultless. I felt well taken care of even from our very first contact, and I could feel their enthusiasm for ensuring interns have the best possible experience. Though it was my third time in Japan, it felt as if even my first time would have had no problems as everybody was so accommodating.

The internship itself was super fulfilling, my daily tasks were always varied and I had a significant level of responsibility. This really allowed me to pour a lot of pride and joy into my work! Altogether, I had the best possible time with my host company and Meiji, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to get some work experience that will set you apart from the rest.

I decided to do an internship in Japan to combine both my professional development with my dream of living in Japan. It was a really eye opening experience for me in many ways, and I have no regrets at all in doing so. I chose Meiji Internships after seeing that they offered programmes in Fukuoka. It was my first time hearing of this city but after doing some research I thought it was a good fit for me. The internship itself was great, I worked on the marketing for a branding agency startup and had many opportunities to express my own talents in the workplace.

Fukuoka is really a fantastic city and I highly recommend doing an internship here. Meiji Internships in particular were very easy to work with, and the application process had no problems at all. Having that peace of mind and being able to fully devote your energy towards just enjoying your time in Japan is worth every penny in my opinion.

Interning in South Korea was something I learned about during a university fair, and was honestly something I thought wasn't possible without knowing the language. Through some research I found Meiji, who showed me that this wasn’t true! The internship they matched me with required only English (much to my relief) and was closely related to my industry of interest. I had three interviews and each potential host company was really interesting to me, so it was difficult to choose only one. Once I arrived, they were really welcoming and wasted no time in showing me around the city.

Looking back I am really grateful I was able to experience this. If I could give one piece of advice it would be to take pictures at every given opportunity, because once you leave you’ll really miss this place.

Coming to Korea for an internship turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. First I had a consultation call with Meiji and they questioned me on my industries of interest and previous experience. To be honest there were a few problems with the Host Companies at first, but eventually a few weeks later they matched me with the perfect company. I worked with a very small company in Seoul, and in the end I was so happy with them. It had an amazing family feel to it, and I felt very welcome as a new foreigner in the workplace. I was met by nothing but kindness and it lasted throughout my whole stay. They really helped me out in the beginning when I had issues setting things up like my bank account, so I will be forever grateful for all they did for me! For now it is goodbye but I am sure that it is not forever, Seoul will always have a special place in my heart.

I am studying for my business bachelors and wanted to get some real world experience while studying, so I found the virtual internship at Meiji and thought it was a good option. I chose to do this also because I wanted to get experience with international business in Asia, so I can make my resume different and help my future career as a international professional.

The Korean company I worked with had a lot of tasks for me to get involved with, which is just as I wanted so I stayed very busy. I did this during a break from university which was convenient because it meant that my schedule was still very manageable and i had time to relax.

Meiji helped me a lot to find this internship, when i emailed them they gave me helpful information, although there is a big time difference they did there best to reply quick. I would definitely recommend meiji internships and recommend a virtual internships especially if you want to get experience in a convenient way. After working with the company i now plan to visit Korea for a in person internship after I graduate!

DISORGANIZED - I had to hound Meiji for important information that could have forced me to terminate my internship had the issues not been addressed in time. I felt alone during the preparation process and throughout the entirety of my internship once I got to Korea, as I only ever heard from Meiji if I reached out in an emergency. I was nearly forced to cancel my trip altogether due to Covid complications, which Meiji left me to navigate alone despite already having the information I needed at the time.

MISLEADING PROMISES - I arrived at my housing accommodation and found that Meiji had basically dropped me off at a dump. The place was still under construction, and I was the first and only resident. Dirt, workers, and construction fumes everywhere. Ear-splitting noise from the drilling outside my door every morning. Waste fumes coming from the bathroom. A sewer fly infestation moving from the drains to my bedroom. There was hardly room enough to live and it wasn’t fully furnished like I was promised it would be. The place wouldn’t have been acceptable for a standard accommodation, let alone the “superior accommodation” that I had paid for with Meiji's business package. Even then I had to fight them for four days before they finally agreed to move me, at which point my health was already compromised.

POOR FOLLOW-THROUGH - Also included in my package were language courses, sightseeing trips and networking events, and I only received information on these WEEKS into my internship after reminding Meiji multiple times that I was waiting on them. The “networking events” were a few web links to interest groups completely unrelated to my field of work, most of which either required payment or were not meeting within my period of stay. I understand events were difficult to find during the pandemic, but Meiji should have warned me of this before I payed for the service.

NO WORK MENTORSHIP - The internship itself was an okay experience and my boss took good care of me. However, I was not learning from a creative professional who could teach me how to finesse my abilities, but rather getting projects thrown at me and trying to figure out on my own how to give the company what they were looking for. I did get some work experience to put on my resume, however, and I am thankful for that.

UNSAFE - I must also mention that in the three months I was there I was put in danger multiple times. Perhaps I was a rare case and Meiji had no means of protecting me, but my aloneness as a woman and lack of a support system in Korea put me at risk. By the halfway point of my internship I was afraid to leave my apartment.

FALSE HOPE FOR YOUR CAREER - Meiji claims that their business package is meant for those who intend to pursue a career in Asia upon graduation and want the best experience possible to “free yourself of any stress.” I returned home with no hope of finding a job in Asia, and those three months had my stress and anxiety at the highest they’ve been in a long time. South Korea itself is amazing and I do believe the experience of working an internship abroad is worth it, but if I were to do it again I would not go with Meiji Internships. This was an enormous time and financial commitment, and I felt that the amount I paid far exceeded the quality of service that I received.