When you decide that you are going the blogging/content editor/writer route; there is what we call a starting point. What does your job then look like as a content editor/writer? I remember my first post; finding a topic to write about was easy because I was guided to write about anything I have an interest in about Korea. What I distinctly recall as one of the most nerve-wracking moments was when I had to publish the article I had written.
I suddenly found myself at a place where I had to critique my work, which I think is necessary especially if I am going the self-employed route; but finding myself having to publish my first article brought some doubts about whether the article was good enough or not, will people like it and what if people actually hate it? I needed to calm down and remember I am not writing to get accepted but I am writing because I want to and I actually love what I am writing about.
What I can say played a major role was the supervision I received from TakemetoKorea. If you haven't yet, follow my series on how this happened:
a) My Remote Content Writing/Editing Journey
b) 7 Tips to Become a Content Editor Today
c) What you need to be a good Content Editor
d) The Joy of Content Editing/Writing
e) Perks of Content Editing at TMK
f) Content Editor/Writer on the job
I thought it necessary and very helpful to find out from my colleagues at TakemetoKorea, what inspired them to apply for an internship at TakemetoKorea and what their jobs look like as interns at TMK. I do believe and see after conducting interviews with my colleagues that if I were to only give a report from my own experience that it will be a very limited perspective; which will be quite an injustice to you as a reader and the company that offers the content editing/writing training.
People from All Walks of Life
At 35 years of age, as a mother and after several tried jobs I decided to explore the career of content editing/writing. Generally, the interest was sparked by the number of articles I came across while looking for my next adventure; read all about here.
I know different people have become content writers/ bloggers for different reasons, but I thought it may help my readers if they got an insight on the type of writers I have come across, their backgrounds, their reason for interning at TMK and whether they had any prior writing/editing experience before going TakemetoKorea.
I knew what motivated me to apply for an internship at TakemetoKorea; a company based in South Korea that I could work with while in my own continent which is 6 hours away from Korea. This would increase my chances of global employability, remote work and equip me with the writing skills I was looking for.
I was curious to find out what my colleagues' reasons were; so I decided to interview one colleague based in Southern California, male and final student in Business Administration. And another colleague who is, Indonesian, an international student based in South Korea, is female and completing her studies in International Studies.
When asked what inspired their application to join the TMK internship and if there was any prior writing experience; the male colleague in South California, mentioned that he did have some prior experience in blogging, as a hobby. However; his application was not influenced by blogging interests, rather, it was influenced by the desire to be part of an organization that could give him experience in business development.
Thus, after a few options that were available to him; he chose TMK because he saw the company as a tool that could give him enough work experience to set him up to go into the world, and also give him the opportunity to learn soft skills such as ways of communication in the workplace. This is a very important aspect of his life as he is in the process of completing his studies and getting ready to join the workforce.
Even though he thought he would initially gain this experience through a company partnering with Southern California University; my male colleague had to forget that route due to unforeseen circumstances, and apply through a Virtual Internship company, where he was more than delighted to choose placement with TMK as an option.
The next colleague, a female, from Indonesia, responded by saying that the only experience she had before applying for an internship at TMK was social media marketing. While this was not necessarily the area she was looking to get more training on; as a final year student, she was looking for opportunities that can help her further explore her own interests, so that she can finally make a decision about the type of job she wants after such an experience.
'The writing experience I had, was only academic', she says. My female colleague thus took it upon herself to apply directly to the company for an internship, and it was gladly granted. The process of application is really easy and open to anyone who wishes to apply.
Tasks on the Job
The versatility of this internship continues to prove itself more and more with different people from different backgrounds doing different tasks for the same organization, and yet they still form part of the same internship and the same role of content editing/writing. When you look into it clearly you will take note of some of the tasks you can employ to grow your own personal business in blogging or related.
Because everyone joins the company for different reasons and goals when the company knows of those goals and if they fall within the scope of the internship then your experience here will form a lifetime of opportunity for you.
As I realized that some of the tasks my Californian colleague had were different from mine, I had to ask and he gave me a bit of insight. While both of us have similar tasks and training in social media marketing and article writing, our individual projects were quite different.
As he chose TMK for the purpose of gaining experience in business development; his individual project has definitely afforded him the opportunity to do exactly that. To sit and look at the current situation of the company, its weaknesses, and strengths and contribute by looking into ways the company can grow its customer base expand its services.
The experience has been quite beneficial for him, he confirmed this: as he has received guidance from TakemetoKorea every step of the way...
While it is clear that my female colleague did not have any specific requirements when joining the company. She says the tasks she was given upon joining the company helped her explore her already pre-existing interest in writing.
What was more interesting for her that she confirmed added to her academic studies in international studies, is that she was placed in a position where she had to do research on a country that she did not grow up in, and freely choose to write about anything that she wanted.
That part is very important for anyone that is considering to be a blog writer. Now she is not sure yet if that's the route she will follow, but learning to explore your own interests and then share them with the world should be a really fulfilling job.
That is actually what forms legitimate content for any writer, when you write about something you like, you can only be real and then create a real audience for yourself, and it helps you grow in your interests that can turn into talents.
Benefits of Working for TMK
While I go into a lot of detail about the benefits I experienced while working as an intern for TMK in my ' Joys of Content Editing' article. I was curious to find out what colleagues benefited from the experience.
When asked what they loved the most about their experience at TMK; my female colleague mentioned that what she has treasured the most is being able to learn on the job. While having arrived at TMK with no blog writing experience, the job has challenged her to just go right ahead and start doing it, and that is how she continued to improve.
The second thing she was delighted to talk about was the workshops she received since being at TMK. The workshops were specifically on the basics of blog writing, SEO basics as well as choosing a topic. She says she believes those workshops have shaped her into the all-rounded writer that she feels she is becoming. The only challenge she mentioned was choosing a topic, which is not very surprising as she is still exploring her interests.
"I believe any skills from TMK are solid for anyone', said my male colleague from California. I agree with him because as you can deduce, the company has so many aspects that if fully explored by an individual, that person is sure to be an all-rounded business person. He continued to point out that one of the most enjoyable moments of his experience included the research he had to do on South Korea as a whole. He said even though he had been to Busan in South Korea for a few months before; what he got to learn about South Korea just in a short while working for TMK, was way more than what he learned before.
'This is an opportunity I would recommend to anyone, especially if you are thinking of following the marketing route', he said. The job itself may have a lot of tasks around it but what you find most of is definitely marketing, and that is what you will definitely get an experience of each step of the way.
I personally have gained so much from working for TMK and it is quite evident that I am not the only one who has benefited. TakemetoKorea is still taking applications for interns from all over the world, as long as you have internet and are willing to learn.
