BA in Global Affairs

Global Study, Global Leadership

Hyun Jung Yu, 2019

Hyun Jung Yu

Our 2019 graduate, Hyun Jung Yu, has worked as an intern at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), located in Songdo G-Tower. The 3-month internship was mandatory for anyone applying for full-time positions at UNESCAP. Hyun Jung graduated in Spring 2019 with a Bachelor's in Global Affairs, then transitioned into her new position soon after her last day of college.

Her role primarily consists of conducting research, writing background reports on environmental policies, strategies, and challenges as well as proofreading final draft reports for various Southeast Asian experts in the field.

Hyun Jung describes her typical day at UNESCAP: "I work a total of 8 hours daily, lunch time included, from 9am to 6pm. No overnight work is expected. Each intern is assigned to one of the five thematic areas of contemporary environmental crises of the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC). My work focuses on both transboundary air pollution and low carbon-development in Southeast Asian countries, particularly South Korea, Japan, and China.”

Hyun Jung credits the Career Development Center (CDC) for this position. In her words, she made "unprecedented numbers of visits to the center” to make constant revisions to her resume and cover letter, learn how to market herself successfully, and receive personalized guidance.

Hyun Jung's ability to present herself as the perfect fit for the job requirements at UNESCAP enabled her to land her dream position, despite having little internship experience prior. She says she owes it to CDC Director, Sangyong Lee, for his useful advice on how to create a "professional, eye-catching one-page resume and cover letter.” Her regular visits to the CDC office made the job application process much less overwhelming—or as she describes it, a "pleasant journey.”

Hyun Jung

She also highlights the Global Affairs program as fundamental in her preparation. The writing intensive nature of Hyun Jung's classes helped improve her writing proficiency immensely. Also, the diversity of the student body enabled her to “further develop [her] cultural competency.” These skills have served her well in working within a global organization, cooperating with numerous countries to promote sustainable development.

For her fellow Patriots, Hyun Jung highly recommends attending information events held by the school. She made use of a wide variety, including a discussion forum with government officials as well as other career-related sessions. "There are plenty of chances for students to build a powerful network, even before settling into a real job. Mason Korea has definitely empowered me to become a career-ready personnel and a future scholar. Don't ever be discouraged by your lack of internship experiences. Just be confident in who you are becoming.”