by Joy Wang
Digital Marketing and Internship is a two-credit course offered by the College of Foreign Languages & Literatures (CFLL) at Fu Jen University, allowing over 100 students a chance to apply their talents at different workplaces. The internship program is composed of six sections, five of which are led by professors and one requires students to apply to enterprises on their own. The five sections in the college cover a variety of jobs like marketing CFLL, promoting CFL Theatre, holding activities at Global Lounge, contacting foreign clients of Oh Yeah Technology Co., and developing marketing strategies for the restaurant Please Please Me. Interns at Oh Yeah Technology Co. stand out from the rest of the sections as they learn how to cooperate with the professor and teammates, and observe how international business works.
Cakes at Please Please Me, photograph by Joy Wang
In addition to the internship opportunities on campus, faculties of CFLL also actively collaborate with appropriate enterprises , providing students with more diverse choices. So far, nine enterprises in official collaboration with the course range from international trade, English teaching, social media to fashion industries. According to the teaching assistant, Alyson Wang, professor Meng-Jen Chang from the Department of Italian Language and Culture has been looking for other potential enterprises for future collaborations. Whether an enterprise is a qualified partner depends on the safety of the working environment and how it can help the students learn practical skills involved in digital marketing. Alyson commented on the ultimate objective of the course, "we do not want students leaving university to wonder about where they can apply what they learned, and stumble upon entering unfamiliar workplace cultures."
Other than skills in digital marketing, students are expected to acquire soft skills like communication, negotiation, group work, and questioning techniques. Teamwork plays a vital role in internship sections on campus, and students in the course face challenges significantly different from most group work in other courses. For instance, interns at the Global Lounge need to advertise activities via the International Student Center and invite international students for intercultural communication. The common challenge shared by these groups is that they face difficulties about job division, but some are too afraid to speak up. "Students need to know how to voice their concerns," said Alyson. She advised students "not to feel embarrassed when raising a question, for you must have a sense of mission about completing your job."
Interns at Please Please Me are responsible for unconventional and challenging tasks besides digital marketing. The franchise owner, Henri Kao, reflected on interns' performance. When he observed some interns working unenthusiastically, he said, “I understand that students apply for the job for different reasons, but I still hope being our interns can help them recognize whether they like this industry or not." He had an overall rewarding working experience with interns, and he fully supported students who wanted to adopt new methods or develop new dishes. The menu must be decided through daily discussions between interns and Henri. As workers in a food bar like Please Please Me, students may have fewer chances to perform their language specialties, but they might find their vocations and a possible future career. "I hope interns can find themselves through their work," Henri concluded.
Other than skills in digital marketing, students are expected to acquire soft skills like communication, negotiation, group work, and questioning techniques. Teamwork plays a vital role in internship sections on campus, and students in the course face challenges significantly different from most group work in other courses. For instance, interns at the Global Lounge need to advertise activities via the International Student Center and invite international students for intercultural communication. The common challenge shared by these groups is that they face difficulties about job division, but some are too afraid to speak up. "Students need to know how to voice their concerns," said Alyson. She advised students "not to feel embarrassed when raising a question, for you must have a sense of mission about completing your job."
Interns at Please Please Me are responsible for unconventional and challenging tasks besides digital marketing. The franchise owner, Henri Kao, reflected on interns' performance. When he observed some interns working unenthusiastically, he said, “I understand that students apply for the job for different reasons, but I still hope being our interns can help them recognize whether they like this industry or not." He had an overall rewarding working experience with interns, and he fully supported students who wanted to adopt new methods or develop new dishes. The menu must be decided through daily discussions between interns and Henri. As workers in a food bar like Please Please Me, students may have fewer chances to perform their language specialties, but they might find their vocations and a possible future career. "I hope interns can find themselves through their work," Henri concluded.
Doris Lee at the final presentation, provided by CFLL Facebook page
A former intern at Harper's Bazaar, Doris Lee, discussed the course from another perspective. "It was not easy for the first six months," Doris said, "because I had written some articles that had a high view rate; however, as an intern, I could not receive any payment." However, she learned that her true passion was not being an editor, but a reporter from her internship experience. Moreover, it helped her discern the real situation in the social media and fashion industry. The heavy workload and feedback from superiors highlighted her strengths and weaknesses, allowing for consistent improvement.
However, not every internship program pays, which neither Doris nor many other students were aware of before applying for one. "I wished that the school could offer clear information about the working hours, payment, and number of internships," Doris lamented. But Alyson pointed out that the internship programs should be a chance for students to experience what the actual job is like, and communicate with the employers or HR themselves. She and other professors would help students with any major problems, but the rest should be figured out on their own.
However, not every internship program pays, which neither Doris nor many other students were aware of before applying for one. "I wished that the school could offer clear information about the working hours, payment, and number of internships," Doris lamented. But Alyson pointed out that the internship programs should be a chance for students to experience what the actual job is like, and communicate with the employers or HR themselves. She and other professors would help students with any major problems, but the rest should be figured out on their own.