Job seekers crowd a fair for openings at local pharmaceutical companies in Seoul on Sept. 3, 2019. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 4 (Korea Bizwire) — As it has become difficult to find regular employment due to the ongoing job crisis, many job seekers desperately wish to be “dirt spoon interns,” in charge of simple tasks.
The so-called “Spoon Class Theory” is a representative expression that refers to the idea that individuals in a country can be classified into different socioeconomic classes based on the assets and income level of their parents, and as a consequence, one’s success in life depends entirely on being born into a wealthy family.
The theory, classifying individuals as gold spoon or dirt spoon depending on income level, has also been applied to internships, an essential part of career development for young workers.
At the top of the internship rankings, there is “gold spoon intern.” The name was given because only the so-called “golden spoons” can obtain these positions.
Without personal connections or networks, it is hard to obtain an internship.
These include internships at well-known law firms, internships at lawmakers’ offices, as well as quality internship positions at state-run companies and large companies that hire workers behind closed doors through acquaintances.
On the other hand, “dirt spoon intern” refers to most internships in which the intern does nothing but help with odd jobs or simple labor, positions that typically fall to those who do not have impressive connections.
However, for young people who are desperate to add even a single line to their resume, even a “dirt spoon” internship is a precious opportunity.
A jobseeker looking over wanted notices employment fair in Seoul. (Yonhap)
According to a survey of 1,056 job seekers conducted by online job portal Saramin, 54.5 percent, or more than half, said they wanted to get a dirt spoon internship.
The first reason was “because it will help me get a job,” accounting for 43.8 percent.
This was followed by 43.7 percent of participants citing “it provides experience with business and corporate culture,” 43.7 percent citing “it provides social experience,” 11 percent citing “difficulty building other career” and 10.8 percent agreeing “it helps build personal connections.”
These results clearly indicate the desperation that job seekers feel as there are limited internships available in the market.
Of the total respondents, only 22.5 percent had internship experience. In addition, only 11.8 percent of the interns had a “gold spoon internship” experience that directly helped improve their job skills.
As the number indicates, an internship itself is a rare opportunity and so-called “gold spoon internships,” where one can build up their career, are even scarcer. This is why job seekers are happy to accept even a dirt spoon internship.
There was also a strong belief that it would help directly or indirectly get a job. In fact, 87 percent of 238 respondents who had participated in internships said that internship experience help them get a job.
Roughly half of the respondents, 49.8 percent, said that their social experience during their internship helped them to land a job later.
This was followed by 44 percent citing “internship helped me adapt quickly to work,” 36.7 percent citing “internship helped me find a career,” 34.8 percent citing “internship help me compete in the job market,” and 34.4 percent citing “internship helped me to have an eye for choosing a company.”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
