Over the summer break of 2016, I worked as an intern at a Korean chemical company, Dae Young Chemical, that specializes in creating Teflon, ceramic, and paint coatings. Fluent in both English and Korean, I was there to learn the ins-and-outs of that part of the chemical industry: from the research and development process, all the way to the packaging and shipment.
In the research department, I gained experience using lab equipment that I have yet to experience in school, like high temperature sintering ovens, spray paint guns, and corrosion resistance testers. I spent some time understanding the properties of the chemicals used for the coatings.
On the factory floor, I helped with the mass production of the products using physical work by bringing required chemicals, packaging the products, and hauling heavy buckets of coatings into trucks for shipment.
Working at Dae Young Chemical allowed me to gain practical skills and experiences that can only be gained though industry work. I learned not only the technical side of this industry, such as chemical properties and processes, but also learned soft skills that are required alongside technical experience, such as teamwork and networking, for true industry experience and knowledge.