Students choose to visit Web firms

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Students choose to visit Web firms

Instead of touring major companies like Hyundai Motor or Samsung Electronics, students these days show more interest in visiting Internet start-ups.
Early this month, a general elective seminar at Chung-Ang University discussed what company to visit for a session to link the corporate world and academia. The professor recommended conglomerates in electronics and vehicles because those firms were traditionally visited each year by the school. But the 20 or so students of the class wanted to see SK Communications ― the company that runs Cyworld, Korea’s largest social networking Web site.
“The Cyworld service manager answered our questions, which was very helpful in understanding Internet companies,” said 25-year old Kim Hee-dae, a senior studying commerce.
College students are more interested these days in visiting Internet companies than manufacturing companies because they use the Web on a daily basis. Interest in the Internet also makes the companies’ management case studies helpful to students of business management.
The game service company Nexon was visited by some 50 groups from various schools and public organizations, including teams from MIT, Seoul National University and even elementary schools. NHN, which runs Korea’s No.1 portal Naver, and SK Communications are also bombarded with applications for visits. SK has received so many applications it is unable to accept all of them.
These companies see student visitors as potential customers and take special care in giving their presentations and preparing data about themselves.
Han Jong-ho, a policy manager at NHN, said that students sometimes surprise corporate officials with their knowledge and interest in the company’s services. “They ask in-depth questions and suggest improvements to the blog service, for instance,” Han said.


By Chang Chung-hoon JoongAng Ilbo [wohn@joongang.co.kr]

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