From an English Instructor to UN Staff Member, Sohn Tells How
Her Experiences Have Made Her Who She Is.
 By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
Sohn Mi-hyang has a job that many young professionals and students dream
of.
She is the head director of fundraising at the International Vaccine
Institute (IVI), an organization under the United Nations based in
Seoul.
She is one of 323 Koreans working for the U.N., according to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The U.N., the largest international organization with 64 years of
history, has an extensive number of employees. According to U.N.
statistics, the secretariat alone has approximately 40,000 staff
members.
According to the geological distribution policy, each of the 192 member
states deserves representation in the U.N. The number of representatives
is determined by the size of the country's donations.
Since 2007, when Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister,
was elected as the U.N.'s secretary general, the U.N. as a possible
career path came to the attention of many young Korean students and
professionals.
Many books have been written and many talks have been given on how to
succeed in U.N. recruitment.
When asked how she landed the job, Sohn didn't respond with tactics on
how to impress interviewers or how to compose a well-structured article.
Instead, she told a long personal story, which amounted to one single
thing: ``An opportunity will come to those who put their minds into
whatever they do.''
Her education was normal. She studied English literature and marketing.
She never studied abroad ― a point that makes her proud. Her first job
was as an English instructor.
In retrospect, ``that molded me as an all-around entertainer, who could
do singing, dancing and poetry reading,'' Sohn said in an interview with
The Korea Times at the IVI headquarter office on the Seoul National
University campus.
Several years later, she moved to a commercial marketing company,
promoting multinational companies, such as Cartier and Dunkin Donuts.
``I was always proud of my products and confident that I could promote
them the best,'' she said.
Then, in 2001, an event happened that altered her path.
``It was Jimmy Carter that changed my life,'' said Sohn, referring to
the Habitat for Humanity Korea's Jimmy Carter Project 2001, organized by
the Jimmy Carter Foundation.
As a senior manager for six months, she was in charge of the entire
preparation process for the one-week event. Although she was completely
exhausted by the end of the event, ``I learned what it meant to work for
a non-profit organization,'' she said.
She was infused with a sense of purpose, a feeling she said she hadn't
experienced before.
Despite her desire to stick with non-profits, she received an offer from
the IVI. She couldn't resist.
As seen in Sohn's case, U.N. recruitment is on a need basis.
Announcement is made when there's a vacancy, and it is internationally
open.
For countries that are underrepresented, National Competitive
Recruitment Examination (NCRE) and Young Professional Program (YPP) are
available for recruiting entry level officers. Korea, as an
underrepresented country, has held NCREs 12 times, as recent as 2009,
and a total of 42 have already passed the test.
The Junior Professional Officer (JPO) is another program sponsored by
the government. The government is in charge of the recruitment process
and sponsors two or more years of training for winning applicants.
However, the JPO program doesn't guarantee participants a permanent job
afterward.
The Korean government operates the Web site
http://www.mofat.go.kr/unrecruit/index.jsp and organizes workshops for
college students to assist Korean applicants.
With seven years of experience at the IVI, where she's recruited new
staff members, Sohn advised that applicants should be mindful of four
elements before applying.
Know Exactly What You Want
The director said it's important to have an idea of what you want to be
within the U.N.
``The U.N. also hires maintenance crews,'' Sohn said.
It's not advisable to pursue a position for the sole purpose of working
at the U.N., she advised.
The IVI's headquarters in Seoul is geared towards assisting scientists
in the field by filing, organizing and communicating with local
authorities.
How do you find what you want?
She suggested trying out internships or volunteer programs.
``It will be a good chance to get the feel of what the real work is
like. Then, you can see whether you like it or not,'' she said.
The IVI offers a Science Leadership Program, allowing students a chance
as volunteers to get a glimpse of the work of the IVI, to acquire
knowledge of science and to help them establish future goals.
English Skill Is Essential
Sohn says that one cannot survive without a high-level of proficiency in
English.
``The director-general (of the IVI) is an American. Three deputy
director-generals are French, Malaysian and Russian. And a technician is
Indian. The means of communication is English,'' she said. ``If you
plan on learning English on the job, it will wear you out, and you won't
be able to stay very long.''
She shared how ``Palace English'' helped her improve.
``I went to palaces in Seoul and offered to be a guide to foreign
couples,'' she said. ``I got answers about new English vocabulary words
and I practiced them.''
Documentation Skill
Documentation skill is in line with English; it's required.
``Verbal commitments are never advanced at the U.N. It has to be
documented before getting read and reviewed,'' the director said.
In the era of electronic communication, when everything is done through
email, an ability to compose electronic mail in a proper format, and
choose the right vocabulary and subjects, is extremely important, she
added.
The result of failing, she said, could be seriously damaging to a
career.
Spirit of Sacrifice and Humanity
``We need faithful soldiers, not creative singers,'' Sohn said as to
what she'd look for when hiring new staff members.
``The U.N. organizations are to benefit others not yourself. If you
imagine a give-and-take scenario, you will see yourself drifting away.''
Going back to the point why an internship or a volunteer is important,
Sohn stated, that not only is it good for experience, it's also a chance
to work faithfully and sincerely under her watchful eye.
``I'd rather pick someone whom I have seen perform than a new
applicant,'' she said.
Lastly, to those who pursue to work for the U.N., Sohn asked them to be
realistic.
Although the U.N. is an exciting workplace, ``there's more than what is
seen from the outside,'' she said, and the odds are that people will
soon face challenges that they don't expect.
skim@koreatimes.co.kr
What
is the IVI?
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is an international
organization, initiated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
in 1997.
As the first U.N. branch that has its headquarters in Korea, the IVI is
located on the campus of Seoul National University.
Hosting the IVI was spearheaded by then-President Kim Young-sam, and the
Korean government is one of the significant donors to the agency.
``It's unbelievable that the IVI is based in Korea, because it means
Korean culture is melted into the making and operation of it,'' Sohn
said as to why it's significant.
According to the Web site, the IVI is ``an international center of
research, training and technical assistance for vaccine needed in
developing countries,'' running numerous programs, including Diseases of
the Most Impoverished and the Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative.
Two former first ladies, Kwon Yang-sook and Lee Hee-ho, were honorary
presidents, and so is the incumbent first lady Kim Yoon-ok. ``As a
mother figure, first ladies have helped us spread the work of the IVI to
the world,'' said Sohn.
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Who
Is Sohn Mi-hyang?
Sohn Mi-hyang is head director of the fundraising and marketing division
at the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).
Before joining the IVI in 2003, she was the senior manager of Habitat
for Humanity for Korea in charge of the Jimmy Carter Work Project 2001.
Between 1998 and 2001, she was with Sang Am Grey Communication,
promoting P&G, Asiana Airlines, Kumho Tires, Cartier and Dunkin
Donuts.
Between 1990 and 1996, she was an English instructor at the E.M.I
Institute. |
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