Abstract
This study investigated the internship experiences of female college students who have participated in consumer counseling programs. The factors that determine interns' counseling time and interns' level of satisfaction with the programs were examined. Major results of this study are summarized in the following. First, interns' time spent on counseling consumers was the longest for the program at the Korean Consumer Protection Board, followed by the programs at consumer agencies and firms. The time spent on counseling by interns was shorter when there was l) a larger number of employees; 2) a smaller proportion of female employees: 3) a larger number of counseling rooms and a higher the frequency of counseling at the agency; and 4) a lower evaluation on the work performance of the counseling agency and the employees. Second, the level of utilization of interns was the highest in consumer agencies, followed by the Korean Consumer Protection Board. When all employees were female and the evaluated level of work performance of the counseling agency and employees was high, the level of intern utilization was also high. Third, the evaluated level of work performance was the highest at the Korean Consumer Protection Board, and interns' satisfaction with the internship program was the highest with the consumer agencies and the Korean Consumer Protection Board. Fourth, interns were highly satisfied with the program when the level of intern utilization was high and the agency's operation was evaluated as good.