'$10B/year' oilfield materials company controversially posts job..."I'm a 6-month intern and you want me to do all this?"
Blackpaper, a content production company co-founded by broadcaster Yoo Byung-jae, has been creating a buzz online. The company's job postings for interns, which require skills ranging from content planning to production, marketing, data analysis, and video editing, have sparked debate among social media users.
Recently, a job posting from Blackpaper was shared on online communities and social media. According to the post, the position is responsible for content planning and production, channel operation, content upload, MD and character IP related tasks, and content performance analysis. The job description also lists proficiency in video editing programs, experience using design tools, and content creation experience as preferred qualifications.
In particular, the recruitment will be conducted as a six-month internship, and there is no requirement to become a full-time employee. Some commenters questioned the fact that the company is hiring interns while requiring a wide range of skills from content planning to production, marketing, and data analysis. In addition, the job title of the position was specified as PM (Project Manager), and some commented, "This seems to be a broad role for an intern."
On the other hand, those in the content and marketing industry argued that "in the content industry, planning, production, operations, and performance analysis are often performed together," and "the tasks listed in the job posting are common in the industry." It was also argued that it is difficult to judge the intensity of work based on the job title alone, as PM has different meanings depending on the industry and company.
As job postings proliferate, interest in the content industry's internship system, the scope of work, and how to manage long-term interns without converting them to full-time employees is also growing.
Black Paper, meanwhile, is a content production company co-founded in 2022 by CEOs Yoo Byung-jae and Yoo Kyu-sun, and Lee Eon-joo, a former main writer for tvN's "You Quiz on the Block. The company has made its presence known by producing a number of entertainment contents such as the TV original "Boys and Girls in Love" and MBC's "Solo Alumni Association Hakyeon," and is expanding into digital content and artist management. In addition, MBC's "Omniscient Point of View" revealed how the company has grown to 35 employees and 10 billion won in annual sales in just three years since its founding.