gradsingapore STEM Career Guide 2021

Page 30

STEM | HOW TO GET HIRED

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WITH A STEM-RELATED DEGREE? Having a STEM-related degree does not tie you down to the relevant industries forever.

J

ust because your degree is related to STEM does not mean that you have to be stuck in such a role forever! The best thing about these degrees is that it equips you with skills – in logical thinking, problem-solving and numeracy – that are technical enough for a specialised sector, yet general enough to be transferable to other areas of work. Many companies even have positions where STEM graduates can combine their existing technical skills with commercial, financial and management opportunities. Here are some alternative career options.

1

Logistics

Whenever something has to be moved from one place to another – whether it is the transport of raw materials to a manufacturing facility or distribution of retail products to consumers – it falls under the purview of logistics. You will be responsible for everything that is related to the process: the planning and financial costs, processing and tracking orders, liaising with other departments and so on. Two of your main concerns will be expenses and deadlines, so your job will include balancing quality service and timely delivery while minimising costs. Some of the skills needed include: • Problem-solving and logical thinking skills to tackle urgent last-minute problems.

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STEM Career Guide 2021

• Most situations will boil down to a cost-benefit analysis. You will need to be able to consider the impact of your choices on the business as a whole. • Good interpersonal skills – you will need to be clear and precise when managing colleagues and customers, especially when you need to be firm with them.

2

Operations management

Operations management bridges the manufacturing and business sides of a company, linking them to form an efficient supply chain. As a result, work in this area is very diverse; you can be involved in nearly everything – from the purchasing of raw materials, to the delivery of a complete product to a customer. Because roles in this area are primarily occupied with planning and implementing strategies to increase productivity and reduce costs, these notable attributes are required in this type of work: • Analytical skills to deduce necessary information from compiled data. • Critical thinking skills to solve problems that may have a huge impact on a process. • The ability to see the overall picture and final objectives even as you focus on improving specific areas.

3

Procurement, purchasing, and buying

Procurement is all about scouting for, and purchasing, equipment, parts and materials for projects at the right price and quality. You will have to prepare a list of suppliers and quotations to select from; check on the quality, prices and schedules; and liaise with transporters and logisticians to ship purchases to the right place at the right time. Engineers tend to be well-suited for this job because of their familiarity with specific parts, equipment and materials, which means that they can help with quality control. However, this does not mean that graduates in other areas of STEM are not! Here are other qualities that you will need for this line of work: • Meticulousness and accuracy in your calculations and handling of the purchases. Some orders can be worth millions of dollars! • The ability to work under pressure and think fast because you may have to contend with tight deadlines and lastminute problems. • Good communication and negotiation skills to bargain with vendors. • Good technical understanding of the process that you are purchasing for. You will need to accurately gauge timescales and the impact of any changes you make.


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Articles inside

Materials and Metals

2min
page 87

Food Manufacturing

2min
page 86

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG

2min
page 85

Electronic Engineering

2min
page 80

Engineering Design and Construction

2min
page 84

Energy (Oil and Gas

2min
page 81

Energy (Power Generation

2min
page 82

Defence Technology

2min
page 79

Engineering Consultancy

2min
page 83

Control Engineering

2min
page 78

Chemical Engineering

1min
page 76

Aerospace Engineering

1min
page 74

Construction Engineering

2min
page 77

Automotive Engineering

2min
page 75

Top Three Trends in Engineering for Graduates to Know

6min
pages 70-71

Find Great Graduate Jobs in Small Engineering Firms

4min
pages 72-73

Engineering: A Beginner’s Guide

4min
pages 68-69

Web Development and e-Commerce

3min
pages 65-67

Professional IT Services

2min
page 63

Technology Consulting

2min
page 64

IT in Retail

2min
page 59

IT Services

2min
page 62

IT in Telecommunications

2min
page 60

IT Outsourcing

2min
page 61

IT in Manufacturing

2min
page 58

IT in Investment Banking

2min
page 57

Hardware Development

2min
page 56

Games Development

2min
page 55

Financial Software Development

2min
page 54

Financial Technology (Fintech

2min
page 53

Finding Graduate IT and Technology Jobs in SMEs

3min
pages 50-51

Cyber Security

2min
page 52

Top Three Trends That IT and Technology Graduates Should Know

5min
pages 46-47

The Benefits of Working in IT and Technology

3min
pages 48-49

Science Writing

3min
pages 44-45

Research Chemistry

2min
page 43

Meteorology

2min
page 42

The Benefits of Working in the Science Sector

2min
pages 38-39

Environmental Science

2min
page 40

Food Technology and Safety

2min
page 41

Considering a Postgraduate Degree in STEM

4min
pages 32-35

Future-Proofing Your Science Career

4min
pages 36-37

What Else Can I Do with a STEM-Related Degree?

5min
pages 30-31

Five Soft Skills for STEM

4min
pages 28-29

Assessment Centres for Graduate STEM Jobs

2min
pages 24-25

Cover Letter Tips for the Graduate STEM Specialist

4min
pages 20-21

Technical Skills Needed in STEM to Seal the Deal

5min
pages 26-27

Technical Interviews for Graduate STEM Positions

3min
pages 22-23

Choosing the Right STEM Career and Graduate Employer

5min
pages 16-17

Perfect Your STEM Resume

5min
pages 18-19

Industries in the STEM Sector

4min
pages 8-9

Is a Career in STEM for Me?

2min
pages 10-13
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