Exploring Internships

Committing to an internship can give you an edge over other graduate applicants; on top of giving you the chance to gain valuable experience, it is also an opportunity for you to develop the skills and qualities employers look out for.

Benefits of committing to an internship

1. Boost your employability

An internship exposes you to the working world and gives you a chance to see how things work in a corporate setting. With an internship under your belt, you can also demonstrate the relevant skills and knowledge acquired beyond the classroom to prospective employers.

Moreover, in this new normal, as the economy continues to emerge from the global pandemic, employers are on the lookout for candidates who stand out, are adaptable and able to contribute. Internships can also set you apart from other applicants who do not have one under their belts.

2. Better understanding of yourself

Internships are the perfect avenue for you to experience the industry of your interest and find out if you can see yourself in that line of work upon graduation. Internships can also help you gauge your abilities and working style, and help you figure out how you can further improve your skills.

This preview of the industry of your choice may help you better manage your expectations when you transition into the working world, too.

3. Connect with your chosen career

Employers often use internships and work placements as a means to attract talents and later convert them to full-time graduate hires. So, during an internship, try your best to shine!

An internship in your chosen industry will not only help you grow your network of professional contacts – which can come in handy in the future – but may also give you an insider’s perspective into the industry, and the skills and experience needed.

Tay Yu Xuan

Securities Services Intern at BNP Paribas

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics and Finance

SIM-UOL

My role

Throughout my eight-month-long internship, I had the opportunity to take on a variety of analytics projects, and developed an understanding of the securities services business. Being in a client-facing team, my work required both technical aspects of performance and risk analytics, as well as the ability to clearly communicate ideas.

I was exposed to the various methodologies used to evaluate a fund manager’s performance, and took on projects that required communication between both internal and external stakeholders. I also had opportunities to network with professionals from different departments within the organisation.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

During the recruitment process, I was able to demonstrate my passion for the field, and provided evidence of action taken to further deepen my understanding. Coming from an engineering background with no prior experience in finance, I took on various online courses to supplement what I learnt in school, in order to gain more insights into the industry.

My participation in CCAs and competitions also provided some additional talking points during the interview. Lastly, due to the competitive nature of summer internships, I focused on applying for off-cycle programmes, so that I would stand a better chance in the selection process.

My takeaway

The journey was definitely not easy, as I had to juggle doing a full-time internship while preparing for my exams! That meant sacrificing weekday evenings and weekends in order to squeeze in time for revision.

Unlike summer programmes, off-cycle internships are much less structured, and I had to take charge of my learning by doing my own research outside of office hours to brush up on concepts that I was not familiar with.

My greatest takeaway from this experience is that growth is achieved by seeing every challenge as an opportunity to learn and improve.

Some words of advice

Stay curious, and always try to challenge what you already know. When reading the news, try to dive deeper into each article rather than focus on the headlines. Try to ask yourself questions, such as, “What are the possible consequences of this event?”, and “Does this align with what I learnt in school? If not, why?” You will have a greater appreciation of the subject and be able to hold more meaningful conversations with your future interviewer and colleagues.

Lastly, work on your soft skills, like communication and teamwork, to name a few, as these would prove useful both in the selection process, as well as the actual internship itself.

Chloe Goh Regional E-commerce Intern

(LEAP) at Luxasia

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Marketing

SIM-University of Stirling

My role

As a Regional E-commerce Intern with Luxasia, I managed the marketplaces for brands such as Wahl, Elizabeth Arden, Hashbros, Tonka, Luxasia Fragrances, and many more across Southeast Asia (SEA).

Moreover, I led multiple creative artwork projects for big marketing campaigns, such as 5.5, 6.6 and 7.7. I was also given the opportunity to experiment with performance marketing before big campaigns to drive more sales and traffic to the marketplaces.

Lastly, I analysed sales and marketing data after campaigns to draw insights from the data, so that we would implement solutions for the brand to gain more traction in future events.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

The most important factor is to have relevant internship experience that is aligned to what the employer is looking for, and what you aspire to do in the future. Through my time in university, I had been to four different companies to hone my skill set in this field.

An important tip is to always do your research on the firm and employer, so that you can impress them with the research you did, and your prior work experience!

My takeaway

My most memorable project would be the expansion of the brand I was in charge of, to new geographical markets. Due to the unfamiliarity of the market and the existence of a language barrier, I had to learn everything from scratch, but I managed to lead the store creation, artwork creation and platform analysis for the launch.

I gained a lot of experience through setting up the store, and had a newfound understanding of the foreign marketplace and the varied differences in taste and preference there.

Some words of advice

My advice would be to not be afraid to apply for internships even if you do not have the experience, because the purpose of an internship is to learn! Even if you do not get the internship, you would have had the opportunity to go through the interview process, and find out what you should do to better for the next interview!

Also, it would be good to broaden your perspectives by trying different positions, so that you will know what your strength and weaknesses are, as well as your likes and dislikes.

For instance, my different internship experiences helped to crystallise my thoughts on my career prospects and aspirations. This way, I developed a clear idea of what I wish to do in the future.

Harsween Kaur

Talent Acquisition Intern at UOB Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Business and Management

SIM-UOL

My role

As a Talent Acquisition (TA) Intern at UOB, I supported the Volume Hiring TA team with the end-to-end recruitment of Sales and Customer Service roles. I utilised platforms such as LinkedIn to source for, and manage, a talent pipeline of potential candidates for the different roles we were hiring for.

I also had the opportunity to coordinate and organise recruitment drives and networking sessions.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

I would say that I was lucky, as I was introduced to this internship through Career Connect. I also made sure to read the job description carefully to see if it aligned with my future goals and plans before applying.

During the interview, I maintained an enthusiastic attitude, and articulated what I wished to learn from the internship. Moreover, I tailored my resume according to the job description by including relevant skills and experiences to make it concise, yet appealing.

My takeaway

I initially found it overwhelming, as I was under the Volume Hiring TA Team and it was a fast-paced environment with targets to be met. However, I gained a better understanding on the different processes that go on behind during recruitment, and how companies use such processes to hire suitable candidates for each role.

My internship also enabled me to connect with experienced professionals, with whom I was able to have meaningful conversations.

Through this internship, I gained a better understanding of my interests, and gained a clearer view on the kind of role I wished to pursue after graduation.

Some words of advice

As an intern, you will be given tasks and responsibilities that you may not have taken before. Keep an open mind, and try your best in everything. Do not be afraid to make mistakes and take it as a learning point. Always ask questions whenever in doubt.

Do not hesitate to apply for an opportunity even if you do not feel qualified. It may very well be the opportunity you were looking for! Take the chance to explore your interests and pursue a job you feel passionate about.

Evangeline Oh

Social Media and Communications Intern at the National Youth Council

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics and Management

SIM-UOL

My role

I led the social media strategy planning, and the creation of social media calendars for the company’s social media platforms. I was also actively involved in the development of digital marketing materials, such as videos, graphics and copywriting.

On top of that, my responsibilities included spearheading the artistic and content directions for the company’s marketing efforts, as well as creating and supporting key performance indicator (KPI) reports and presentations for those efforts.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

Throughout my interview, I demonstrated that I was very eager to learn and was willing to take on tasks beyond my job scope. I also believe that that my preparation and strong understanding of the role and company I was applying for were important factors that set me apart from other applicants.

My takeaway

Over six months, I juggled my full-time internship, alongside my full-time university course and other commitments. This was definitely not easy, and often came with opportunity costs of less time and/or less energy spent on each commitment.

Nonetheless, it showed me the importance of time management and working under time constraints, as I had to cope with various deadlines.

Some words of advice

Start exploring your career options while you are still in university! Take up internships so that you can learn about the different industries and job roles, as well as get a clearer picture of the career path you want to pursue. Always stay positive and be curious!

Contrary to the common belief that we are inferior to our local university peers and are therefore discriminated against by potential employers, the hiring process is actually pretty fair. If we have the same competencies as our peers, we also stand a chance of clinching job offers from companies that were once seen as impenetrable.

Darren Tan Customer Success Intern at Affinidi

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Business and Management

SIM-UOL

My role

My role as a Customer Success Intern constituted liaising with Affinidi’s clients through weekly sync-ups and new customer onboardings. I helped with resolving issues on Affinidi’s app, and also had the opportunity to lead the customer success team’s GTM strategy for metrics tracking. Moreover, I was responsible for data analysis on our product usage rates, and performed trend analysis based on them, reporting to the team on a weekly basis.

Having expressed an interest in business development roles, my manager also tasked me with research projects on product and competitor analysis, which I would present to my team for knowledge sharing.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

Having attended the DREAMS Virtual Career and Internship Fair, I had the opportunity to attend Lemmatree’s – Affinidi’s holding group – sharing session. Being interested in decentralised data technologies, I took the opportunity to mingle more with the hiring team, and fervently applied for their internship roles.

During the interview, I shared passionately about my knowledge on decentralisation and blockchain, which I believe helped me stand out from other applicants.

My takeaway

The relationships I established during my internship is something that I will always treasure. Affinidi has a culture of open communication where everyone is extremely friendly and willing to help whenever you approach them. With countless opportunities to network, I made many friends that would help and mentor me, even outside of work.

My biggest takeaway, however, is the fireside chats with senior figures in the company organised by the HR team, which gave me insights into what made them tick. A close second would be having lunch with the CEO and having a conversation on his love for Coca-Cola.

Some words of advice

As an intern, you should go into the experience with an open mind, and learn as much as possible. Even if your company allows you to work from home, you should still take the opportunity to head to the office.

I feel an important facet of internships are the networks that you can create while you are there! For myself, I spent time there mingling around, which ultimately helped me to secure my next internship at Trustana, a sister company of Affinidi under the Lemmatree group.

Logam Pala

United States Commercial Services Singapore Intern at the Embassy of the United States of America

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics and Politics

SIM-UOL

My role

As an intern at the United States Commercial Services Singapore, I assisted the team at trade events, small scale in-house research, writing market industry briefs and making business appointments.

Ultimately, the goal was to improve trade exports from the United States with Singapore and the region, and to enhance the trade relations between both nations.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

Despite the pandemic, as the economy recovered in 2022, there were many new and old opportunities that resurfaced. In life, there will always be uncertainties, but you will be rewarded for being brave enough to put yourself out there and try in the first place.

Additionally, the skills and experiences I gained in my time with the International Affairs Society (IAS) were crucial in helping me ace the interviews and stand out. So, never say no before you try, and do not underestimate the cross-application of skills you have acquired informally, or formally, in your time in SIM.

My takeaway

My internship experience was challenging due to the commitments I had at the time as an Events Director at IAS, as well as a trainer for the Harvard National Model United Nations Programme in SIM. Things such as effectively communicating with my team by being upfront about my commitments, and laying boundaries in regards to my time went a long way in helping me successfully juggle my commitments.

On top of that, I learnt the importance and value that American workplaces put on communication and soft skills, which are both increasingly important in today’s workforce.

Some words of advice

Take the initiative and be daring enough to try new opportunities. At the Embassy of the United States of America, we were encouraged to join or help out in anything that piqued our interests. It could be joining the team for a high-level meeting with Google executives, or sitting through a Zoom call with an interesting American company.

If you never ask, you will never know what could have been possible. Ultimately, your time with any organisation will come to an end, and how memorable your experience was will depend on what you chose to do in your time there.

Chan Wan Ni

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics and Finance

SIM-UOL

My role

In my role, I supported my team in the recruiting process, from reviewing resumes and talent sourcing on different platforms, to conducting candidate pre-screenings to assess their suitability and interview preparation.

I also had the opportunity to get involved in market mapping and research across different roles to build future pipelines.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

I think one advantage I had was that I gained relevant experiences from CCAs and programmes I joined in school, which helped enhance my resume, and provided me with more experiences to share during my interview.

I also made sure I did sufficient research on the company and practiced possible questions before the interview.

My takeaway

This internship experience gave me a better perspective and new understanding of recruitment. I got to learn and support recruiters in developing target candidate profiles, and had the chance to explore several recruiting tools and techniques.

As I was the first contact representing my company, it constantly pushed me to think quickly on my feet as to how I could better interact with candidates. I was also very fortunate to forge meaningful friendships and connections.

Some words of advice

I believe that having an attitude of wanting to learn and being curious is essential. It is beneficial for you to be proactive, explore, try new skills and never be afraid to ask questions.

Always be willing to take on new challenges to improve and develop yourself further!

Natasha Ngo Marketing Intern at Signify Bachelor of Science (Business Administration) SIM-UB

My role

In my role, I developed content calendars for Instagram and Facebook, and managed both Singapore and Myanmar’s social media pages. This involved tracking, analysing and formulating the brand’s social media strategy.

Other than managing social media, I also managed Signify’s e-commerce platforms. I localised campaigns for the Singapore market and worked with the Digital Marketing and Direct to Consumer Operations team in Spain to activate CRM campaigns.

I was also given the opportunity to lead a market research project to understand consumer behaviour in specific subchannels better.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

I believe that being well-prepared and adopting the right mindset, coupled with passion and drive, set me apart from other applicants. I spent time crafting a well-formatted resume and did thorough research prior to the interview, as well.

I also ensured that from my various experiences, I developed transferable skill sets that would allow me to perform well in the role. Besides that, I kept an open mind and was eager to learn.

My takeaway

My six months at Signify allowed me to grow and deepen my knowledge of marketing, and also served as an avenue for me to explore my interests and understand myself better. I was continuously engaged in different aspects of marketing, such as digital marketing and market research.

It was indeed eye-opening working with colleagues from various time zones, as this exposed me to marketing beyond Singapore. However, this meant that I undertook various projects and business-as-usual tasks simultaneously, and from this, I was learnt how to manage my time more effectively.

Some words of advice

Set some goals that you would like to achieve by the end of your internship, but be patient with yourself and take this as an opportunity to grow! Spend time in also immersing yourself in the company culture, and do not be afraid to ask questions or clarify any doubts that you may have.

Most importantly, have faith, believe in yourself and go in with an open mind to learn as much as you can during your internship stint!

Wong Pin Ming

Investment Banking Fall Analyst at CLSA

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Banking and Finance

SIM-UOL

My role

As an Investment Banking Fall Analyst in CLSA, I was given the opportunity to work alongside a group of talented people from the Debt and Equity Capital Markets department. During my internship, I was tasked with various projects on public listing and debt financing of companies from the SEA region.

My day-to-day duties included preparing pitch decks, market updates, sales memos, deal roadshow materials and industry research for the team. I also had the opportunity to schedule and attend investor meetings, and got to learn how fund managers valued a company during the process.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

It was not easy to find an internship during this period due to the pandemic, but nothing is impossible if you keep trying. One thing that I always worked towards was ensuring that I was prepared to seize every opportunity that came along the way.

To do so, I actively participated in stock pitches and business case competitions, and made it a habit to read up on market news daily to keep up with what was happening.

I was humbled that I was eventually offered this role, as it proved to me that all the time and effort that I put in paid off when I was able to showcase my passion for the job through sharing my experiences, knowledge and skills.

My takeaway

My biggest takeaway is that I was able to push beyond my own boundaries and immerse myself in one of the most challenging jobs in the banking industry. Working as an investment banker required extreme discipline and resilience to work in a highintensity environment over long hours.

I had to manage my time well, and prioritise my tasks in order to juggle between studying and completing an internship. I was truly humbled to be able to work with a team that was very supportive and helpful during my internship.

Some words of advice

One tip I would like to give those who are keen to explore similar roles is to start early, keep trying and take every rejection as a learning point. Prepare for all interviews thoroughly, and always believe in yourself.

It is important to plan for your career path, and persevere no matter how hard it gets. Also, be curious and ask as many questions as possible during your internship, as this is the best time for you to learn and make mistakes. The path ahead may not be easy, but the view is always worth the journey!

P Dharshana Naidu Data Analyst Intern at 3M

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Data Science and Business Analytics

SIM-UOL

My role

My role as a Data analyst in 3M was to analyse large e-commerce datasets from the ASEAN region, and look at the trends of their sales across various 3M products. I mainly focused on dashboards with Lazada and Shopee datasets for Singapore and Malaysia.

One of the most interesting projects I was involved in was to automate the downloading of e-commerce data from Lazada and Shopee using UiPath.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

I think what made me stand out from the rest of the applicants was my previous internship experience, and the skills that I had that were relevant to the job description.

Besides that, I believe that by showing your passion and genuine interest towards the role is a plus point during the interview, or even when crafting your cover letter.

My takeaway

My key takeaway will be gaining new industry knowledge by getting real world experience, and being able to apply my knowledge that I learnt in the classroom. I also realised the importance of always being enthusiastic, in terms of asking for more work and learning new skills.

The main challenge I faced was communicating despite safe distancing measures. As I mostly worked from home, I faced problems in trying to convey my issues through online meetings. However, I eventually got accustomed to it, and could work around the issue.

Some words of advice

It is never too late to start building your resume. Try to build as many relevant skills as possible. SIM provides micro credential courses, which offers students industry-specific skills that valueadd to your resume.

Never be discouraged by rejected internship applications. Keep trying and you will definitely get your chance soon!

Teo Kang Qi

Regional Finance Operations Intern (GrabAds) at Grab

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics and Management

SIM-UOL

My role

During the course of my internship, I had the opportunity to support and initiate projects. One of my most memorable projects was the process documentation, where I was tasked to create flowcharts of the different processes in order to aid auditors and new-comers. It was interesting to communicate with the different members in each department, and find out what their tasks are in the process.

On top of that, my core duties also included communicating with internal stakeholders to achieve targets, generating monthend invoices and updating and cleaning data.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

I am thankful that I secured an internship during this difficult time. I believe what helped me stand out was that I researched the job description and role thoroughly, and edited my resume based on that.

In addition, I networked with past interns, and got great tips on how I could stand out from other applicants. Besides that, I believe that it is important to have the correct mindset, and treat every task assigned as a learning opportunity.

My takeaway

I learnt a lot during my six-month internship, such as improving on task management. In Grab, there was no strict supervision, and as multiple tasks were assigned, I needed to take charge and rank the tasks in order of urgency.

Besides that, time management was also important, as I also managed concurrent CCA duties at the same time. My CCA duties could be overwhelming at times, but I managed to overcome it by better managing my schedule, and assigning time for other tasks during breaks.

Some words of advice

I believe that it is important to have the correct mindset and attitude. It is important to treat all tasks assigned as a learning opportunity, despite the difficulty of the task.

If you face any difficulties, do not be afraid to seek help from your managers, as most of the time, they are willing to help.

Shayann Ho Marketing Communications Intern at APM Property Management Pte Ltd

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Business and Management

SIM-UOL

My role

I was a Marketing Communications intern for APM Property Pte Ltd, which manages Suntec City. Under the digital team, I supported the marketing team in their integrated promotional campaigns to achieve business objectives including sales, shopper traffic, member acquisition and engagement KPIs for their platforms and social media, managing digital initiatives on Suntec+, the loyalty programme.

These included liaising and engaging with external and internal tenant stakeholders. I also curated social media content such as posts, stories and reels, garnering high engagement rates with two reels being the top post for two consecutive months.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

Personally, as this was my first external internship, I was doubtful that I could be hired, considering that there were many other candidates with vast accumulated experiences in their portfolio, as compared to mine.

However, I believe that the skills I acquired as an intern through SIM’s in-house Talent Development Programme (TDP), such as knowledge on how to use Creator Studio and Canva, greatly differentiated me from the other candidates. My personal interest in keeping up with latest trending contents formats on social media likely set me apart as well, as they probably saw my potential in curating content that could engage their audience.

My takeaway

One of my takeaways from this experience would be the leadership showcased by my senior colleagues, as they took my mistakes in stride, and kindly said that it may be because they did not explain the task properly. The difference in their attitudes towards me as a fresh-eyed intern impacted my outlook, and made me rethink the way I interacted, as well as drove me to contribute to a better work environment.

This internship also allowed me to explore my creative outlets, as I have never curated, let alone filmed, social media content before. It definitely gave me a greater understanding of how social media is used for larger organisations, and how it translates into KPIs for businesses.

At the same time, I also juggled other commitments, so it was important to manage time and expectations to prevent myself from burning out.

Some words of advice

My advice to students who are looking for a fulfilling internship experience would be to always have an open attitude to try new tasks and things, and to readily learn how to adapt to unfamiliar situations. That is where you will benefit the most, as you will be able to pick up many new skills and discover new sides of yourselves.

Carissa Yeo

Financial Services Assurance Intern at PwC Singapore Bachelor of Science (Honours)

in Accounting and Finance

SIM-UOL

My role

As a Financial Services Assurance (FSA) Intern, my main role was to support the campaigns team in advisory assignments, where I provided research support for FSA campaigns, such as Metaverse and ESG.

In particular, I was assigned to support the ESG team for most of my internship period to research on topics such as the TCFD. I was also fortunate enough to be able to participate in the preparation of a strategy workshop for a client.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

I think my knowledge about current affairs and trends in the banking and capital market helped me a lot, since I was interviewing for the banking and capital market business unit. Also, as I was familiar with the company values and motto, it allowed me to align my responses to them, showcasing my understanding of the company and how I could fit in.

My takeaway

One of my biggest takeaways from my internship experience would be the learning opportunities I had. Even though my role was to support FSA campaigns in advisory assignments, I was also given the opportunity to participate in the preparation for a strategy workshop.

These opportunities were very valuable to me, as I managed to acquire first-hand experiences of working on different assignments within FSA, while also gaining technical knowledge that is increasingly relevant in the financial industry today.

Some words of advice

My advice would be to keep an open mind, and take the opportunity to learn as much as you can. Internships are also an opportunity for you to explore and learn about the industry before you actually step into a full-time role, so take the chance to look around and see what kind of role you may be interested in taking on in future.

Finally, it is always good to clarify any queries you might have so that you can learn and understand your tasks better and deliver work up to expectations!

Celest Cheng Public Relations Intern at Marie Wee LLP Bachelor of Arts (Communication) SIM-UB

My role

As a Public Relations (PR) Intern, I was mainly tasked to develop strategic Public Relations game plans, and pitch to top media outlets for company news, product announcements, profiles, features and thought leadership pieces. Some notable outlets include Straits Times, MU/SE and Channel News Asia.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

Securing a placement for an internship was by no means a walk in the park, as I was constantly faced with rejections and no replies. However, despite all this, I persevered while keeping an open-minded mindset alongside a strong willingness to learn.

To ensure greater success in interviews, I kept my resume updated and did ample research about the companies to further understand them, which aided me in preparations for interviews, and also positioned me in a good light. Interviewers were able to see my keen interest in the internship.

In addition, it was also crucial to maintain good communication with the interviewer by being well-mannered and firm.

My takeaway

Apart from hard skills, I was also able to develop and sharpen the soft skills that are unique to me, and work best for me.

One of my biggest challenges in this internship was juggling my internship, school and other commitments. Being someone with a bit of a perfectionist trait, it was crucial for me to uphold others, and my own expectations of myself, by not compromising on the quality of my work despite time crunches.

Some words of advice

Stepping into the real working world can be daunting, but internships may aid in cushioning your entry, as it allows you to gain enriching real-life working experience that schools can never provide. Moreover, they also work as a platform for you to explore different career paths, which will aid in your decision on where to work after graduation.

Internships can also act as a whetstone for you to sharpen the skills in your arsenal, and expand your network. In order to receive the most out of your internship experience, it would be wise to keep yourself positive, keep an open mind and view hurdles as challenges to tackle, and not shy away from them.

Sampada Marwah

Sports Marketing Intern at Jamshedpur Football Club

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Sports Studies and Marketing

SIM-University of Stirling

My role

As a Sports Marketing Intern at Jamshedpur Football Club, I got the chance to closely work with players and coaches. My daily tasks included research work and coming up with ideas for the club’s social media. Apart from this, I was also required to create content, such as shooting and editing football-related content every day to post on social media.

Occasionally, I took on interviews, attended meetings and designed certificates for other events the club organised.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

I believe that employers look for students who have relevant knowledge, as well as some experience. In my case, I used the pandemic to attend courses, take up work from home internships and join several CCAs.

I used these platforms to apply my creative ideas, skills and all that I learnt in class. Thus, when I applied for this internship, I was confident and aware of what I could contribute, which helped me stand out from other applicants who had no prior experience.

My takeaway

This internship helped me understand the working world, which can difficult to find in the current situation. I also experienced the sports industry first-hand, as well as all the people associated with it.

Initially, it was challenging to work with people who were older and more experienced, and it took time to understand the office dynamics and get comfortable with it. Keeping up with school work was another challenge, but I made sure I completed it every day after my internship hours.

The tasks and the job excited me, and I definitely see myself working in this industry after graduation.

Some words of advice

It is important to keep an open mind when one joins a company as an intern. Remember that it is an opportunity for you to learn new things and grow.

My advice would be for students to be open to tasks outside their fields of interest. It is a good chance to grow and explore.

Wynne Riady Data Science and Analyst Intern at SG-EDTS Bachelor of Science (Honours)

in Data Science and Business Analytics

SIM-UOL

My role

As a Data Analytics Intern at SG-EDTS, I made use of available data that I then cleansed and analysed to present a useful report that could help my client achieve their business goals. The tools I used included BigQuery, Microsoft and Tableau.

I also had the opportunity to work with my team to build a report for one of Indonesia’s leading retail stores, Indogrosir, and assess the promotion of one of Indonesia’s leading milk brands, Indolakto.

What do you think helped you stand out from the other applicants?

As a student with hardly any experience, I always believed that additional knowledge is very important, and it can be a plus point on your resume. Thus, I spent a lot of time on online courses, such as Coursera and Udemy, to gain valuable skills related to my major.

I think what made me stand out was my eagerness to learn and apply what I learnt in my daily work.

My takeaway

Initially, it was difficult for me to get used to the fast-paced and professional environment, but as time passed, I found myself getting used to it. During my internship, I learnt and developed a lot, not only professionally, but also personally.

I gained a strong understanding about my field, and what it takes to be a good data analyst. It also helped me clarify and envision on what my workload and responsibilities would look like once I entered the field as a professional.

Some words of advice

My advice is to go for it. Even if you have been rejected by a lot of companies, keep going and you will get it. Build your portfolio and take as much additional knowledge as possible, and never stop learning.

Also, when you do your job, never be afraid to ask questions and be curious, because that is the attitude employers want. They want us to have large amounts of curiosity, and the eagerness to step forward. Good luck!

My role

As a Corporate Tax Agent, I specifically handle corporate tax planning and compliance. My job is basically being the middleman between the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and the client, handling communications and compliance matters between our stakeholders.

My day-to-day tasks consist of liaising with clients to obtain the necessary information to submit tax computations, or other required information, to IRAS.

How did your internship help you transit into your current role?

My 10-month-long internship allowed me to grasp the core concepts and foundations for corporate taxes. In addition, handling actual clients brought a completely new perspective to tax computations, as I got to see vastly different facts and circumstances that surrounded a case.

This ultimately affects the tax position that we are trying to justify to IRAS, and through these experiences, I was able to build my knowledge and serve my subsequent clients better. Therefore, the more time I spent on my internship, the more experience I accumulated and the more valuable I became to the client and KPMG. With my team and client’s trust in my professional knowledge and experience, I swiftly converted to a full-time role.

How did you manage to secure your conversion?

I felt that my internship experience was a crucial factor in converting to a full-time role. Before securing this full-time position at KPMG, I did not have any relevant work experience in taxation, or even in the accounting field.

Furthermore, my academic results could have been better, and I did not stand out amongst fellow job hunters. I realised that these factors would impede my future prospects and opportunities when I started hunting for a full-time position after graduation. Therefore, I took the opportunity to pursue an internship while studying.

Jackson Chai

Previous role: Corporate Tax Planning and Compliance Intern

Current role: Associate, Corporate Tax Planning and Compliance

KPMG Singapore

Bachelor of Business (Accountancy)

SIM-RMIT

While other fellow interns applied for two-month-long internships, I applied for a 10-month-long internship. The longer time allowed me to fully grasp the tax concepts and work processes in KPMG, and I consistently proved my work performance to my superiors.

After 10 months of consistent results, my superiors were happy to convert me to a full-time position without any issues.

What impact do you think your non-academic involvement in SIM had on your conversion?

Apart from my studies, I was also involved in the SIM Accounting Association as a committee member in the Business Development team, where I organised and executed programmes to introduce fellow accountancy students to future opportunities in the accountancy field.

I liaised with external organisations, such as the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA), to provide opportunities to students. This experience taught me valuable soft skills, like public speaking, organisation and time management.

These soft skills and experience played an important role when I was demonstrating that I would be a valuable asset to the team to my superiors.

Some words of advice

Expect to make sacrifices to achieve your objectives. Oftentimes, when you are out to find job roles such as internships, you may have to compete with strong competitors to secure the ideal job you want. To stand out against such strong competitors, you must sometimes be willing to sacrifice more, in order to prove that you can be more valuable to the hiring company.

For example, I was willing to sacrifice my time and work-life balance for the internship, which attracted my superiors, as I could contribute much more than my competitors.

Although studying and completing an internship at the same time was stressful, I achieved my objective of securing a fulltime role in a Big Four firm.

My role

I am responsible for the end-to-end recruitment process in my current role. My job scope also includes sourcing and managing candidate pools. During the hiring process, my role spans conducting phone screenings and facilitating communication with various stakeholders during the recruitment process, to offer management. I am also the main coordinator for campus activities, such as career fairs, and also generate monthly recruitment reports.

Previously, my role was mainly to facilitate the Talent Acquisition (TA) Consultants in my department in the recruitment process, and conduct phone screenings.

How did your internship help you transit into your current role?

My internship experience at Siemens gave me insights on how the company’s operations and processes work, and made me familiar with the organisation. This smoothed the transition into my current full-time role, as I had prior encounters with the colleagues and stakeholders, on top of having experience on what was expected in the role.

How did you manage to secure your conversion?

I believe that the most important factor is an enthusiastic attitude towards learning as a fresh graduate, such as being proactive and taking the initiative to step up to offer the team assistance. Being able to establish credibility towards the team, such as completing work well within deadlines definitely played a role, as well. I also ensured that I worked well with my team and my line manager, and that I could deliver what was expected of me.

Having managed my exams together with my internship, I also ensured that I was upfront with my line manager regarding my academic commitments, to ensure that there were little disruptions.

Beatrice Chow

Previous role: Talent Acquisition Trainee

Current role: Talent Acquisition

Siemens

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Business and Management SIM-UOL

What impact do you think your non-academic involvement in SIM had on your conversion?

During my student life, I interned under the school’s Talent Development Programme (TDP) by Career Connect, and I was also an Operations and Events Director at the Human Resource Career Chapter. Outside of school, I took part in the Youth Expedition Programme (YEP) to Vietnam.

In terms of how they contributed to my conversion, I was able to relate what I learnt from these experiences to the role.

For example, being an intern allowed me to understand what was expected in a working environment, such as resilience and accountability, while volunteering in YEP allowed me to explore other ways of showing empathy, which helped in building relationships.

Some words of advice

Being a university student is the best time to take on as many opportunities to learn and develop yourself. Always be hungry to learn both inside and outside of school. While you are working, take it easy and do not be hard on yourself when you make mistakes – after all, this is part of the learning process.

Internships are also one of the most ideal ways to find your strengths and weaknesses, explore your career interests and even learn new things that you may not be able to find on Google. Time flies, so ensure that you start planning your days in university as early as possible, and get the most out of your student life!