ISSUE 3
SIM
Q4 '21
CAREERCONNECT NEWSLETTER
DR. AARON TAN DIRECTOR, LEARNER ADVISORY AND CAREER CENTRE SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
DIRECTOR'S NOTE Hello everyone! Welcome to our final issue for 2021! Time really flies! We hope you have been enjoying our past issues! Helping our learners achieve their aspirations for a satisfying career is at the top of our minds at Career Connect. Despite the challenges of safety restrictions, we are happy to say that we managed to pivot successfully many of our events to online platforms. In this issue we highlight our two Virtual Career & Internship Fairs: IGNITE and SPARKS, which attracted more than 40 employers each and attended by hundreds of our students. We also feature an interview with participants on their experiences attending a virtual fair. Speaking of employers, we have listed some of our top employers who have hired our most recent graduates. We have featured three of our graduates who have found jobs in the IT, Banking and Audit industries respectively. We are really proud of all our graduates as they have proven themselves over and over again that they have the right knowledge and skills that top employers find valuable! Besides the above, there are several other articles which I’m sure you will find informative and useful. As we wrap up the year, I would like to wish one and all a Joyful Christmas and New Hope for a better year in 2022! Take care and stay safe!
Upcoming Workshops Hire-Me Series: Discovering and Building Towards Your Dream Job (8 Dec 2021)
Hire-me Series: How To Excel In Your First Job / Internship (That You Weren't Taught In School) (7 Dec 2021) Takeaways: Raise the awareness of students on the many layers of working simultaneously in the professional world Identify concepts and frameworks and react accordingly once they enter the workforce
Takeaways: Understand what students are inclined towards Acquiring skills required for that particular job in the next 13 years of university.
RSVP @ qrco.de/unicorn-workshop
MEET OUR TEAM TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME INTERNS
Jordan Ang - University of Birmingham B.Sc. in Business Management with Communications
Emmy Ku - University of London B.Sc. in Economics and Finance
Kimberly Sim - University of London B.Sc. in Business and Management
Teo Kang Qi - University of London B.Sc. in Economics and Management
Tresha Lakshmi - SIM Dip. in Banking and Finance
Loke Kai Lin - University of Birmingham B.Sc. in Business Management
Natasha Ngo - University at Buffalo B.Sc. in Business Administration
Jordan Tsan - University of Stirling B.A. in Sports Studies and Marketing
Yau Kai Ling - University at Buffalo B.Sc. in Business Administration
Chan Wan Ni - University of London B.Sc. in Economics and Finance
Chew Zi Qin - University at Buffalo B.Sc. in Business Administration
EMBARK By Chew Zi Qin & Kimberly Sim
In line with the annual Virtual Student Involvement Drive, Career Connect has conducted an interactive session “EMBARK” on the 28th August where over 50 students discovered what Career Connect has to offer for SIM students to hone their employability skills. Our Talent Development Programme (TDP) interns who hosted the session shared more about Career Connect's unique initiatives such as Project Protégé mentorship programme, TDP, Career Champs, as well as other resources and programmes offered to allow students to gain exposure in the working world, improve their soft and technical skills and build up their network. The EMBARK session ended off with an interactive and engaging Kahoot! Quiz, where the top 3 winners walked away with $10 Grab vouchers! Look out for our next EMBARK session in the upcoming months and bring along your friends to join us!
Young Graduate Career Forum By Jordan Ang
Over 60 students participated in the Young Graduate Career Forum (YGCF) on the 6th of November, where our supportive community of SIM Alumni came together to offer a smoother transition from being in class to being at work as it may prove to be daunting to some students. Featuring 4 different speakers from different industries, we are thankful to have Tung Mei Yuan from L’Oreal, Chin Ying Jie from DocuSign, Galvin Lai from DBS and Solomon Foo from Credit Suisse to share about their tips and tricks with our SIM students. Our moderator, Winsley Ong, a UOL International Relations undergraduate, drew out excellent insights from our fellow speakers during the forum. Here are 5 key takeaways from our alumni speakers:
1. Apply for internships & externships to gain relevant experience and transferrable skills. 2. Read up relevant articles related to your interested industry to increase your knowledge
4. Try to network and add connections on LinkedIn to gain exposure.
5. Be consistent in what you do while having the flexibility to pivot quickly.
3. Learn to adopt a growth mindset and not be afraid to leave your comfort zone.
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Top 10 Companies SIM Graduates worked at in 2020/2021 By Emmy Ku, Teo Kang Qi, Tresha Lakshmi
Have you wondered what are the top 10 companies that actively hire SIM graduates in 2020/2021? The recent Graduate Employment Survey (GES) conducted earlier this year revealed that over 15% of the SIM graduates surveyed are employed full-time in companies such as Ernst & Young, DBS Bank, Singapore Airlines Limited. Conducted annually, GES ascertains the employment outcome of SIM graduates and is an important indicator of the performance of SIM graduates in the job market. Let us now hear from 3 of our SIM graduates who are employed full-time in the Top 10 companies:
My role's responsibilities I ensure smooth operations in cloud technologies while delivering services to customers in accordance to the tender specifications and proposed solutions.
What do you think makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates to secure the offer? As I have an interest in cloud technologies, I applied for the AWS Cloud Experience program and other internships programmes which was recommended by my CCA - SIM IONS. I had attained the Cloud Practitioner Certificate in AWS before graduating, and it gave me an edge in securing a job.
My tips and advice to those who aspire to work in the same company and/or industry? Try to join CCAs where you can gain exposure and knowledge in what you are interested in. As a member of SIM IONS, I’m able to identify the area of tech I’m interested in.
Melina Hong
Cloud Engineer at NCS Pte Ltd
B.Sc. Computing and Information Systems
University of London
Class of 2021
In addition, don’t be afraid to try new things! I don’t have much knowledge on Cloud as it wasn’t taught intensively in my course, but I tried and here I am! The Nucleus Programme in NCS allowed me to handle a diverse range of projects which have expanded my skillset and knowledge.
My role's responsibilities My role as an Audit Associate with the Technology Media & Telecommunications sector involves evaluating financial figures and conducting audit procedures on clients within this sector.
What do you think makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates to secure the offer? Before the interview, I spent a significant amount of time researching key topics such as the company's core business focus, key accounting & auditing standards etc, so that I would be able to tackle technical and company-specific questions during the interview. As it is a virtual interview, I prepared evidence of my assertions in my resume. For example, I showcased a coding program that analysed housing data to show that I have coding knowledge. This left a strong impression on the interviewer and I received an offer within a few days!
How did you utilize Career Connect services to prepare yourself in securing this role? I attended interview preparation workshops organized by Career Connect, which taught me tips and tricks on how to boost my professionalism. Also, I utilized aptitude tests to gain an understanding of my personality and which industries would be desirable to me.
Swaroopa Sen
Business Analyst Credit Risk (Trainee) at DBS Bank
B.Sc. Business and Management
University of London
Class of 2021
My role's responsibilities Some of responsibilities include ensuring credit reporting to Credit Bureau Singapore (CBS) is done accurately and that all credit disputes received are responded to within the required Service Level Agreement (SLA). I also analyse and investigate Credit Bureau dispute data and aided in formulating accurate and timely responses to consumers and CBS authorities.
What do you think makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates to secure the offer? I ensured that I had a clearly curated resume for the roles that I am applying for, highlighting relevant past experiences that would value add to the role. This is essential as hiring managers prefer fresh graduates who have some prior relevant experiences. It is also important to have your resume vetted by
Max Ong
Audit Associate at Ernst&Young LLP
B.Bus. Accountancy
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Class of 2021
My tips and advice to those who aspire to work in the same company and/or industry? Due to COVID-19, many professional services firms have accelerated their digital transformation plans and fresh graduates that possess strong digital literacy skills will be high in demand. Understanding and knowing advanced excel formulas and learning data analysis tools such as Power BI would be a good start to boost your digital literacy skills. In addition, you should be relatively strong in your understanding of the fundamental accounting standards, so that you would be able to critically apply these fundamentals to provide solutions to both your employer and as well as their respective clients.
career coaches and seek advice from seniors who have knowledge of the field you wish to work in. I also researched further on the role and company's values and prepare my elevator pitch on how I can value add to the company.
How did you utilize CareerConnect's services to prepare yourself in securing this role? I am genuinely thankful to Career Connect staff who have vetted my resumes countless times and provided very insightful tips to improve on when I was in university. The various workshops/seminars have been tremendously useful as it provided the skills/exposure that you would need when you step into the working world. One other beneficial tool would be the Graduates First Portal that prepared me for the aptitude/behavioural tests, which is increasingly common for Banks and MNCs hiring processes.
My tips and advice to those who aspire to work in the same company and/or industry? Always start your research early. If you wish to work in the same industry, it will be good to have some hands-on experience in industry related internships. Make full use of SIM's resources and get as much experience as you can while schooling so that you are one step ahead of your peers when you finally graduate from school.
By Yau Kai Ling, Chan Wan Ni, Jordan Tsan
On 30th September 2021, Career Connect hosted the inaugural SPARKS International Virtual Career Fair for students to explore career opportunities in Indonesia. Employers had the opportunity to share extensively about the career opportunities within their organization. Active exchanges were made during the Q&A segment and here are the key takeaways! 1. Having the right attitude & character, along with your level of passion & humility are the top criteria employers look out in fresh graduates. 2. Employers focus more on work and life experiences because ultimately, it's how you create an impact to the organization. 3. Joining CCAs are important as it gives an attitude of learning, and it's important to show what you’ve learnt, be it leadership, time management, etc. 4. Employers seek candidates that can work independently, and have the resilience and adaptability to work in a virtual setting. 5. Always stay positive, never give up, upskill yourself with relevant courses, network with relevant people, and remember that employers hire for attitude.
Let us hear from Kanada on her experience attending the career fair!
What is your biggest takeaway from SPARKS? The most important thing I have learned from SPARKS is the knowledge of how to better prepare myself for employability, as well as the various application dates for different types of company.
What did you enjoy and find most interesting about SPARKS? I got the chance to ask my questions directly to employers. For instance, how is the company culture like, how to maximise my chances of acceptance and when are their recruitment blocks. Kanada Gabriele Calista Year 1 B.Sc. Data Science and Business Analytics University of London
Would you recommend students to attend the future SPARKS Career & Internship Fair? Why? An absolute yes. Even if your desired company is not present and/or there is no relevance to your desired sector, you can be certain that you will get new insights from the sharing sessions.
By Loke Kai Lin & Natasha Ngo IGNITE Career & Internship Fair 2021 was a huge success! Thanks to the 41 participating companies for sharing insightful talks with SIM students and of course, it meant nothing if our students did not engage in it. A little birdy told us that this year’s IGNITE Career & Internship Fair was double the student participation rate as compared to the 2020's Edition and it really shows that Covid-19 may have disrupted our lives and how we work but it has not stopped our students' passion and enthusiasm for job searches. We spoke to 2 student participants who are interested in vastly different industries to learn about tips on how to better prepare for the HR and Software Engineering sectors as well as their key takeaways from this year’s career fair.
Interview Q&A
Did it change your opinion on your interested sector/role? Regina: It did not change my opinion of HR, but rather strengthened my interest and passion in it. I feel that I am more driven in acquiring more experience and skills to be a more employable and suitable candidate. Determined on achieving my first career goal of entering this role, I went on to seek for more opportunities by applying for several HR internships. Rayhan: I feel that the talk did not change my opinion on the IT and Data Sector. However, I do get a friendlier and easy-going energy from the speakers in the E-commerce sector, and it really strengthens my interest in the industry especially after knowing their incredible employee welfare of a fully stocked pantry.
Regina Cheong
Rayhan Isa
Penultimate Year B.A. in Psychology & B.Sc. in Business Administration University at Buffalo
Penultimate Year BCompSc. (Digital Systems Security) University of Wollongong
Why did you choose to attend that particular company’s talk? Regina: I was interested in JPMorgan Chase's Human Resource Analyst Internship program and I understand the competition is very stiff. I wanted to find out further about the company culture and programme, and to better understand what the hiring managers are looking for in selecting candidates. Rayhan: I have attended several companies’ talk, such as Shopee, Tiktok, Bank of Singapore & more. Given that it is my last semester before I graduate, I am really keen to learn more about the various job openings available in E-commerce and the banking sectors for aspiring data/software engineers. I also wanted to learn more about their company culture to see if I’ll be a good fit for the company.
What's the biggest takeaway from IGNITE? Regina: I got to better understand the application and selection process and what hiring managers look for in the candidates, which includes genuine interest to learn, showcasing some general knowledge and understanding about the industry and role. One good tip to share is to understand what role we are exactly applying for, so that it aligns with our interest or passion. This will encourage more motivation and determination when researching about the company, industry and career prospects of the job. Rayhan: I feel that my main takeaway would be to learning about what the respective employers might be looking for in applicants.
How do you think you can prepare better for your chosen industry? Regina: Attend more career fairs such as IGNITE to better understand how different companies’ HR operate and know what strategies they use as well as connecting with different Talent Acquisition personnel on various platforms such as LinkedIn. I believe that taking up internships and gaining more relevant experience in HR would also help me to better prepare for my future HR career. I have taken up HR internships and will continue to seek for more opportunities in other firms to gain greater exposure and hone my skills. Rayhan: A good portfolio. I would rank internship as the most important, as experience precedes over any other in my opinion. For students who are not able to do any internship, I would advise them to work on projects or improve themselves with industry-related courses.
Would you recommend your friends to attend our future career fairs? If so, why? Regina: Yes, definitely! They will be able to get to know more about the companies they have and have not heard of, and find out more about the many career opportunities available for them. The sharing by different companies could spark an area of interest to explore for those who have yet to know what career or industry they want to venture into. Moreover, they can expand their professional network, which may lead to more meaningful opportunities or partnerships in the future! Rayhan: Yes, I will recommend my friends to attend the future career fair as it will benefit them in their future job hunt, learning about the available job offerings and what employers might be looking for.
How to: Write professional emails By Emmy Ku, Teo Kang Qi, Tresha Lakshmi, Jordan Ang
After career fairs, you'll probably have more business cards than your fingers. It'll be a terrific idea to follow up with companies that you are interested in to establish connections for future opportunities! Here are tips to write a mature and successful professional email:
1. Use proper email addresses No more silly cartoon names and random digits that resembles the next winning ticket of the Singapore Sweep. Keep it to your name, first or last, or preferably both if it's available.
2. Start with a meaningful subject line It should state the purpose of the email and double check to make sure that there are no typo errors as it leaves a bad impression. With a filled inbox, the subject line can be the determinant of whether it goes straight to the trash or whether it deserves a read.
3. Keep your message concise and straightforward Professionals are often happy to inquire fresh and talented graduates into their company. By keeping your message short and sweet, it improves the chances of getting a reply even when they're swamped with other commitments.
4. Proofread your content Autocorrect is helpful, but it isn't perfect. Always proofread your draft and look out for grammatical blunders. Read it aloud and put yourself into the perspective of the recipient.
5. Check your attachments The last thing you would want to do is to send your email out without attaching your cover letter, resume or any other requested documents. With large attachments, placing it in a zip folder would help a lot.
6. Sign off with professionalism Remember to end off your email with appropriate closers such as 'Best Regards' and 'Thank you'. Adding in your phone number and a link to your LinkedIn profile would be a neat touch. Tip: To avoid inconsistencies and to save time, you can set an automatic signature so it always appears when you compose a new email.
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BOOST YOUR EMPLOYABILITY HOW-TO-SESSION LEADING UP TO DREAMS CAREER & INTERNSHIP FAIR
Join us at the DREAMS Career and Internship Fair on 21-25 Feb 2022! Specially organised for you to hear directly from the employers about the job and internships opportunities available and discover insights of the companies that you do not get to read on their websites. In order to boost your employability and enhance your readiness, our Career Coaches come alongside to guide and support to stand out as an applicant.
Karen Tang Manager, Career Guidance SIM Career Connect WSG Certified Career Practitioner
Through virtual sessions via Zoom at the comfort of your home, you can meet with the Career Coach to pick up tips and insights on: What to prepare before a Career and Internship Fair How to network with employers to make a positive impression What makes an effective resume for job applications Clarify your doubts with the Career Coach
Find The Hidden Cat
20 winners will walk away with Capitaland mall vouchers by completing the activity above. Circle the cat and email the edited image to careerconnect@sim.edu.sg
Upcoming events
4 Dec '21 21-25 Feb '22
careerconnect@sim.edu.sg
@SIM Career Connect
International Student Career Forum DREAMS Career and Internship Fair
@simcareerconnect
@SIM Career Connect