The Global Experience

The world is your oyster, so do not limit yourself.

Are you limiting your opportunities by only looking at positions available in Singapore? What could motivate you to take the plunge and explore opportunities overseas? Yourmindset — a simple word with profound meaning — is the key. While moving and living abroad will have a huge impact not only on your personal life but your professional life as well, earning a living in another country can be the start of an international career with a professional network to match!

As e-commerce and international trade continue to evolve into major players in the business world, working overseas will allow you to connect the dots and see the global marketplace from another perspective. This will add another “expertise” to your portfolio, especially regarding the country you work in. Your professional network will no doubt be enhanced.

Livingin a differentenvironmentmaysound dauntingto some but if you grab such an opportunity, you will find yourself navigating the working world through a different language and culture. This will not only help you to become a better communicator and boost your profile, but it will also allow you to be more aware of the different ways an email orconversation could be interpreted.

For those with wanderlust in your veins, there is nothing better than working abroad. You will get the opportunity to experience the country you are working in at a deeper level and you will get paid to do so! Instead of being a simple tourist glossing over a country’s culture, you will get to immerse yourself in it. The global perspective that you could develop will become a huge asset in your career.

Overseas Internship

Rachel Set Aung BSc in Business Management with Industrial Placement, SIM-UOB HR intern, Unilever Myanmar

My Role I was given the opportunity to lead in several organisation-wide short burst projects as well as managing Unilever Myanmar's career social media pages. Projects ranged from improving employee engagement and encouraging a more plastic-aware work culture to recruitment. Apart from that, I was also able to play a part in many different events such as designing and producing blood donation drive promotional cards, making videos for town hall assemblies and designing internal laptop screensavers to promote companyprovided resources for e-learning.

My Takeaway In such a fast-paced environment, this entire experience has been invaluable. However, my most memorable experience was the support I received whenever I proposed anything out of the ordinary. It helped me to recognise my learning agility, enabling me to learn skills like Photoshop and video editing from scratch. I’m thankful to have been involved in one of the biggest backstages of the FMCG industry and I am keen on working in HR again. This experience taught me that behind every success is a meaningful purpose. As the motto goes: “Companies with purpose last. Brands with purpose grow. People with purpose thrive”.

My Advice Workingis not onlyabout utilising the knowledge that we already have but it is also about upskilling ourselves. If we’re good at what we do — great! There’s always room for improvement, however. If we’re not so good — that’s okay! What’s most important is the willingness to learn, unlearn and relearn. If you don’t know something, make sure you do when someone asks about it the next time. No matter where you are, always give your absolute best. Good things will follow. You need to do new things and make a difference. Be prepared to go beyond your comfort zone. It’s never easy but “people with purpose thrive”.

Ervina Chandra BSc in Economics and Finance, SIM-UOL Management Consulting (Finance and Risk Intern) Accenture

My Role During the internship, I assisted in conducting meetings and interviews with clients to identify and analyse the current pain points and develop plans for future enhancement. Besides, I was also given the opportunity to evaluate existing characteristics and performances of many financial products from different corporate functions used for transformation.

Overseas Internship

My Takeaway Throughout the internship, I was assigned to different tasks and it was a steep learning curve. At the same time, I am truly grateful for supportive colleagues who guided me in enhancing both my analytical and interpersonal skills. Moreover, being able to work with people from different backgrounds as a team made me learn to appreciate diversity more.

My Advice Keep an open mind, follow your passion and never stop learning!

Launched in 2013 bytheJapanesegovernmentwith theintentions of raising awareness and understanding of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the JENESYS programme aims to provide a platform for youths from Asian and Oceania regions to further deepen mutual understanding and foster friendships. Participants have the opportunity to visit facilities, communities and organisations in Tokyo and otherprefectures as well as attend lectures and home visits. The programmes are focused on cultural exchanges to encourage youths to learn more about Japanese culture. 10 youths were selected to represent Singapore in this exchange programme. Let us hear from the two students representing SIM on their experience!

Rivik Paul BSc in Economics and Finance, SIM-UOL SIM GE EDGE Award Recipient

My Experience The programme wasa delightful opportunityforme to experience Japanese culture firsthand and interact closely with fellow youth leaders from around ASEAN and Timor-Leste. Our group’s theme was “Environment and Manufacturing”. This theme definitely gave us an in-depth understanding of Japan’s position in the two aforementioned sectors. Japan has successfully established itself in these sectors due to three key reasons: its culture, its people and its technology. We also learned various policies that the government has implemented for the economy to thrive and maintain social stability.

Memorable Experiences and Challenges The most significant experience in this trip was the homestay where we stayed over with a Japanese family. We had the chance to meaningfully interact and grow closer to our hosts, and participated in various activities includinghiking, farmingand learningthe traditional Gujodancing. The late-nightconversations exchanging perspectives among our respective countries really let me understand perspectives from a world I never knew. The language barrier was a challenge but, through an electronic translator, we managed to communicate and discuss a great array of topics. Our host was a solar farmer and he described to us the current and future challenges and opportunities of this sector. We loved every moment of this unique experience and, to top it off, we woke up to a picturesque snow-capped scenery right outside our cottage.

My Takeaway This trip was an eye-opening experience and it has given me great knowledge ofthe ASEAN region and Japan. This was my first trip to Japan and there were many learning experiences, especially about the Japanese culture. Their innovative spirit, in terms of Japanese technology, and warm hospitality are so deeply rooted in their culture, it allows the nation to bring about a unique value proposition by the way they attend their manufacturing sector. Being able to fully immerse myself in a foreign culture has definitely broadened my horizon. Most importantly, the friendships that I have built with my fellow youth leaders across the region has been a blessing and we remain close till this day.

My Advice Always stay on the lookout for these global experiences! Personally, this is my third one while in university and each has developed me holistically. I find myself having a new edge with each travel venture. Step out of your comfort zone — you will learn the most about yourself and experience a greater purpose. Be open tointeractingwith people all acrossthe world and gaining valuable perspectives that other global citizens could share.

Hazeera Bi DO Abdul Wahid (centre) BSc in International Relations, SIM-UOL SIM GE EDGE Award Recipient

My Experience The programme was the cliché “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. Whatmade the entire trip memorable were the Japanese people, their food and, undoubtedly, my newfound friends. Being piled into the bus or the train with a bunch of young adults from all over ASEAN and Timor-Leste felt like a learning journey. The highlight ofmytrip, as part ofthe DisasterPrevention group, was travelling to Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture to learn more about their recovery from the catastrophic 2011 tsunami. Learning that my ASEAN friends had also experienced natural disasters — which to me, was just something I saw occasionally but a normal occurrence to them — allowed me to learn from theirexperience, be aware ofmyprivileges and reflect on the roles we should take on as individuals.

2) Memorable Experiences and Challenges Being from sunny Singapore, I remember distinctly the freezing cold wind that blew my petite friend off her feet when we were at the site of a tsunami-damaged primary school. In the chilling wind, I learnt about how the community rebuilt their city and their disaster prevention plans to mitigate potential tsunamis and earthquakes. I was also honoured to live with a local family. My Oto-san and Oka-san (“father” and “mother” in Japanese, respectively) were accommodating, kind and humorous — I gathered all that through conversing with them through the Google Translate app. Despite struggling with the language, we prepared a five-course meal, played in the snow and learnt more about each other’s cultures. These small moments, and the warmth that emanates from the Japanese people, are what makes Japan great.

3) My Takeaway As an international relations student, I believe this has opened my eyes about my fellow ASEAN friends and how we can play a part in making a change. During the visit to the Ishinomaki Community and Info Centre (ICIC), I learnt about a British citizen and long-time resident, Richard Halberstadt. Although he was urged by the British embassy to leave due to a potential nuclear fallout, Halberstadt decided to stay behind and help his adopted community. He channelled the media attention on him to garner assistance in its recovery and reconstruction. Now, as the director of the ICIC, he uses his bilingual prowess to serve as an international booster for the city and to spread a better awareness of disaster preparedness. Seeing his enthusiasm in sharing his journey left an impressionable impact on me.

4) My Advice Always try new things. If you don’t try, the answer will always be “no”. I was not 100% sure that I would be chosen to go on this trip but I took a chance and signed up anyway. Taking chances and stepping out of your comfort zone can be extremely destabilising and terrifying at first, but I truly and honestly feel that these choices will lead to experiences that add value to your life. So, take a chance, put yourself out there and live your best life.

A Summer Exchange Programme in New York for future-minded young professionals, CCIP is characterised as a holistic experience, encouraging participants to maximise professional opportunities in networking, media exposure and leadership — an opportunity beyond simply interning. Characterised as a cohesive living culture and a holistic approach to internships, CCIP offers a unique edge over any conventional internship programme. CCIP is organised directly by a US Government designated visa sponsor in collaboration with SIM Global Education, allowing a streamlined visa application process. During the programme, students live together and receive on-the-job training at one of over 25 host organisations. After working hours, they maximise their NYC experience with exceptional professional and leisure activities.

Poddar Muskan Bachelor of Business (Marketing), SIM-RMIT Intern Djam Insurance Brokerage

My Role I interned at Djam Insurance Brokerage firm, a private firm dealing with all types of insurances. Unlike in India, people insure everything in America. My job included liaising with brokers, clients and banks as well as maintaining the database, drafting insurance applications and ensuring that all the documents provided by the clients are up to date.

Memorable experiences and any challenges faced My most memorable experience would be getting appreciated by my boss for getting everything right during the insurance process. It took me a while to actually get used to the legal terms, numbers and the procedure as a whole. In the beginning, I made a lot of mistakes and this was a challenge for me because the field of insurance was totally new to me. I had to prove to my boss that I was better than that. As time passed, I was able to catch up to everything that I was supposed to do successfully.

Your takeaway The biggest takeaway from my experience of working in America is that nothing in life comes easy. Every day is a new day to hustle and achieve something in life. My monotonous work life made me realise how important it is to manage life in all aspects. No work feels good at the beginning because you feel as if you aren’t good enough. But, as time passes, you get better. Thus, my other takeaway is to be patient and confident enough to encounter any challenges upfront.

How has this global experience prepare you for the working world? I have to admit that the working world isn’t as easy as I had expected it to be. Just two months of working and I was already feeling the pressure of work. Through the global experience of work, I now know that, in the future, I have to be prepared mentally and physically to handle the stress and pressure. Just like how every coin has two sides, work life also consists of two sides. With the pressure handling, comes the satisfaction of learning something new, completing goals, developing the mind and so on. My biggest lesson would be to work in a field that actually fascinates me. I want to pursue marketing and I know I can handle the stress while having fun at my job.

To build real estate of the future, we have to first build our people. CapitaLand Graduate Development Programme is designed to bring in the best people, and bring out the best in them. CapitaLand’s diverse portfolio of integrated developments, shopping malls, serviced residences, offices, homes, real estate investment trusts and funds provides the global stage on which any dream can take flight. SET YOUR CAREER GOALS ON OUR SOLID FOUNDATION CapitaLand Graduate Development Programme

CapitaLand Graduate Development Programme nurtures promising young graduates with less than two years of working experience for a rewarding, accelerated career journey. The holistic programme offers prospects for personal growth and development, with a comprehensive learning roadmap.

LET’S START BUILDING Gain global exposure through job rotations to various real estate sectors and countries. You will also be actively involved in various aspects of the business, with opportunities to gain insights from CapitaLand’s senior management. Think you have what it takes? We are looking for graduates with the right attributes, including:

Leadership qualities Aptitude to articulate a vision and lead people toward achieving it

Resilience Tenacity to thrive and perform under pressure

Drive to succeed Enthusiasm to take on varied tasks with a desire to excel

Team player Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with others