Quick guide to easy employment for new Singaporean graduates

Graduate recruitment programmes are run by employers who want to secure the best and brightest talent, as this comes available from universities around the world. Programmes usually focus on exposing graduates to numerous parts of the business (although this is not always the case) and giving them the opportunity to move and grow within their organisation. The benefits for the employers are significant as many graduates go on to be strong leaders.

It’s a two-way street, though. At the same time as organisations are finding the best graduates for their staffing programmes, graduates should be identifying the best employer for them – applying the same level of rigor to their selection of an employer as they would do to the selection of their qualifications or to the same level of research they’d do as part of their coursework.

So what can graduates to do to ensure they’re ready for their new careers?

At a bare minimum, research the employer – what are the company’s achievements in the past twelve to eighteen months? Has the company expanded, contracted, have there been any mergers or acquisitions? What’s the company’s presence and reputation in the local country, local region, and internationally? Who are the company’s key competitors?

Most graduates will have a fair idea of the sector that they’re looking to enter, too. It’s important to know and understand the sector, and to be able to communicate this with potential employers. What are the trends within the sector? Who are the pace-setters, and what is likely to happen in the next six to twelve months in that sector? What are overall market conditions like in this sector, both locally and regionally?

It’s never too early to begin networking. If the company has hired graduates previously, get in contact with them and talk to them about their experiences. There is a wealth of social networking tools which can help facilitate introductions – LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and so on.

Personal and educational networks can be of value - talk to family, friends, lecturers, and anyone who has connections with the company who might be able share some insight on the company or sector. Regrettably, there is often a gap between the image of a sector and its reality – the opportunity to work in a high profile, well-remunerated position may be very appealing to new graduates, but there are hidden costs to the role that an insider can give voice to.

However, these activities pale in significance to the insight and value that can be gained through taking up an internship. Most graduate employers in Singapore also look to provide internships to students who are in the final years of their studies, and have programmes in place which provide exposure to the work environment.

Typically, students who take up an internship ahead of their graduation viewed as being preferred candidates for graduate programs, and students who do additional training in the workplace during their studies are viewed favorably. From the student’s perspective, it is a preview of what to expect in the first years of their careers – how companies work, how people work together, and the expectations of a professional career.

Graduates also need to be patient. It takes time to learn and assimilate in any new environment, and the working environment is no exception. The working environment is going to be markedly different from the education environment. Graduates will be working with a wide range of people who have different skills, educations, are from different generations and operate within an organisation hierarchy, and will need to adapt to this environment if they are to be successful.

Ultimately, being able to cope with the demands of a new job; boils down to exposure. Work experience certainly helps, either through internship or even more broadly from generic work experience throughout study.