How I Landed A Full-Time Job Before Graduating

By Abhishek Gupta

When I first arrived in Singapore, my main goals were to excel at student life and gain experiences that would equip me for the working world. I am glad that as an international student, I was presented me with many opportunities to attain these goals at SIM GE.  I gained valuable experiences during my course of study and secured internships at companies such as Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and Ernst & Young (EY) back home in India. These experiences were instrumental in helping me to eventually land a full-time job at PwC in Singapore even before graduation! Hence, if you're looking for a career head start as a student, here are some tips to help get you started!  

#Make Your Mark At Career Fairs
Career Fairs are held annually at SIM and this is a good place to begin if you are looking for internships as over a hundred companies that include the Big 4 firms and major banks are invited to this Fair on campus. You will get to network with employers and find out more about the job opportunities that are available. This is also a platform for you to shine as you'll get to speak directly with them.

One tip that I can offer is that you should always do your homework before showing up to events like these. Apart from dressing your best (dress formally as you would for a job interview), make an effort to find out more about the companies that you hope to work with and prepare an ‘Elevator Pitch' on how you can be of great value to them.

I also went the extra mile to create business cards which included my LinkedIn ID and contact details in order to build a strong network. Throughout my three years at SIM, I have been attending Career Fairs and they have been helpful in allowing me to gain insights on key industry trends and the skills that companies look out for when hiring. This helped me to assess where my strengths lie and make a better choices on the companies that I should apply for.


I was offered the opportunity to be an emcee at a CPA Australia Professional Session as part of the Career Fair. 

#Forming Industry Connections
SIM's Career Development Office (CDO) also provides students with the opportunity to network with future employers and gain workplace skills through events and workshops. I regularly attended such workshops and was able to pick up key skills in resume writing, job interviews and business data analytics. To better understand how companies operate, I also embarked on learning journeys by CDO and got to learn about their routine operations.

Through these workshops and events, I was able to gain an in-depth understanding of job functions as well as build a strong industry network. Many of the people I met and connected with at these events later became mentors and acted as referees for me. During my job application process, they also advised me on important procedures and questions to expect at interviews. These were key in helping me get a full-time job offer as a general assurance associate in PwC. #Seize Internship Opportunities As I was keen on gaining full-time employment in Singapore, I realised that it was important to gain work experience here. Hence, I decided to take up a voluntary internship with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Empact, a social enterprise where I gained experience on daily payroll and bookkeeping functions. This internship was secured through my CCA involvement at the SIM Accounting Association where I was director of marketing. My internship stint at the NGO gave me a better understanding of Singapore's work culture and enabled me to pick up important skill sets.

Gaining local internship experience strengthened my profile for a full- time position as employers value candidates who have knowledge of international markets and those who can interact with local clients.

In reflection, my SIM journey has been meaningful as I was handed many opportunities beyond the classroom walls to hone essential soft skills like leadership. It helped built my confidence for job interviews and ability to handle challenges at work. I am thankful to SIM for making my student life a rewarding journey and for helping me grow to become a positive and charismatic individual.

SIM offers plenty of opportunities for you to enhance your career skills through initiatives organised by its Career Development Office. Find out more about them here.