Every year, thousands of students make the difficult choice of choosing which university to go to and what to study. These are 3 guiding questions that can help to inform your choice.
1. What is your end goal? The brand name of the university and the course are both important. However, if faced with the choice of one or the other, it would come down to your end goal. Specific professional industries like medicine or law will require you to undertake the right degree. The school is of less importance (note: please check if the university is recognized under Singapore requirements for incumbent doctors and lawyers). For certain competitive industries, having an Ivy League degree will really help to open doors. For jobs that accept a varied background, it may be worth it to spring for the brand-name university. In addition, it is not uncommon (especially for overseas universities) to allow you to change your course (or at least adopt a minor) if you do well. This will then allow you to get both the university you want and the relevant course. A good indicator of which university is right for you is to see where alumni tends to end up. Are they able to secure the kind of jobs that you want easily? Look at your dream companies and the profiles of the employees. Which schools did they graduate from? Which course did they take?
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1. Tell a compelling story
As a general guide, we would say that employers are looking for: (i) Academic and intellectual ability; (ii) Willingness to learn and adaptability; (iii) Client-facing awareness; and (iv) Leadership qualities. It is a non-starter that academic qualifications are a pre-requisite to break into the ultra-competitive fields of investment banking and management consulting. However, there are many ways to showcase intellectual prowess, not necessarily defined to grades. This applies similarly to showcasing adaptability and leadership. Backpacking in India alone and overcoming adversity when you were left stranded without a Wifi signal VS. Emerging as the wining team through a grueling 3-round case competition VS. Being awarded the Golden Bayonet or Sword of Honours during your National Service are all equally valid indicators of your abilities. Using a right mix of experience points will help convince your employer of your strengths. Client-facing awareness requires a composite mix of IQ and EQ. You can signal maturity and strong communication skills in a variety of ways. For instance, being tasked to handle a delicate situation as president of a student society or liaising with various external stakeholders in an event that you coordinated. Be sure to highlight specific and tangible instances where your role was highly valued. Cover Letter
1. Leaving out important information Many candidates assume that employers will read their CV in conjunction with their cover letter, and hence leave out important information (e.g. education background) in their cover letter. This is a red flag because employers may actually choose to stop reading after the first glance of your cover letter. Secondly, it is always beneficial to repeat your key achievements (albeit succinctly). The reader is first introduced to your key achievements and skill-sets in your cover letter, and this is fleshed out in your resume later. This creates a multiplicity effect to boost your chances of key points being remembered by your potential employer. Cover Letter
1. Leaving out important information Many candidates assume that employers will read their CV in conjunction with their cover letter, and leave out important information like education background in their cover letter. This is a fatal mistake because employers may actually choose to stop reading at first glance of your cover letter. Secondly, it is always beneficial to repeat your key achievements. The reader is first introduced to your key achievements and skill-sets in your cover letter, and this is fleshed out in your resume later. This creates a multiplicity effect to boost your chances of your key strengths being remembered by your potential employer. 1. Make your own self-introductions
Most people wait to be introduced or brought around the office on the first day. Show that you are a high-performing team member. Take the initiative to introduce yourself to the team and to people outside the team. Don’t be afraid to knock on your boss’ door to introduce yourself and volunteer to take off some work off their hands. At your discretion, you may also make the extra step to schedule coffees and lunches with team members whom you would like to get to know better. Do this in the first 2 weeks of your arrival and you are sure to get some meaningful interaction with your co-workers. Pro tip: Try your best to remember everyone’s name. 1. Make your Resume Stand-out
The golden rule is customization. Make sure your resume and cover letter is tailored for the company. Read the job description and mission statement of the company and write down key words that stand out. Get a clear and in-depth picture of what the role entails, and what kind of candidate they are seeking to hire. Often times, they have specific key words highlighting certain skill-sets that they require, and you should definitely make sure to include them in your cover letter and resume wherever possible. Additionally, if they are looking for any particular requirement (e.g. a certification or specific IT skills), be sure to note this in your CV as well. Submit your resume for a personalized review here. Job interviews are stressful and nerve-wracking. Here are 3 tips to help you keep you calm, cool and collected.
1. Prepare for foreseeable questions Job interviews are often scheduled very close to the time HR contacts you. It is thus vital for you to be prepared ahead of time. Besides researching the company, you should also prepare your responses for commonly asked questions (our list of commonly-asked interview questions is linked here). In addition, you know your own CV the best, and any potential pitfalls that it may showcase. Be prepared on how to respond on questions on a bad grade, any time gap on your resume, why you left your previous position etc. 1. Visuals
It is natural for the human eye to be drawn to visuals and clear presentation. In addition, clean formatting helps the reader understand the information presented quickly. Candidates may also include a passport-sized photograph in their resume. For more creative industries, you may also adopt visually-appealing resumes or provide links to an online portfolio of your work. For university and graduate school applicants, a glowing reference letter from a work mentor or professor from school is necessary to separate you from the crowd. For internship and job applications, employers often contact referees before making the final decision on whether to hire you.
References are key to your dream school and dream job. Here are some ways to help you achieve a lasting and positive impression on your referees-to-be. 1. Get Noticed At school, be sure to speak up and get noticed by your professor. Volunteer yourself for teaching assistant positions. Teachers or mentors for your extra-curricular activities or volunteering activities can also be potential referees. It goes without saying that you should try your best at every internship or even part-time job, your bosses will be invaluable contacts in the future. It is easy to write a stellar CV if you have an excellent GPA and internship experience to show for it. However, a common conundrum that many students face is when they are applying for their first internship or job and they just don’t have enough points to fill their CV. Here are 3 suggested ways to remedy this problem.
1. Quick Fixes If you find yourself stuck with nothing to put in your CV, and you only have a couple of weeks before applications close, we can suggest a few quick fixes as follows: Attend a course / seminar o Most universities conduct seminars that are free to students o There are also hundreds of online courses available, the internet is your best friend o Bonus points if completion of the course results in some kind of certification Volunteer o There are many places can accept volunteers at a short notice (for instance here), you can also ask your local CC or library if they need extra help. o Another option is tutoring. You can offer to tutor needy students or even your neighbour’s children. Expand on existing points o Be sure that you have fully fleshed out the current points that you do have, be specific wherever possible o Another quick-fix is to list out modules where you obtained good grades It is important to note that even if you are desperate to add filler points, you should still be careful to only showcase your best points. Including poor grades or completely irrelevant experience (e.g. winning a 100m race in primary school) subtracts rather than adds to your profile. |