How to make full use of your nine months after JC
CareerContact’s Business Development Lead Nicole Tan shares with us how she juggled nine roles over nine months…
The pandemic might have set half the population back but Gen Z is just getting started. Since everything moved online, their digital skills are more valuable than ever. Hear from CareerContact’s Business Development Lead, Nicole Tan, about how she juggled three internships, two part-time jobs, two volunteer roles and one ongoing tuition gig over the last nine months…
What internships have you had apart from your position at CareerContact? Tell us a bit about it!
It says internship on paper, but it was actually a part-time position at my old preschool. I did some admin work and looked after babies and toddlers for two weeks. Initially, I was supposed to work for six weeks but I managed to get a law internship and was encouraged to explore that opportunity instead.
I was at the law firm for four months writing drafts of legal documents, defences, affidavits, contracts, anti-money laundering manuals, in addition to the usual intern stuff like buying coffee, printing and binding court cases. I spent my free time looking through case laws, going through the penal code and raiding the office stationery cabinet.
Currently, on top of my role at CareerContact, I’m interning at Swapie.co/Gifting.sg. My initial job scope was to manage their social media platforms and write weekly blog articles. This includes designing ads campaigns and promoting them on Facebook and Instagram. At the start of the internship, one of my learning goals was to run campaigns. When it was accepted, I started outreach to onboard merchants to provide products or services to charities. This involved learning how to pitch to merchants and crafting convincing and enticing copy to grow interest.
How did you find your internships?
Most of my internships were acquired through being at the right place at the right time. The only exception was CareerContact. Initially, I’d planned to study medicine but then decided that it wasn’t for me. I attended the webinar “Medicine, Maybe?” hosted by CareerContact and signed up for the newsletter. When I saw that they were hiring, I applied and here I am. I got my internship at Swapie.co through CareerContact.
You can find more gigs and internships with SMEs on careercontact.app.
When did you start looking for your internships?
When I got bored of studying for my A levels, I started looking for gigs. I mostly kept an eye out for tuition work, but there were other opportunities that were recommended by friends or family which I took on.
Did you have any working experience prior to your internship?
I started teaching tuition in Sec 1 at age 13, where I unofficially tutored my primary school siblings and cousins. I tutored them English, Math and Science during my weekends when I was free. I took on my first official tuition job after A levels on 1 December 2020. Due to lockdown measures, I don’t do in-person tuition anymore but at one point I was teaching up to eight different kids from primary to secondary school. I still tutor over Zoom on weekends.
On a more granular level, here’s some of my experiences:
- I started doing ad-hoc graphic design work for Package Pals in 2020, a day after my A levels exams ended. It was unpaid but rewarding as it spread awareness about sustainability and reusing second-hand packaging.
- Another non-profit project I carried out after A levels was collecting capsules from people from all over Singapore and filled them with treats for children beneficiaries for Christmas.
- In J1, a friend of mine saw an ad for a part-time job in a telegram channel and sent it to me. It was for cutting apples at NTUC and it paid pretty well but it only lasted three days.
- I’ve been volunteering at “Meet the People” sessions since I was in Sec 3. This experience helped with my university application as I was able to work closely with the MP and offer insightful thoughts during my application essay.
- I also currently volunteer at Project SYNC as a graphic designer which spreads awareness about mental health in youths and am the marketing director for my university's e-Sports CCA.
What kind of remuneration did you get?
At my law internship, I was clocking in 40 hours a week at $500 a month, but it was a huge resume booster since an A level fresh grad doing a law internship is practically unheard of.
How do you juggle school and internship?
Google Calendar. I note everything down in my GCal and live day by day, ensuring I complete tasks on time. I also make sure I sleep 8 hours every day with 2h reserved to play computer games, minimally.
For school, I stack my tutorials in even weeks so I have more time to prepare during the odd weeks. Every Friday, I catch up on lecture recordings for all my modules (perks of zoom university) in a 4 hour sitting from 10am-2pm at 1.5x speed. I do my readings mostly when I’m on public transportation and include my thoughts and summary in the margins so I can save time and not have to read the whole article again. I highly recommend using GoodNotes for note taking.
I also have a puppy named Miku at home, working and studying with her by my side makes everything more manageable, even if she is just napping beside me.
What’s some surprising things you learned during your internships?
That I don’t have to say yes to everything. That even if you’re at the bottom of the food chain, if you voice your thoughts articulately, people will consider your views. Also, dress to impress. I didn’t used to care about the way I dress but I found that dressing professionally caused me to carry myself more confidently.
What do you want to get out of your internship?
What I want out of my internships is to learn how to get to a starting point. It should equip me with the basic tools to springboard into my chosen career. I’m aiming to become a solicitor, but my fallback is in business which my current role in Business Development with CareerContact and my Partnership role with Swapie.co is preparing me for.
Is there anything you’d have done differently?
No, my ego doesn’t allow me to forego an opportunity that’s right in front of me. But time management-wise, I wish I’d managed better.
Do you have any advice for people looking for internships?
Speak to the people around you and be proactive. LinkedIn is a great place to start!
CareerContact is an ed-tech platform designed to bridge the gap between school and work. We help students develop digital skills and connect them with SMEs in Southeast Asia. Whether you’re a student, educator or enterprise, feel free to reach out to us at info@careercontact.org or CareerContact.app.
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