Since there is exactly less than a month to the start of next year, many of us are already pinning our New Year’s Resolutions down. Given the declining economy now however, it wouldn’t be a surprise if ‘just being employed’ is one of the most popular resolutions for 2017.
The most concerned individuals are surely the fresh graduates. Having been studying for almost all of their lives, having to enter a job market so bleak must feel like a ticking time bomb!
However, in June this year, TODAY revealed that graduating students send almost 20 – 50 job applications and are having a tough time in just securing an interview.
So what exactly is the problem?
Local startup Glints co-founder and chief executive Oswald Yeo shared with The Straits Times that there were instances when interns didn’t fare well as they were unable to perform well in a work setting.
Thus, it’s important to utilise the free time you have in between applications and interviews to upskill yourself, rather than spend your time pining for interview offers.
At the same time, you also have to be realistic.
Are we really capable of meeting the expectations of our desired employers? Instead of focusing on applying for full-time positions that we are barely qualified for, why not start on building your portfolio with an internship instead?
Even better, why not apply for an internship at a startup? Startups generally welcome fresh talent and people who are are not afraid of exploring and taking on challenges!
The Perks Of Working In A Startup
Working at startups have been an in-thing for quite some time now, and many of you might be thinking how, and where, do you start from? Fret not, there are a number of startups that currently looking at employing interns!
Each role at a startup is unique and due to the small working space, everyone gets the chance to mingle with one another. Moreover, you will have REAL responsibilities whereby your work will clearly affect the users.
For a start, startupjobs.asia is a great platform to start your internship hunt, and here are some that we’ve found for you.
1. foodpanda
Who They Are: foodpanda is close to being everyone’s favourite option for online food delivery, either via their website or mobile app. Moreover, they feature a huge variety of restaurants that are ever ready to satisfy your hunger pangs!
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Social Media & Content Marketing Intern, among others.
What You Need:
- Enrolled at a local University and would like to get some hands-on experience in a dynamic and international company
- Exceptional at communication, creative writing skills with the ability to work in teams
- Confident user of Adobe Ps, and Ai is a plus
- Proven practical knowledge accompanied by a very strong intuitive feel for the consumer behaviour on social networks in Singapore
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia.
2. Asia Pacific Internet Group (Rocket Internet)
Who They Are: The Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG) is a dominant player in the Asian e-commerce market, which was established in 2014 by Rocket Internet and Ooredoo as Rocket Internet’s Asia Pacific regional centre.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Business Development Intern, among others.
What You Need:
- Confident and outgoing, someone who can work independently and able to think outside the box
- Prior experience is not necessary, but have an interest in entrepreneurship and wiling to roll up their sleeves
- Capable of taking ownership for your own work, closing the loop with all tasks
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia.
3. Pegaxis
Who They Are: Pegaxis is the beginning of the evolution of the traditional and outdated property management industry. Starting with a B2B procurement management platform for property managers, service providers and property owners, Pegaxis aims to procure and manage property-related services for both residential and commercial properties.
What They Need: They are currently looking for an Operations intern.
What You Need:
- Be able to commit at least 6 months
- Self-driven with the ability to start and get things done
- Good organisation and management skills and capable of multitasking under pressure
- Creative problem solving skills in a steady and calm manner
- Good communication skills in both English and Mandarin to liaise with property managers, service providers and customers
- Customer-oriented and a positive attitude
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
4. The Hub Singapore
Who They Are: The Hub is Singapore’s largest community of entrepreneurs, creatives and techies. They have a co-working space and community located right in the heart of Singapore’s museum, arts and design precinct.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Space & Operations Intern.
What You Need:
- Ability to thrive & adapt quickly in an dynamic environment
- Comfortable working in a co-working space and startup environment
- Enjoys teamwork while also being able to work independently
- Can relate, adapt and engage with people from diverse cultures and professional backgrounds
- Able to commit for at least 2.5 – 3 months
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
5. ezbuy
Who They Are: ezbuy is a dedicated provider of professional online shopping services. They provide global services from China, USA and Taiwan to more than 1 million customers in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Human Resource Intern.
What You Need:
- Preferably a major in Business Management, HR or Psychology
- Proficient in MS Office in particular, MS Excel / Powerpoint
- Responsible, meticulous, great team player and problem solver
- Analytical and good with data organization / analysis
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
6. Lazada Singapore
Who They Are: Lazada was launched in 2012 and have now grown to become the leading online shopping and selling destination in Southeast Asia. Their strong performance has earned them the support of key investors such as Alibaba Group, Temasek Holdings and Rocket Internet.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Lead Generation Intern among others.
What You Need:
- Diploma/Degree in business, students welcome
- Familiarity with MS Office – Excel and Powerpoint
- English speaker and at least 1 other local language
- Proven ability to work both in a team and independently
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
7. Megafash
Who They Are: Megafash is one of the most prominent online shopping platforms in Singapore. They aspire to stay rooted and give back to their community by supporting local and independent makers from all over the region.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Super Intern.
What You Need:
- Quick and have the ability to move at a fast rate
- Have the ability to have fun while working
- Someone who is willing to work hard and make things happen
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
8. ShopBack
Who They Are: ShopBack is an eCommerce platform whose loyalty and discovery platform currently powers Taobao, Lazada, Groupon and more than 500 other e-commerce merchants. Providing cash-back rebates to over 500,000 users, they are focused on growing and dominating the landscape.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Marketing Intern among others.
What You Need:
- Minimum Diploma holder
- Must be meticulous and detail oriented
- Fast learner and proactive
- Good communication skills and have the confidence to interact with people
- Able to commit full-time for at least 6 months
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
9. Seedly
Who They Are: Seedly was founded in early 2016. As a Singapore-based fintech startup, Seedly helps young working adults save time and spend smarter. It acts as a personal finance assistant to provide users with their overview balances, monthly cashflows and helps to categorise all expenses automatically.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a UI/UX Designer Intern among others.
What You Need:
- A good eye for design
- Experience in UI/UX design for software, web or mobile applications (Sketch or Adobe Illustrator) + Graphic design
- Prototyping tools such as Marvel, InVision or Justinmind
- Strong knowledge of responsive design principles and UI/UX best practices
- Eager to learn new things
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
10. ThunderQuote
Who They Are: ThunderQuote is a B2B marketplace-platform created by Hyron Infotech Pte. Ltd. They connect businesses to service providers, as well as provide buyers with assistance in project scoping and market rate data.
What They Need: ThunderQuote is currently looking for a Front-end Coding Intern among others.
What You Need:
- Experience with front-end development and working with jQuery, Bootstrap 3, and other JavaScript web UI libraries and tools
- Understanding of WordPress and/or PHP/mySQL scripting functions
- Understand how to utilise CSS3 and HTML5 to implement design elements
- Willingness to execute and learn while stepping out of their comfort zones to take charge of projects
- Self-motivated and able to work independently
- Must be meticulous and provide well-documented code
- Available for at least 4 months of full-time internship
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
11. BonAppetour
Who They Are: BonAppetour is a fast growing, global start-up that helps travellers look for delicious home-cooked food and dine with locals while they travel.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Digital Marketing Intern amongst others.
What You Need:
- Able to commit for a minimum of 3 months on a full-time basis
- Fluent in English
Strong possibility to turn into a full-time role
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
12. Smartfolios
Who They Are: Smartfolios is a new and innovative Fintech startup in the advisory and trading space aimed at empowering investors meet their investment goals. They gather information from financial experts with the unbiased edge of technology and data science to provide a wide range of diversified investment portfolios.
What They Need: They are currently looking for a Fintech Intern – Quant Data Scientist among others.
What You Need:
- Enrolled in bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Statistics or equivalent
- Experience of data mining project and machine learning knowledge
- Ability to design, code, unit test
- Experience in python, SQL and some other languages
- Some knowledge of mobile app development
- Some knowledge of HTML and CSS
- Experience with C++ and React Native is a plus
- Good knowledge of databases
Interested? Visit the application page at startupjobs.asia
Best Of Luck!
Even if none of the ones above appeal to you, there will definitely be more internship positions at startups in the coming future, so continue keeping a lookout.
Startups are a great place to start your career in as you will be able to focus on your individuality and play a fairly strong part in the company – so what are you waiting for? Start applying now!
Featured Image Credit: Yourstory