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On the 17th of March, we hosted a Career Sharing Session, ‘How to clinch your first internship’ webinar.
During the first session, we had Clinton Yip from StashAway, Mohan Belani from e27 and Wee Hou from Ninja Van as our guest speakers.
What do you look out for in your interns?
Clinton:
Before you apply, you should ask yourselves some questions:
How can I add value?
What do I want to achieve during my internship?
You do not need much experience, but you should aim to gain understanding and self-discovery during the internship period. Interns should not apply for the sake of getting an internship opportunity.
Mohan:
Before you apply, you should ask, where do I see myself at the end of the internship? Interns should have some level of familiarity or involvement in technical experience (due to the nature of the startup industry). It is also good to be involved in campus-related activities.
Wee Hou:
Adding on those mentioned above, before applying, you should ask yourselves:
What can Ninja Van contribute to your learning?
If Ninja Van’s and your visions are aligned?
How can interns stand out when they apply for internships?
Clinton:
I would prefer a 2-page CV and Resume.
It is good to have a personalized Cover Letter, including notable projects, CCAs or NOCs and any student exchanges. Grades do not justify if you are good but rather what we look for is a good attitude and culture fit. Do not worry too much and control what you can control. Always remember to do your due diligence before applying and try your best. During the interview, take time to explain anything that helps to shape you as a person and to be honest.
Mohan:
To show sincerity, you can write an email to the company of your choice (even if there is no open position). Personalize yourself and be clear on what you want to learn. In the email, give a clear timeline of your commitment period. Show awareness of startup eco-systems? (Eg: Know about unicorn in Singapore). We look for interest, passion, or personal vindication. Some level of self-work is important. We look for people with traits so talk about things you do often or hobbies that you have. For example, sports. It shows that you have a lot of perseverance.
Wee Hou:
Not necessary to have technical skills but we look for confidence and humility. Remember to ask good questions. Align things you want to learn with what we can contribute. Be keen to learn and flexible to do things out of your comfort zone.
How to make the most of internships?
Clinton:
The only person you need to prove to is yourself. For our company, we do not micromanage but rather give you autonomy to do your thing. It is a 2-way thing so don’t see it as a hierarchy, be open-minded. There will always be things you like, and you don’t until you dive into it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before you act on certain things. There is no stupid question. We also provide weekly one on one to monitor your progress and acts as a channel of feedback.
Mohan:
Interns are an investment for the company. It is a 2-way thing, always a give and take from both sides. Interns should give their 100%, especially in a startup like e27. Interns should be mindful that there is a core role that should be fulfilled. You can things out, contribute and make an impact. Interns should find something that is important that can help the company.
The company values Intern’s feedback, especially on what they want to learn. So if you have something you want to learn, you should push your agenda.
Wee Hou:
You should have clarity on what you want to get out of the internship so we can match you. If you are unclear on anything, just be bold and ask. The best place to make mistake and learn is during an internship so take initiative to experiment.
Make sure that there is progression during your internship and communicate more with your managers as there are always new things to learn.
You can contact Clinton at https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintonyipys/
You can contact Mohan at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohanbelani/
For internship experience with Ninja Van, you can contact:
Jodi.liew@ninjavan.co or Karen.tay@ninjavan.co
Or visit NinjaVan Careers Page, https://www.ninjavan.co/careers#openings
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