Internships allow students to test the waters in different industries so they can discover their calling.

After five internships at two consulting firms, two MNCs and a food delivery start-up, business undergrad Yeo Ray Gin knows what he wants to do in life.

“In school, I’ve always enjoyed modules where I can strategise and solve real-world problems, but I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy doing this as a full-time job. Now, I am sure,” he says.

The final-year Nanyang Business School student even took a six-month break from school just so he could spend more time at his last internship. The reward? Not only did it affirm his decision to go into management consulting, he also learnt a valuable lesson no textbook can teach.

He recalls an occasion where he had to handle a particularly tricky client meeting at McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm: “I didn’t know how to get to the root of the client’s problem, and neither did the client. We went back and forth on one point for hours as I tried to understand the needs.”

“Later, I realised that I should have probed more effectively by leading the discussion using industry examples and best practices to add clarity to the thought process. That’s a soft skill I’ll always take with me,” he adds.

This can-do attitude surely helped him score the Intern Impact Award during his two-month stint last year at Deloitte Singapore, where his job was to analyse potential business risks for IT systems.

“If you have a question for your boss, don’t sit around and wait for answers. Instead, take the initiative to share an educated guess to your own question. This demonstrates a good work ethic,” he offers as a tip.

Beyond learning how to be an exemplary employee, Ray Gin says he was able to connect with numerous experts in several industries, which could be the springboard to bigger and better things.

“I value the flexibility and opportunities I get at NTU to go on multiple internships. I’ve met many great mentors and colleagues over these two years that I feel quite ready for my job hunt.”

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This story was published in the Mar-May 2022 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.