Positions available at fast-growing firms

The graduating cohort can look forward to 250 positions at fast-growing companies

Mr Jason Lim knows first-hand the anxiety and fear related to securing a job amidst a global crisis. Then a Life Sciences undergraduate, Jason was almost graduating when the 2008 global financial crisis struck. “My cohort-mates and I were extremely worried about opportunities in the marketplace because everything looked so bleak,” he said.

Fortunately for Mr Lim and his peers, NUS introduced a support scheme for graduates to take on one-year internships with local companies, with the potential to convert them into full-time positions.

In the same vein, the University has now announced the NUS Resilience and Growth (R&G) Initiative to give graduating students a leg-up during and post pandemic. As part of this initiative, NUS Enterprise reached out to a selected batch of NUS and NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) alumni companies to ask if they could offer full-time employment or traineeship opportunities to the graduating cohort.

Mr Lim, an NOC alumnus who has since gone on to start and lead his own regulatory consultancy and technology company named Stendard, responded immediately to the call. “I understand how challenging it was as a fresh graduate then. Today, I’m glad we can participate in this programme as an employer and pass it forward!” he quipped.

Mr Lim is not the only one. About 20 alumni companies have rallied to support the NUS community, offering about 250 opportunities for the graduating cohort, as part of the overall R&G Initiative.

One notable firm was online cashback platform, ShopBack, which has committed to a substantial number of positions.

“As a home-grown NOC alumni company, ShopBack has worked with talented young minds from NUS since our founding in 2014. We see this as a way to give back to NUS and support the graduating cohort during these difficult times, while continuing to train and bolster our talent pool,” shared Mr Joel Leong, co-founder of ShopBack, which recently received an investment from Temasek Holdings in an extended US$75 million funding round.

Mr Lim (bottom left) enjoying a light-hearted moment with his team at Stendard

Participating companies hail from a wide range of industries, such as e-commerce, real estate, telecommunications, media, and analytics.

MoneySmart, a personal finance portal for helping consumers compare loans, insurance, and credit cards, is another firm that is chipping in. “I was very fortunate to be part of the NOC programme as it plunged me into the world of entrepreneurship. MoneySmart was incubated and nurtured in NUS, with excellent mentorship and financial support in our early years. I am extremely grateful and would like to pay it forward and support where possible,” said CEO and founder Mr Vinod Nair.

Sharing on the plans for those joining his firm, chairman and founder of mobile consultancy firm 2359 Media, Mr Wong Hong Ting, said, “Our plan for the new trainees is to bring them under the wing of an experienced mentor, find a best-fit role for them based on their inclinations and knowledge – which could be something that they didn’t expect, such as when our designer ended up with a career in project management – and build their skills and confidence to a point where they can drive initiatives independently.”