My Internship Experience

By Joshua Ho

I am a Business Management student at Singapore Management University (SMU), as well as a Team Singapore athlete. An internship experience is a graduation requirement for students at SMU, and the upcoming SEA Games in August meant that I required an internship which allowed me to gain exposure in the corporate world, as well as flexibility for training and competitions.

Fortunately, I found out about Adecco’s involvement as a worldwide partner with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to support athletes’ career development. With the help of Singapore Sports Institute (SSI), I managed to get an internship opportunity with the Marketing team at Adecco Singapore.

Experience

This was my first taste of the corporate world, and I did not know what to expect. However, my colleagues were extremely helpful and approachable, which made me feel comfortable working at Adecco. Apart from work, Adecco conducts various events which allow colleagues to bond and get to know one another better. For example, Family Day was held in June, where children had a tour around the office and participated in fun activities with their parents. Another event was the annual Bowling Competition where colleagues from all departments participated and had an enjoyable evening at the bowling alley. These events have allowed me to forge valuable friendships with my colleagues, which I will treasure.

What I learnt

Although it was only a short three months, I have learnt a lot from this experience. Firstly, my knowledge on the type of work that goes into the various aspects of Marketing and PR has expanded tremendously. I was also tasked to conduct research on various industries for Adecco’s whitepapers such as the salary guide. This has greatly widened my perspectives on the key trends and skills required in a variety of industries. Most importantly for me, I have learnt how to work with colleagues both within the Marketing team, and across the different departments. I had the opportunity to work on several projects with other departments, and I have learnt that communication and teamwork are critical for success.

Applying Sport to Work

I have acquired a variety of skills and traits such as team spirit, good work ethics, and time management skills during my sports career. During my internship, I learnt that these traits have to also be applied at the office in order to complete tasks on time, and to work well with my colleagues. Overall, my internship experience has been an extremely enriching and rewarding one. I am thankful for this opportunity to gain valuable working experience, while still being able to train and compete for Team Singapore.