6 things Singaporean undergrads must know before entering work force

I gave a talk to a group of SMU undergrads a few months ago and had a great dialogue with them. Through the Q&A, I learned so much about how the current generation thinks and behaves.

But many are still really clueless about what they want to do after university. You would think that with more prep work done at school level, they probably would have charted out their next decade on a spread sheet.

Given our country’s competitiveness, any mis-steps will only allow others to catch up. And if you have been pursuing in the wrong direction at first, say goodbye to that couple of lost years that you can never earn back.

So graduates, here are 6 things you must know and reflect upon before you step into the job market.

a. Work-life balance doesn’t cut both ways.

I have about 2 students lamenting about the lack of work-life balance in Singapore and how one of them intend to move overseas to some Scandinavian country so he can have more work-life balance.

First of all, everyone in Scandinavian country wants their work-life balance. So if you are thinking you could catch a movie or go shopping after work, sorry to pop your bubble. The movie operator and the retail assistant also want their work-life balance too.

b. Impressive public speaking/presentation skills are worth more than a Master degree.

Many of them were also asking about the right master degree or MBA program to pursue after university. I think that is totally unnecessary at that point.

Taking a Master or MBA without actual working experience doesn’t put you in the right frame of mind to absorb that knowledge. And a day in battle is equivalent to a year in school. And people pay you to be in battle. The maths is easy to work out.

And what's the point of that if you could sell yourself across to employers? Warren Buffett once said his best education was the public speaking course he'd taken. This still holds true in today's connected society.

c. Gap year if not well-planned will just become a wasted year.

I felt many pointed this out more for escapism so they could kick the career can down the road. But still if it is valid, you gotta plan it.

Do not expect to take a spiritual trip to Nepal and things will miraculously fall into place. Your trip gotta be planned so you can maximize the learning and development opportunities over the year.

d. Do what you would for free, and find someone who will pay you for it.

This is the best starting point for all undergrads. Look beyond the fast money and gravitate towards the banking systems. Drugs money is even faster but you won’t want to make that a career. Pursue something that is close to your heart. Something that puts a smile on your face and then find someone who is willing to pay you to do that.

e. Always seek out new life experiences.

Assuming I have two candidates who are replicates of each other, I would naturally prefer to hire the one with more interesting life experiences (sky diving at the age of 5, mud wrestled with a crocodile) than the guy who’s most interesting event in life is watching 2 movies on the same day.

So go ahead and experience life. What you learn along the way will be priceless.

f. Will you hire yourself?

A few undergrads were hoping to enter very sexy industry like banks or digital media. And they are hoping to get an entrance ticket with their engineering degree.

Consider this. Would you hire yourself if you are the employer? The gap between your dream and the truth says a lot.