Career Planning for Technical College Students

Career Planning for Students

1. A structured approach to Career Planning Job Salary Career Capital Transferable skills (Example: Communication, Leadership, Negotiation, Management) Technical skills (Example: Engineering skills, Research, Data Analysis) Education

2. Fulltime Job/Career Interests (Tech? Commercial?) Do you have the Skills? Education (modules, online courses or Masters) Apply for Jobs yes No Identify Skills Gap Should I do Masters after my Undergrad Degree? Should I do a second major or minor? In most cases, post-graduation should be considered after identifying your skills gap A structured approach to Career Planning

3. VIPS Transferable/”Soft” Skills (e.g. Communication, Leadership, Negotiation, Management) Technical/”Hard” Skills (e.g. Engineering, Research, Data Analysis) Other Personal Considerations: Distance/Commute Nature of Work e.g. cleanroom, heights Working Hours e.g. shifts Relocation and business travel

4. Transformation of Singapore’s Economy

5. Singapore’s GDP and Employment Structure GDP: S$469 billion Employment: 2.29 mil

6. Singapore Economy 2030 Vision by MTI

7. 2021 Investments and Manufacturing output

8. Outlook on Employment Landscape   Post Covid-19: broad recovery in 2021, led by growth in resident employment, nearing pre-COVID levels retrenchments declined significantly, and a higher proportion of retrenched residents were able to secure employment labour market recovery expected to continue for the rest of 2022, though the recovery will be uneven across sectors. Biggest Gains in Resident Employment Information & Communications Health & Social Services Professional Services, Administrative & Support Services Financial Services Source: “ Statement on Labour Market Developments in 2021” URL: https://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/2022/0314-statement-on-labour-market-developments-in-2021

9. SSG Skills Frameworks for 34 sectors  Link to all Frameworks >>

10. Structure and Format: Education Name and contact details clearly stated No photo or address required (unless specified) Include SEP and/or NOC (if any) Highlight scholarships and/or relevant modules taken

11. Structure and Format: Work Experience “Position, Organization” as title List in reverse-chronological order Appropriate professional tone without using first-or third-person pronouns

12. Structure and Format: Extra-curricular Activities Highlight your transferable skills Use “Position, Organization” as title Avoid over-using the same competency verbs Include language and IT (technical skills) Add your interests for a hint to your personality

13. Clear & Uncluttered Layout 1-page, not more than 2 Black font with white background, balance of text with white space Simple, formal and readable font (Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana); font size: 11 or 12 If submit via email, save resume and cover letter in pdf as attachments, and include a brief note in email body stating your purpose Apply Finishing Touches

14. For each experience, include a bulleted skills statement, following this formula: Putting It Together (C.A.R.) C ompetency verb + details of A ctions + R esult = C.A.R. Begin each bullet point with a strong competency verb (e.g. “researched,” “analysed,”, “publicised”, “recruited”, “negotiated” etc.). Summarise how you carried out the duties and what your contributions and achievements were. Whenever possible, quantify the results of your efforts. If results are not tangible, share the rationale.

15. C.A.R. Examples | CCA Marketing director in NUS Club 123 and in charge of creating marketing materials Led a team of 6 members to develop monthly social media campaigns, increasing the club membership by 50%, and overall attendance at signature events by 75%. C - Competency verb? A – Actions, what did you do? R - What was the end results / Rationale?

16. C.A.R. Examples | Technical Project Analyzed data to provide insights Analysed residential property prices, using time series modelling in R, to evaluate the effectiveness of state housing policies. What kind of data? What platforms were used? What was the end results / Rationale?

17. C .A. R . Examples | Various Roles Finance Developed alternative and multi-factor China futures trading strategies for the commodity market, yielding an annual return of 13.8% and Sharpe ratio of 0.5 . Human Resource Reviewed the employee onboarding programme to minimize staff attrition . Medical Research Formulated 9 antibacterial inhalation drugs, with statistical Taguchi design, improving performance in Fine Particle Fraction by 30%. Product Management Conducted medical diagnostics market research in APAC, and developed a “Go to Market” proposal, which was well-received by the management team.