How can future graduates from both poly & Uni prep themselves against the new norms in the workforce industries?

At first glance, the dilemma of starting out with internship jobs or traineeship as your first career goes against conventional wisdom of starting out with blue-chip brand names. There are indeed initiatives by authorities for recent graduates to get hired on a temporary contract for up to a year, subjected to renewal.

Personally, I would think it depends highly on your (i) career goals and (ii) financial health. If you managed to land a stint at a company you like or a position that seem aligned with your long-term career goals, I would say “GO FOR IT!!!” even if the starting pay is less than ideal for a fresh graduate in normal times. The experience you gain and the people you meet might be able to help you next time, even if you choose not to stay in the same company after the contract is up. Furthermore, taking a job now doesn’t mean you stop looking out for other opportunities in your free time. You need to keep brushing up your CV and interviewing skills as you update your LinkedIn profile with new work experience earned during this period [If you need help with these, click here:)] Having some income reduces the stress and anxiety for job-hunting and puts you in a better position to learn and strive in the current position as well as your future ones.

Hello! In my opinion, it'll be great if you interned in various industries so that your skillset would be more diverse and it'll give off an impression that you are a whole-rounder.

Furthermore, when you intern at different industries, you will learn more about yourself. This would allow you to know what you really want to major in in University and what you want to work as in the future.

The key point is for you to constantly upgrade yourself and not stay stagnant!

Good luck in poly!