Overseas internships gaining favour among students

Overseas internships are becoming increasingly popular among local students. SMU and NTU each report sending an average of 300 students for overseas internships every year, while NUS says that about half of its 26,000 students have some form of overseas educational exposure, though not necessarily in the form of internships. Those numbers do not paint the entire picture as many students are allowed and, indeed, encouraged to source for their own internships outside of Singapore, the three universities said. The article featured three SMU undergraduates – Lee Tian Wei, Tan Zhi Yin and Rachel Heng, who began their internships in the Middle East last month. In an interview, they highlighted the exposure and competitive edge they hope to gain from the experience. According to Sim Cher Young, Director of the Office of Career Services at SMU, students have shared that an overseas internship adds flavour to a resume and that some employers are partial to those who have had overseas exposure or working experience.