SINGAPORE: A Singaporean intern is wondering what the point of stacking up internships is after learning that he will not be getting a full-time offer because of his GPA, despite having previous Big Four internship experience and studying at one of Singapore’s top three universities.
In a Reddit post, the intern said he had seen others with no prior Big Four internship experience secure full-time offers.
“The worst part is that my manager had previously indicated that conversion was possible, so finding out that it isn’t happening is incredibly demoralising. I understand GPA matters, but companies constantly emphasise internships and practical experience. I have not heard back from any other Big 4 regarding any interviews either.”
To add to his frustration, he said there was barely enough work to keep him occupied during some days of his internship. Despite actively asking team members for tasks, he often received no response.
“There’s barely enough work some days. Why hire interns if there’s no work for them to do? How are we supposed to prove ourselves?”
He concluded his post by asking what students should prioritise, adding, “If we intern, our grades might suffer; if we study, we lose out on experience. Even doing both doesn’t guarantee anything. Genuinely, is intern-maxxing even worth it?”
‘The team has given up on you’
The comments were not exactly the reassurance he might have been hoping for. Several Singaporean Redditors suggested that his internship performance, rather than his GPA or the number of internships on his CV, might have been the real issue.
One said, “Honestly, it is probably your internship performance. They already accepted you for the internship knowing your GPA, so I highly doubt it's that. When I interned at Big 4, I was so busy every day, including weekends. Just take it as a lesson and learn from it. Not a big deal.”
Another bluntly told him, “You said you have nothing to do. It’s because no one trusts you to do it. From the write-up you posted, I’m fairly sure the team has given up on you; hence, they don’t reply. You also did not mention your work performance and instead harped on points like being from a big 3 uni (no one cares) and previous experience.”
A third user remarked, “One good internship is better than 10 random internships.”
A fourth added, “It was never about the number of internships or the ‘brand’ of the firms you interned under. It was always about having sufficient experiences to allow you to sufficiently contribute at your first job.”
“Students chasing more and more internships without strategy is just another version of students chasing a higher GPA without learning relevant skills in the job market you're competing in.”/TISG
Read also: ‘Love my job, hate my boss’: Singapore worker considers quitting despite good benefits