Internships thrive in Singapore's creative fields, while HR and real estate lag behind
SINGAPORE: In spite of the thriving internship market in the city-state, the real estate, human resources, and administrative segments are attracting less intern talent, according to the latest data from job platform Indeed, published by HRD Asia .
A recent report from Indeed also disclosed that although Singapore's internship job postings have doubled between March 2022 and March 2025, HR was reported to have only 9% of all postings containing internship-associated keywords. The administrative and real estate sectors lagged further with only 8% and 7%, respectively.
Internship has boomed, on the other hand, in creative industries. Over the past year alone, internship openings in marketing soared by 22%, trailed by media and the arts, each with a 17% upsurge.
According to Rohan Sylvester, Indeed's Talent Strategy Advisor, this movement emphasises a wide-ranging change in how industries are developing.
'Interns bring relevant skills, creativity, and out-of-the-box thinking, which are critical ingredients to fueling innovation,' said Sylvester. 'For employers, internships offer a resource-efficient way to inject and test bold ideas while building a pipeline of future talent,' he added. Soft skills take centre stage
Indeed's examination of internship job postings shows that communication abilities are still the most desired quality, present in 30% of listings. Technical aptitude is also vital, with expertise in Microsoft Office (15%), logical skills (9%), finance (6%), Python (6%), writing (5.2%), and project management (5%) in high demand.
As businesses invest in digital revolution and client engagement, the importance of T-shaped skills has grown, that is, a blend of deep know-how in one competency and extensive capabilities across others.
Sylvester recommends that students and fresh graduates make the most of the internship boom as a launching pad for advancing these skillsets.
He further noted that automating routine tasks gives interns the freedom to focus on creativity and adaptability—skills that are vital for seizing new opportunities. 'While technical expertise remains essential, those who can seamlessly blend hard and soft skills will lead the next generation of workplace talent,' he further said.
In a Reddit post asking if an internship race is worth it, a user almost summed up other netizens' responses:
'If you want to have a good starting career, yes….If you don't care and are happy with below-average jobs, then no. That's the difference between being 'competitive' and not…..Because that's the 'standard' in the current job market. Fresh graduates with internships are typically the minimum requirement now. It proves they can work.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
6 hours ago
- AsiaOne
The taller, the better? Tinder's new height filter trial is dividing opinion, Lifestyle News
One of the biggest perks of online dating is the ability to filter potential matches based on your preferences — from age range and sexual orientation to proximity. But has Tinder gone one step too far this time? The dating app is trialling a new premium-only feature that lets users set a height preference, allowing them to indicate how tall they'd like their potential match to be. It all started with a Reddit post on May 29, where one user revealed their shock after stumbling upon this new feature. The post has gone viral since, racking up over 1,000 comments and debate on whether height should be in the conversation when it comes to online dating. Oh God. They added a height filter. byu/Extra_Barracudaaaa inTinder Tinder has since confirmed the feature's legitimacy. A company spokesperson told online publication TechCrunch that the feature is part of a global test, available to selected users subscribed to Tinder Gold or Tinder Premium. Something to note is that this new feature does not function as a "hard filter". That means users can still be shown profiles that fall outside their chosen height range. According to the in-app text: "You'll still be able to match with people outside of your selection." In short, it's more of a suggestion to the algorithm than a gatekeeper. Regardless, the move to go height-specific has caused a stir online. "This is a great update. All the short men will uninstall Tinder after getting no matches which means Tinder gets less money from their biggest customers," a Reddit user quipped sarcastically. Others speculated that this feature would simply encourage more users to lie about their height. Height has long been a sensitive topic in the online dating landscape. But Tinder's latest move isn't exactly breaking new ground. Fellow dating app Hinged already has a height preference feature for its paid subscribers. A Tinder spokesperson told UK publication The Independent that the feature aims to "help people connect more intentionally" on the platform. They added: "We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users – and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus." [[nid:684561]] amierul@
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Independent Singapore
‘Why is nursing looked down on?' Student in Singapore pushes back against tired stereotypes
SINGAPORE: A nursing student recently took to Reddit to express her frustration over the negative perceptions people have of her chosen career. In her post titled ' Why are nurses so poorly regarded in society despite how hard they work?' , the student shared that whenever she tells someone she is studying nursing in a polytechnic, she often receives a 'judgy look.' Some even go so far as to ask whether nursing was her 'first choice.' 'Yes! It was my first choice,' she wrote in her post. 'With my O-Level score, I could have gone to JC, but I chose not to. I decided to go into nursing.' She went on to discuss the stigma surrounding the nursing profession — particularly how some people assume nursing is a backup option for students with poor grades. This perception, she said, is far from the truth. She pointed out that the cut-off point for nursing in polytechnics is actually among the highest across all courses, yet the field still suffers from a lack of respect. 'Despite all the bio, the diseases, and the hands-on clinical skills we're learning now, people have this idea like, 'Oh, nursing is for people who didn't do well and have nowhere else to go.' Like, what do you mean? All this stuff I'm learning right now is so hard,' she said. She also raised concerns about the pay gap between nurses and doctors, noting that it contributes to the belief that nurses are merely 'helpers' rather than professionals in their own right. 'People think that nurses are just the helpers for doctors because doctors get paid an insane amount of money, while nurses are paid so poorly. I do agree that nurses help doctors, but we aren't just helpers — we do so much more. Even if I could go into medicine, I wouldn't, because I love how much patient interaction nurses have,' she explained. Despite the stigma, the student expressed pride in her choice, describing her nursing journey so far as 'amazing' and deeply fulfilling. 'Nursing is so versatile. There are so many different pathways to pursue after you start working, and every day is something different. The last couple of weeks have been nothing but amazing, and as of now, I don't regret my decision,' she shared. She ended her post by inviting Singaporeans to share their thoughts on the profession. 'I know that there are also some people who are really grateful for nurses. But anyway, this was just a thought, and I would love to hear what other Singaporeans think about nurses!' 'Singaporean society values prestige and money.' Contrary to the judgments she received, many users in the comments shared that they do not look down on the profession and are, in fact, grateful for nurses. 'I don't regard nurses poorly at all,' one user said. 'Just surprised that people are willing to take up such a demanding and unappreciated profession, especially if they are local. Takes a certain strength of character, nothing but respect.' 'I respect nurses and caregivers 100%, especially during COVID,' another chimed in. 'I can't imagine seeing a patient coughing his lungs out, asking for help while professing to be anti-vax.' Others, however, shared their views on why some people might look down on the profession. A user, who claimed to be a doctor, suggested that it often comes down to pay: 'Doctor here. I would say for SG, it's mainly because of the pay, and as you know, in SG society, getting money = having dignity. If a nurse were paid similarly to a doctor, you wouldn't receive such comments. It also didn't help that the population white paper accidentally called nursing a low-skilled job (which they amended after).' Another echoed this sentiment, stating, 'Singaporean society values prestige and money. If a career doesn't lead to tangible money, it's immediately regarded as inferior. Such is, unfortunately, the sad state of things.' See also Rambo:Last Blood politics explained What's behind the stigma against nurses? Back in 2022, Dr Pamela Cipriano, the president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), spoke out about why nursing tends to be looked down on in many parts of the world. One big reason, she said, is because of gender. Since around 90 per cent of nurses worldwide are women, nursing has historically been seen as less important or skilled. For a long time, jobs that involve caregiving, such as nursing, have been labelled as 'women's work' and therefore not taken seriously. This outdated view has led to the profession being undervalued, both in terms of public perception and in how much nurses are paid. Dr Cipriano added, 'ICN calls for health systems around the world to invest in nursing and evaluate the gendered pay models toward the nursing profession as a historically female profession. Women and other gender minorities need equal pay for equal work within nursing and the health sector.' Read also: 'Why should I pay for a car I won't use?' — Singaporean upset after parents ask him to pay for family car's COE Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Reddit sues AI giant Anthropic over content use
Reddit's lawsuit represents the latest front in the growing battle between content providers and AI companies. PHOTO: REUTERS San Francisco - Social media outlet Reddit filed a lawsuit on June 4 against artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic, accusing the start-up of illegally scraping millions of user comments to train its Claude chatbot without permission or compensation. The lawsuit in a California state court represents the latest front in the growing battle between content providers and AI companies over the use of data to train increasingly sophisticated language models that power the generative AI revolution. Musicians, book authors, visual artists and news publications have sued the various AI companies that used their data without permission or payment. AI companies generally defend their practices by claiming fair use, arguing that training AI on large datasets fundamentally changes the original content and is necessary for innovation. Though most of these lawsuits are still in early stages, their outcomes could have a profound effect on the shape of the AI industry. Anthropic, valued at US$61.5 billion (S$79 billion) and heavily backed by Amazon, was founded in 2021 by former executives from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The company, known for its Claude chatbot and AI models, positions itself as focused on AI safety and responsible development. 'This case is about the two faces of Anthropic: the public face that attempts to ingratiate itself into the consumer's consciousness with claims of righteousness and respect for boundaries and the law, and the private face that ignores any rules that interfere with its attempts to further line its pockets,' the suit said. According to the complaint, Anthropic has been training its models on Reddit content since at least December 2021, with chief executive Dario Amodei co-authoring research papers that specifically identified high-quality content for data training. The lawsuit alleges that despite Anthropic's public claims that it had blocked its bots from accessing Reddit, the company's automated systems continued to harvest Reddit's servers more than 100,000 times in subsequent months. Reddit is seeking monetary damages and a court injunction to force Anthropic to comply with its user agreement terms. The company has requested a jury trial. In an email to AFP, Anthropic said 'We disagree with Reddit's claims and will defend ourselves vigorously.' Reddit has entered into licensing agreements with other AI giants including Google and OpenAI, which allow those companies to use Reddit content under terms that protect user privacy and provide compensation to the platform. Those deals have helped lift Reddit's share price since it went public in 2024. Reddit shares closed up 6.6 per cent on June 4 following news of the lawsuit. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
