Beyond internships and CCAs: Students ‘stack' certs to stand out

Straits Times

3 days ago

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The TL;DR: For many tertiary students, internships and school activities don't feel like enough to secure a job. Online courses and certifications, from platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning, are the new credentials they stack to climb ahead in the job race.
Miss Kelly Kwok, 21, has completed more than 10 certifications on programming and business skills.
After six months at his internship, polytechnic graduate Alden Chia, 20, earned $6,000. But of this income, he spent close to $4,500 getting certified in cybersecurity.
Coming home from his internship as an associate system engineer, he would crack open his laptop, watch online modules and sharpen his hacking skills in the courses' programming labs. On weekends, he studied seven to eight hours a day.
Over nine months from September 2024, he pursued the 'grind' of completing six professional certifications in hopes of a career in offensive security, or ethical hacking.
For Mr Chia and many other students aspiring towards a career in tech, 'stacking' multiple online certifications is increasingly becoming a norm. On top of internships and co-curricular activities (CCAs), these courses are another way to stand out in a competitive job market, they said.
Many students highlight the skills they pick up through CCAs, such as leadership and event planning, during the hiring process. In July, Singapore Management University's graduating class of 2025 became
the first to receive transcripts listing the skills they honed in CCAs.
Mr Alden Chia (back row, centre) with his final year project group mates.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALDEN CHIA
'If it's a workout day, I work out and rest. If not, I'll go home, eat and turn on my laptop until I sleep,' said Mr Chia, who exercised at the gym or went rock climbing to get his mind off work. 'Climbing thrice a week was my only social life.'
Mr Chia graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in April this year with a diploma in infocomm security management. After more than 600 hours of online courses, he is taking a break before starting a cybersecurity work-study programme as part of his national service.
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These courses certify him in red teaming and penetration testing, which involve simulating cyberattacks to detect vulnerabilities in computer systems.
'I have six, but my peers probably have two digits,' he said, referring to the number of certifications. 'Compared to them, it's nothing.'
Mr Alden Chia made a blog post to review all the certifications he has earned.
ST PHOTO: ALEXA DENISE UY
Tough times for tech grads
The trend to 'stack certs' comes amid the lower proportion of fresh university graduates who landed full-time jobs in 2024 (less than 80 per cent) compared to previous years, based on
the latest graduate employment survey from February 2025.
Dr Kelvin Seah, associate professor in economics at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said employers are cautious about hiring fresh graduates due to economic uncertainty.
'Students and fresh graduates are understandably anxious and would like to beef up their credentials to make themselves more attractive to prospective employers,' he added.
Applicants with internships and online courses under their belt may look more employable, as they come partially trained.
'However, at the end of the day, employers are ultimately looking for people who will be the most productive at their jobs and roles, so if a person can demonstrate aptitude and competence in his or her job applications and interviews, there is still a good chance of being hired,' said Dr Seah.
Students often get online certifications on websites like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning and Udemy.
PHOTO: PIXABAY
Beyond tech: Other students stepping up to get certified
Some students who are not in tech courses, like NUS business administration student Kelly Kwok, 21, are also collecting certificates through courses outside of school.
Miss Kwok has amassed more than 10 online certifications in coding and business skills since she left junior college. These include courses in Excel, and programming languages Python and R.
What started as a way to pass the time before entering university became a way to gain an edge over schoolmates ahead of classes, transition into new internship roles and pad her resume with proof of technical skills.
'Having the certification name (on your CV or LinkedIn profile) just feels better, because you have a physical manifestation of what you did in uni,' said Miss Kwok. 'It gives me confidence in a certain skill set.'
Unlike Mr Chia, she accessed most of these courses for free, thanks to school or employer benefits during her internship.
Many undergraduate students pursue certifications to get a glimpse into different careers before graduating.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
For Nanyang Technological University (NTU) communication studies major Mandy Wong, 20, getting online certifications in graphic design, UX design and project management has helped with figuring out her career options.
She said: 'I've definitely been able to explore career possibilities that I wasn't sure if I wanted to dedicate an entire internship to.'
Fellow NTU undergraduate Teresa Ng, 21, did certifications to make use of free resources. She picked up data analytics skills one semester through a Google certificate scholarship offered by her school.
Although the electrical and electronic engineering student has a second major in data analytics and has learnt Python, she spent 12 hours a week learning to code in SQL and R.
'A lot of my course is very theory-based, but sometimes you don't really see how it's practically deployed,' said Miss Ng. 'Doing certifications makes you career-ready and shows you how these things are done (in the working world).'
There is also the Fomo (fear of missing out) factor.
Said Miss Ng: 'You scroll through LinkedIn and see a lot of people stacking certs, posting career updates. Then you think, 'If I don't do that, then I might be losing out.''
Many students upload their completed certifications on professional networking site LinkedIn.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA LIMITED
Not all created equal
However, more certifications are not always better as the quality of the certifications is what makes the difference, say experts.
Ms Linda Teo, country manager at recruitment agency ManpowerGroup Singapore, said recruiters look out for 'strategically chosen' qualifications that are relevant to the role.
'For example, certifications in Excel or Python can be a strong advantage for data-centric roles,' she said.
More jobseekers are also gaining certifications in emerging fields such as generative AI and data ethics, said Ms Teo. These signal that the candidate keeps pace with evolving technologies.
However, she said that certifications are most impactful to hirers when they complement hands-on experience or formal education and are not a replacement for them.
'It's not just about listing a course, it's about demonstrating how the knowledge gained has been applied,' she said. 'Candidates who can showcase this through projects, internships, or portfolios tend to make a stronger impression.'
Ultimately, she said that employers look at the full picture, not just technical qualifications. Other factors such as how candidates fare in interviews and whether they fit into the workplace culture matter too.
Mr Chia, the aspiring cybersecurity professional, said students need to approach certificates with the right mindset. 'Anyone can learn how to code. But when it comes to coding, it's your skill that matters.
'You need to be genuinely interested, then it's worth it.'