Anas is a management student from Holland whom we placed in a Golf Management Company in Singapore. During his internship, he works in business development.

The main duties in the internship:

• Deliver research material to forge new Business strategy.
• Assist the corporate team in entry strategies and identify potential new markets and clients
• Assist in devising strategy for business improvement
• Report on Aviation industry operational work

How does your working day look like?

A typical work day starts at 9, although most people in the office come between 915 and 10. The first thing to do is to check the email and the list of outstanding tasks that need to be done depending on priority. And because the company is in the process of creating a new venture involving many other agencies that we need to meet with on a regular basis; so every day we have to check what meetings we have for the day and what needs to be prepared for the said meetings. We are 3 foreign interns at the company so we all take our lunch break together from 12.30 to 1.30. In the afternoon normally around 5 we have an internal meeting with my manager to check on the status of tasks and check what needs to be done before the end of the day. Normally, the working hours are from 9 in the morning until 6 in the evening, however, since it is a start up company most stay quite late, until 9 in the evening, some even stay as late as midnight!

How is the level of mentoring by your superiors?

From the start I have been told that I will not be treated as an intern, and as such should be able to work independently which is exactly what I was looking for. My direct manager was always asking for my opinion and we had brainstorming sessions every other week to see how we can come up with new ideas and see if there is room for improvement.

How is the atmosphere in the company?

The company is just like a family; we all know and call each other by our first names. I found my Singaporean colleagues to be very friendly and helpful although they can be quite shy at the beginning. As a small start-up company, everyone is expected to work very hard, some even doing 12-13 hour days and if on a tight deadline, sometime even spend the night at the office!

How do you like your internship city?

Singapore, a South-east Asian financial hub, is truly a great cosmopolitan city, and although it has a reputation for being a "fine-city", most everyone I know, including me, got accustomed to the rules fairly quickly. I personally enjoyed living here and find it to be a city where you can "Work hard, play hard". Eating at food-courts is quite cheap and can be found almost everywhere. Clubbing however can be rather expensive, so excessive nights out are by far the biggest threats to your budget. What I also like about Singapore is its location, which can allow for quick getaways to nearby countries and world-renowned tourist destinations such as Bali, Tioman and Phuket.

Summary of your internship experience so far:

Although I personally would have preferred to do my internship at a bigger and more renowned company; I am very glad to have done my internship in Singapore; for it has given a firsthand experience with the Asian culture which turned out to be quite different from what I am used to, especially in the work environment. An internship in Asia in general and Singapore in particular, is a great addition to a CV. Also, I really enjoyed living in this great cosmopolitan and fun city. As an intern I got to meet many other foreign interns and made very good friends (both foreign and local). The Wednesday drinks at Insomnia and weekend's nights out in Clarke quay will definitely be remembered. Also, living in a condo with swimming pool and all the facilities that are almost non-existent in Holland turned out to be quite affordable and made my stay even more enjoyable! I would definitely recommend Singapore to anyone looking for an Asian experience and enjoy a good life while at it.