Internships in Singapore are very much sought-after and therefore there is a much higher number of applicants than open positions. Like many of you have probably already noticed, it is very difficult to find reasonable positions on the online jobportals or on the recruitment sections of corporate websites for internships abroad in general. Large international companies in Singapore receive on average more than 7 applications for an open position.
Therefore, it is important to develop a detailed application strategy. It is very advisable to directly apply at the subsidiaries in Singapore instead of going through the domestic headquarters. In doing this, competition will be lower and one has the possibility to establish direct communications with the future employer.
Moreover, it is an advantage if one can demonstrate an international orientation in the CV, e.g. through former internships or semesters abroad, or the future career planning in general. It goes without saying that you should be able to communicate on a basic level in English. That does not mean that language skills must be perfect, for many international students it is also an aim to improve these through an internship in an English-speaking environment. Apart from that, the local variation of English, „Singlish“, can also not be described as the perfect Oxford English.
Most Singaporeans want to come to the point fast without considering grammatic rules a big deal. „Can, lah!“ and „Right, lah!“ are only two expressions which are used all the time and where the international intern is in danger of adopting these expressions into his own vocabluary. As English is the official tongue in Singapore which everyone, from manger to maid, masters in different extents, there is no immediate need of learing the other dominating languages such as Mandarin, Malay or Hindi. Nevertheless, a stay in Singapore is an ideal occasion to learn one of these languages, and many interns take this opportunity in affordable weekly classes.
Malay for example, which is quite similar to the Indonesian language, is quite easy to grasp for westerners. During colonial times, Singapore was an infamous trade point due to its central location in South-East Asia, boasting a whole variety of dodgy opium bars, nightclub districts and armies of rickshaws. Back then, the city was used as a trading harbour by the British. After independence from Malaysia in 1965, the former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew has shaped Singapore‘s economic success story, coming from a third-world status. In the meantime, Singapore has become one of the most modern metros in Asia.
The impressive skyline is made up of numerous glass buildings where all the leading international companies have their local subsidiaries. If you take a walk through the city, you will soon realize that in terms of modernity and infrastructure, this city could even be model for many western metros....
Singapore 
