It has been about 3 months since my internship started at Project Skillseed. The few months I’ve spent here have been very fruitful and my internship term is more rewarding than I expected. This internship marks the end of my polytechnic education but I know I wouldn’t be stopping here. Living here in Singapore, I feel very fortunate to be presented with many education and career options.
Recently, I chanced upon the article “ Six Ways You Can Stand Out In Singapore’s Graduate Glut” from Business Insider Singapore and they highlighted the issue of having too many university graduates in Singapore. The increase in qualified candidates creates a challenge for graduates to secure jobs and quoting the article, this situation may worsen in a few years time.
Like other polytechnic students, I’ll be applying for a local university placement this coming February and I’m already fearing the competition to secure a spot. Living in such a competitive society, I always fear that even if armed with a university degree, I won’t be competitive or qualified enough to join the workforce.
Instead of worrying, how can one make a difference and stand out from the rest?
Do skills-based volunteering!
Volunteering has been around for a long time but many might not have heard of skills-based volunteering. In skills-based volunteering, one can use their skills to help others for a good cause and in return, they gain experience from what they are doing!
While volunteering encourages you to do good, it also is good for you. A blog post by Nicole Williams on Linkedin shared a few points on why volunteering is good for your career. Volunteering not only give you a chance to help others, you get the opportunity to meet and interact with people of different backgrounds. You never know whom you will meet and these connections made may spark a change in your life!
Project Skillseed provides a platform for youths to develop skills in an area of their interest, while at the same time learning to become changemakers through socially impactful experiential learning adventures. Every programme is specially designed with a theme in mind and we partner with industry experts and community organisations to create a better learning experience for all.
During my internship at Project Skillseed, I have seen them execute about 5 programmes now. I used to think that volunteering is all about giving until a few programme participants shared how the programmes have changed them. Many of these participants came without expectations but they return home with a rewarding and unforgettable learning experience that schools can’t give them.
This holiday, why not volunteer your time and skills to help others? You can sign up for any of our service programmes or even embark on the journey with us as a facilitator! We look forward to seeing new faces! *inserts smiley face*
With Love,
renda