As Singapore’s advanced economy continues to demand more and more highly-skilled workers, it becomes imperative for young adults joining the workforce to possess the skills needed to contribute to the knowledge economy.

Since its establishment, SIM GE has helped educate and develop graduates with the necessary competencies to advance Singapore’s economic and industrial development. Today, it continues to do so, producing competent and curious graduates well-equipped to excel in the competitive global economy.

We speak to Neo Wen Bin and Raschelle Lang, both 24, to find out how SIM GE has primed them to succeed in their careers.

What led you to enrol at SIM GE? Tell us more about your interest in your field of study.

Neo Wen Bin: My polytechnic lecturer actually recommended SIM GE to me over other educational institutions due to the numerous quality degrees offered. She was confident that the courses I was considering would be a great fit based on what I had already studied.

Even though I really enjoyed learning about Tourism and Resort Management for my diploma, I decided that I wanted to gain a more general view of Singapore’s business environment after taking a gap year to work full-time as a Customer Service Team Leader at Groupon Singapore. This led me to pursue a general business degree at SIM GE, as I also felt that it would give me more flexibility to work in different industries in the future.

Raschelle Lang: SIM GE offers programmes taught by overseas faculty, and the degree programmes are offered by established universities that are recognised internationally. I was also much assured to learn that SIM GE was one of the more established private institutions in Singapore, and that certainly played a role in my decision to enrol in the school.

I chose to pursue a degree in retail marketing because I’ve always been interested in retail and branding. I enjoy an exciting and rapidly-changing environment, and retail marketing fits the bill perfectly. Consumers often only see the finished products on the shelves, but they don’t see the hard work behind these products. I was eager to delve into these operations behind the scenes, and I’ve never regretted my decision!

Tell us about some of the opportunities you enjoyed as a student.

Wen Bin: The Birmingham International Business degree programme includes two mandatory overseas exchange trips. The first was with the University of Birmingham itself, where we flew over to the home campus to experience campus life in the UK. The second trip allowed us to choose from a list of partner universities, and I decided to go to Korea University in South Korea.

I spent the spring semester at the University in the UK, and the time spent there was exceptionally memorable as my course mates and I all lived together in the same hostel block. Winter was especially long that year, and it snowed all the way into March. As you can imagine, we took the opportunity to spend as much time out in the snow as we could!

The University also organised a short weekend trip to London for us, as well as a camping trip to the Lake District. I even had the chance to visit Wales and stay in caravans by the sea. It wasn’t all work and no play for us, and I really appreciate the fact that the lecturers encouraged us to balance both school work and leisure.

Raschelle: I also had the privilege to study in the UK for one semester, which turned out to be a truly memorable experience. The University of Stirling gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in British culture and to observe the various aspects of retail at British malls and supermarkets.

I particularly enjoyed learning to live with other flatmates, some of whom eventually became my best friends. I was also able to live independently for the first time, and I think that has taught me to be more resilient and confident.

What were some of the challenges you faced while studying? How did you overcome them?

Wen Bin: I’d say that I actually found the entire course rather smooth-sailing. That’s not to say that the content is easy, but I did not face any major hurdles along the way, for which I am very thankful.

My polytechnic diploma played a role in helping me prepare for my degree, and I ultimately found the curriculum to be well-paced. The way it was carried out was also very conducive to learning.

Raschelle: If I had to pick one incident, it would be the time I had to write a literature review for a class on consumer behaviour in my first year. That was also the very first module I took, and I also had no experience in essay writing because I was from a design school in polytechnic. This resulted in me spending a few days fretting over the assignment, but I eventually realised that my course mates were also facing the same problem!

We ended up meeting up to complete the assignment together. This showed me the effectiveness and value of working together to solve problems, and I think this is something that could be applied in the workplace as well.

How did the school prepare you for the working world?

Wen Bin: The modules offered by the University of Birmingham provided a good combination of individual and group work. The lecturers also used case studies of existing companies to facilitate learning, and this really helped us to understand the real-world applications of the concepts we were learning in class. It also gave us a good picture of current business practices and industry standards. In fact, my current workplace encourages me to apply models learnt in school as well.

Raschelle Lang
Departmental Sales Manager

Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
in Retail Marketing awarded
by University of Stirling, UK

Diploma in Apparel Design
and Merchandising,
Temasek Polytechnic

Raschelle: The courses and lecturers provided us with a good grounding in the theory and management development practices underlying the retail industry. With a strong foundation, I can now anticipate potential problems at work and consult my mentor for advice. Of course, my degree also provided me with an important entry point into my industry of choice.

I’m thankful for this because I enjoy my work immensely. It’s very fulfilling to assist in the coordination of events and the set-up of various promotions, and to see the event conclude smoothly provides me with a sense of accomplishment! I am also always thrilled to see customers leave the store with a smile after I’ve helped them resolve any issues they may have.

What advice do you have for students looking to enrol at SIM GE?

Wen Bin: Higher education is a stepping stone into the corporate world. SIM GE is a great choice because the sheer number of quality degrees means that students will be able to find a course that matches their interests and needs.

Raschelle: Prospective students should do careful research on their course of choice and future career and salary prospects. They should also consider if they can see themselves in their industry of choice for the next few years. But whether it is retail or nursing, as long as they have the passion for it, they should definitely pursue it! It doesn’t matter if it’s a less popular path – as long as they have the motivation and interest, everything else should fall into place nicely.