Singapore's graduates leap into work

As the job market becomes more competitive, MBA graduates need to "sell themselves," to clinch top jobs globally.

Michael Melcher, a New York partner with Next Step partners, who has conducted training workshops with a number of Ivy League universities, says focusing on soft skills can add value to a student's appeal.

"I've worked in a lot of top schools in the US and Europe, and most of the MBA students need a fair bit of work. Most of them have made huge investments, time and money to get a MBA degree. But most do not know how to market themselves," adds Mr Melcher.

"So we need to work on their soft skills, to help them tell their story to the employers in a convincing manner. At the end it doesn't matter whether you come from Asia or the US, you need to transcend your local levels, and be able to have a global impact."

This is especially true to the MBA students coming out of Singapore, who are a blend of local and foreign graduates. Even though the buoyant economy coupled with a tight labour market has brought about good employment opportunities, the universities admit it is important for their business schools to find quick job placements for their graduates. As a result a lot of resources are channeled into preparing students to be market-ready.

"MBA is an investment. The opportunity costs are high especially for full-time students who quit their jobs. They are looking for a return on investment (ROI), a career progression or a career switch. Thus, through the career services we equip them with soft skills to assist them," says Ms Tan from the NTU business school.

Ms Tay from NUS agrees: "It is who you are and not what school you come from that matters. What we do at the careers services is create an environment where we can prepare our students to be ready for the market. Whether the economic times are good or bad, every company wants the best candidate for the job. We give the students the grounding to articulate their abilities when they meet an employer."