Five "Wait, what?" moments from my internships
Final-year HEY! student writer Eliz Wang ponders the brilliant, and sometimes baffling, things she learnt from her attachments
You go into internships expecting a few things: work experience, LinkedIn updates and maybe a new caffeine addiction. What you don’t always anticipate is how each stint can shake up your worldview or throw you into situations you never saw coming.
Over the past four years, while studying history in NTU, I’ve done everything from academic research to public policy marketing, to something that involved far more Excel spreadsheet agony than I had ever anticipated.
Across these internships – at places like Shopee, Temasek, Simple Group and bolttech, I’ve encountered unexpected lessons that have made me rethink how I approach work, and even what I want from my 20s. Here are five of them.
1. Titles mean less than you think
Going in, I assumed the prestige of a job title would determine the impact I could make. Spoiler: not really. Some of my most meaningful work happened in roles that seemed small on paper, but gave me very real opportunities.
Like developing marketing strategies in a foreign market with startup consultancy Simple Group. Or leading a creative project as a newbie, where I conceptualised and executed a full branding campaign from scratch.
Meanwhile, I’ve seen my friends at big-name firms spend weeks formatting slides. The title is just an accessory; what you do with the role is what counts.
NTU interns in Ho Chi Minh City: As part of NTU’s Overseas Entrepreneurship Programme, Eliz delved into cross-border marketing at a consultancy that helps Singaporean firms expand across the Asia-Pacific.
2. No one, literally no one, has it all figured out
I used to think people in their 30s had life sorted out. I was so wrong. Most of them are just winging it, too. At bolttech, I worked alongside professionals who had switched careers three times before landing in insurance tech. Meanwhile, at investment firm Temasek, I saw firsthand how people from different backgrounds – from environmental science to consulting – could all find their way into business strategy. Your early career is less about having a master plan, and more about collecting experiences and figuring out what feels right.
Eliz grew her graphic design and storytelling skills at investment company Temasek by creating visuals that explain public policies.
3. The best lessons come from the worst days
I’ve had internships where I felt completely out of my depth. I’ve made mistakes that haunted me on the train ride home. But these moments, the ones where you feel utterly incompetent, are the ones that teach you the most. I learnt how to handle constructive criticism without taking it personally, how to ask for help without feeling like a burden, and how to bounce back after a rough day. If an internship never challenges you, you’re probably not growing.
4. Network, network, network
Before my first internship, I pictured networking as painfully forced small talk at awkward office events. As an extrovert, I thought I’d be the one breezing through these moments, but I quickly learnt that it’s not all about being outgoing. While I enjoyed meeting people and sparking conversations, the real connections often happened when I stopped focusing on “networking” and simply had genuine chats. Some of the best advice I’ve received came from spontaneous post-meeting talks or casual coffee sessions.
I’ve stayed in touch with colleagues who later helped me land other opportunities, not because I was working a room, but because we built mutual respect from honest sharing.
Eliz created this reel as part of a global talent attraction project she kickstarted as an intern.
5. Internships change your plans – sometimes drastically
I walked into one internship convinced I wanted to pursue finance full time. I left knowing I’d rather work in public affairs. Another internship made me reconsider my aversion to the corporate world. Each experience reshaped my expectations of what I wanted in a job – more flexibility in how and when I worked, more creativity in the tasks I took on, and, most importantly, work that felt meaningful. Internships aren’t just resume boosters; they’re trial runs for different versions of your future.
The biggest surprise for me? Internships don’t shape your career – they shape you.
Whether it’s discovering an unexpected passion, surviving a tough boss, or realising what kind of workplace actually excites you, the lessons stick.
And sometimes, the most valuable thing you take away isn’t a line on your resume, but the person you become in the process.
HEY! STUDENT WRITER
When she’s not obsessing over the footnotes of her history thesis, Eliz is either biking at East Coast, watching Akira or contemplating a second plate of duck rice.
This story was published in the Mar-Apr 2025 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
