Corporate life in Singapore – A Student’s Experience

Singapore is not just a lion city but also a commercial and financial hub for the South-east Asian countries. Due to this reason and to apply my learned accounting skills and economics knowledge to real-life society, I chose to intern in Singapore with PAX Edutainment. Corporate life in Singapore 

I would like to thank the directors of the company who imparted in me the expertise over finance and filled my journey with challenges and accomplishments. My company mainly comprises of the founders and entrepreneurs who have impeccable track records in establishing profitable companies both in Singapore and internationally. The company that I interned for is not just an accounting and human resource firm, but they are an ecosystem.

Their extensive network of future professionals provides the support and solutions for the entrepreneurs of today to solve tomorrow’s problem.

During my first week, I was briefed about the company by one of the members of the firm. The tasks started on the second day of my joining to develop my base structure. I was asked to go through the information of all the clients and feed it in the database of the company. This gave me a view of the number of clients of the company, their financial position, and status in the current market.

From this to the second week, I landed up doing research work on “why should businesses set-up in Singapore?” The research work was not just why Singapore? But included long lectures and discussion from my boss. This was the time of my internship where I learned the most from the tax structure of Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia. Many others along with the accounting practices conducted by each country. I explored further if Singapore is a developed country even with the minimum resources in the geographic location of 752 km².

All the questions that use to arise in my mind. Why the Singaporean government is so strong? Why do they do dirty floating? Many of these questions were answered. I have done a good amount of research work at an academic level. But research is done for commercial purposes in a much different way and involves keeping your mind open 24 hours. The entire second week was the most fruitful week of my internship.

In the third week of the internship, graphic designing became my routine task for 5 days. Finding accounting tips, tricks, facts, quotes, publishing, and writing quotes myself. The task involved a little research work, but the crucial element was designing. I thank the firm for teaching me the effectiveness of clean and neat posts for social media handles. Designing posts for Instagram and Facebook were under my command and duty so as to keep our clients updated.

As I had recently looked into all the clients during my first week, I knew what their concerns and requirements were. And therefore I was able to provide informed social media posts. Not to forget, my third week was also busy attending the calls of the clients and addressing them. It’s not just working but fun times too at the firm I interned. And it is important for the mental peace and well-being of the individual.

My fourth week was light but tricky because I had to work on Xero, the accounting software. Just like tallying India, Singapore has Xero which has the record of the transactions being conducted. Singapore has the least number of frauds in corporate. Xero is not just for Singapore but also a widely used software in South East Asia. The account work was on automotive services and product provider based locally in Singapore, a client of the firm I interned with.

The internship experience was beyond my expectations. It did not only include the finance department and working on it but the following activities:

1. Consulting and Advisory
2. Accounting
3. Corporate Secretarial
4. Corporate Marketing

I bet nobody could ever provide me with the experience which I gained in Singapore because of PAX Edutainment. When I write this, it feels like the picturization of corporate life in Singapore at the age of 30. But believe it or not I did this at just the age of 19. At a stage where I have to still learn and develop my skills and expertise and take it to another level. This is exactly why this experience was so important. It helps you get more skilled before you enter the real world. I can say it with ease that I am ready to face the real world!

A blog by Rounak Gupta who experienced Singapore with PAX in January 2020

Watch an International Student Internship Experience