Top poly graduates choose work over university

08 May 2017

The New Paper, 8 May 2017 - Article featured three top graduates from SP’s graduating cohort of 5,600 this year who chose to work first to gain industry experience, instead of pursuing a degree. SP’s Institutional Medallist and Diploma in Media and Communication graduate Chong Han Lyn, who is working with media agency Starcom, shared that a degree is not necessary for her career in the industry. Even though it might matter when it comes to promotion, there are directors who do not have a degrees but are on the same level as the degree holders. Tracy Ong, who also studied media and communication, agreed with Han Lyn and shared that her four-month internship with advertising agency Arcade made her realise that learning fast and adaptability is more valuable than a degree. Tracy won the Batey Scholar Award and was mentored under brand guru Ian Batey, who came up with the concept of the Singapore Girl for Singapore Airlines. SP’s Institutional Medallist and Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media graduate, Esther Tan, was made an assistant director during her internship at production company Big 3 Media. This is a role which no other intern had taken on before. Her internship experience encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone. She shared that she chose to work first because of the trust that the company placed in her and the company culture. The three graduates may explore other fields of study, such as visual communications or film in future, but they are all happy where they are now. Han Lyn commented that pursuing a degree appealed to her because she enjoys learning and University will give her a platform to expand her knowledge. However, she emphasized on the importance of grabbing the job opportunity first, stating that the school is always there but the job may not always be there for you. COMMS note: This is part of our Graduation 2017 stories.