When internship became her career start

For many graduates, landing that all-important first job can feel like the hardest step in building a career. For fresh Chemistry graduate Ong Xin Jie, the leap from campus to corporate life was smoothened by her internship.

During her internship at Abbott Nutrition, Xin Jie was part of the Product Development (PD) team, which gave her exposure to diverse responsibilities; these led to valuable insights into the product development process within a science-based industry. Following her graduation, she joined Abbott as a Product Development Scientist - with a similar job scope but with broader responsibilities.

Find out how her learning experiences at the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), especially her internship, provided the crucial bridge between academic learning and workplace readiness.

How did your CHS education prepare you for the workplace?  

My CHS education played a pivotal role in preparing me for the workplace by equipping me with both technical expertise and interdisciplinary soft skills.

For instance, the Common Curriculum gave me numerous opportunities to work on group projects across different disciplines and to collaborate with peers from a wide range of academic backgrounds. These experiences taught me how to communicate effectively and manage group dynamics - crucial skills when working in cross-functional teams at the workplace.

In addition, CHS encourages adaptability and creativity, which are attributes that are not always brought to the fore in a structured, technical STEM curriculum delivered within conventional boundaries. Interdisciplinary learning encouraged me to approach problems from multiple perspectives. This kind of thinking was especially useful during my internship, where I had to adapt quickly to challenges and consider both the technical and human aspects of creating wellness-focused products.

Of course, I also acquired depth of knowledge from my scientific training, such as understanding formulation work and the technical challenges in scaling a product from the laboratory to full-scale manufacturing.

Lastly, being part of CHS exposed me to a diverse community of students; this helped me become more comfortable interacting with people from various walks of life.  Altogether, the CHS curriculum developed me holistically; not just as a scientist, but as a communicator, a collaborator and a problem-solver.

Were there any interesting intellectual insights from your studies?

Initially, I thought that being a chemist meant either working in a laboratory or teaching. Through my learning journey, I discovered how broad the field truly is. My internship opened my eyes to the industrial applications of chemistry and helped me develop a strong interest in creating practical products that impact people's lives.

Chemistry is everywhere. From the materials that make up the chair we sit on to the medications we take when we are unwell, chemistry plays a vital role in our daily lives. It is truly fascinating that something I study in textbooks can be so closely connected to the real world around us.