Singapore’s professional and consulting sector remains a highly attractive option for ambitious graduates, serving as one of the key growth sectors in the country.
The professional and consulting sector powers Singapore’s position as a world-class business hub. Driven by the nation’s bold ambitions, there are new national initiatives to boost the sector’s innovation and digital capabilities to meet evolving demands.
Within this diverse sector, activities span a wide spectrum ranging from human resource management and professional services to niche services. One domain that is undergoing exciting change is human resource management. Human resource practitioners are increasingly assuming the role of business partners, where they are called upon to provide strategic input and data-backed recommendations. Meanwhile, management consultants are expected to value add by offering data and innovative solutions as well as moving towards implementation for their clients.
Professional services such as architecture and engineering services, accounting, legal and advertising have experienced expansion and are expected to be on a growth trajectory. In particular, graduates will benefit from the growing need for legal and accounting firms to boost their productivity and digital adoption, and demand from architecture and engineering firms for talents in project management and sustainability consulting.
Companies offering niche services in areas such as cybersecurity, user experience and design, and intellectual property will also be ramping up their recruitment with rising demand in these areas.
CAREER PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Long-term prospects in consulting and professional services remain bright. Graduates who join this sector will enjoy an abundance of opportunities for career growth as companies here look to become global leaders in specialist services.
Professionals and consultants should proactively monitor global trends and build their profiles to capitalise on these opportunities. One way to increase one’s professional profile is through demonstrating thought leadership and by networking in the industry. With the increasing adoption of data science, analytics and artificial intelligence, practitioners will also need to upskill in these areas and deliver value to clients in these domains.
There will also be a growing demand for those with regional experience as companies here look to expand internationally. Hence, graduates who are proficient in an ASEAN language will have an added advantage.
RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
- Stellar academic record from across all degree programmes
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills
- Relevant internship experience or credentials in consultancy/strategy work, start-ups, and project management
- Ability to interpret trends and data to deliver value-add solutions, while being highly analytical and insightful
WHAT RECRUITERS LOOK FOR
- Excellent client management skills
- Strong problem-solving, analytical, logical, and organisational skills
- Good grasp of a specific area of specialization, supported by a proven track record and testimonials (good to have, but not critical)
- Sound knowledge of organizational behavior and management beyond area of expertise
- Ability to structure unstructured complex problems
