How this graduate groomed himself to be more confident and landed in Gatsby

Check out episode 14 of 1 Foot In now where we learnt how Mark, a Brand Executive at Mandom, groomed himself to be more confident and focused in detail, or read our summary below to find out more!

‘Should I intern or work full-time after graduating?’

This question may surface for some of us as we ponder over our next milestone in life.

It is normal for many of us to choose the latter as we begin to actively search for full-time employment nearing our graduation, in hopes to secure a good and stable job. Some of us may even hope for conversion from their internship into a permanent role at the current workplace.

However, not every one of us will choose the same path.

Here is a graduate who spent his 3 years of studies in university having fun instead of studying. Upon his graduation, he decided to walk down the first route which is to intern after his graduation as he was not confident in himself.

Today, we have Mark who shared how he groomed himself to be more confident, and eventually made it to Mandom Corp as a Brand Executive. 

Have a lifelong learning attitude.

After his graduation, learning did not stop there for Mark. Instead, he constantly sought more learning opportunities to improve his skills and himself. As he was not confident of himself due to his carefree and playful attitude during university, he was afraid that he lacked in terms of skills and knowledge as compared to others.

As such, Mark shared that he took it upon himself to complete numerous online courses on various platforms that were related to his specialisation - Marketing. This was also perhaps the ‘X factor’ that stood out on his resume among all the candidates. The knowledge which he has gathered gave him a competitive edge during the interviews. Mark added that he was also able to showcase his proficiency in technical knowledge and the field or product which impressed the hiring managers.

Focus on pursuing real-life experiences.

After his graduation, Mark decided to intern instead of finding a full-time job, unlike other graduates. Why? Well, he was not confident of his abilities and skills due to his prior carefree attitude during his studies in university and decided that he would like to gather more real-life experience first.

Mark also felt that real-life experience can benefit his role even more so in the future, and forged forward to bag his first internship at Accenture as a Digital Marketing intern. He also shared more about his role in the company, and this piece of good advice from his manager:

“Chase the good work, and then the good money will come.”

Sticking closely to the advice, Mark decided to continue gathering more real-life experience as he secured his second internship. You will be intrigued to hear about his next internship, and how it shaped him further as a person.

What do you think about the advice said by his manager? Does this change your mindset? Share with us your thoughts in the comments!

Be able to think on the spot.

For a graduate to secure 2 internships despite the lack of experience from his university days, there must be something that Mark was doing right. And it turned out it was his ability to think on the spot coupled with his chatty self that helped him during the interview. 

Although Mark’s university experience was mainly him playing around without taking his studies seriously, he participated in numerous campus activities. From there, Mark would mention a learning point from his activities and relate them to the position. He would then explain how it was relevant and essential to the position he was applying for. Through this, it portrayed Mark as a capable person despite the lack of his prior experience.

Prepare yourself well for the interview.

Like other graduates in previous episodes, Mark also shared about his routine of preparing for an interview and how the preparation is important. He stated that sufficient preparation can make one feel more confident of themselves during the process.

Mark advised us all to do our homework so that we know what we are talking about during the interview. Read up more on the company to understand their culture or the types of products or brands that they manage. With the vast amount of knowledge, you will be prepared no matter what during the interview. Additionally, he highlighted that this will also impress the hiring manager as it portrays your willingness to learn more about the company or the product.

Would you need any advice on preparing for interviews? Let us know in the comments section below on your questions!

Have the passion.

Although this tip is for potential staff of Accenture, it is also applicable to everyone who is currently reading this - be passionate about what you are doing.

As an employee of Mandom, Mark shared that one trait that interviewers tend to look out for in candidates is passion. Fresh graduates are usually hired as they are able to bring in fresh perspectives and opinions to the company which is needed to keep up with the recent trends. In fact, it is alright if they do not possess any relevant experience. As long as the candidates show that they are passionate about the role and are interested/willing to learn more, Mandom will always welcome them.

 This was shared by Mark at the end:

“It’s really okay to be scared, to be afraid, to be not confident of your abilities.”

There are some of us lurking on social media and being envious of our peers who seem to be doing well. However, it is important to know that you should not compare yourself to others and be pressured to achieve the same things as them. Each of us walks our own paths and there is no merit in comparing. Take a chill pill, and focus on your interests. Pursue them actively, and you will see the rewards of it eventually.

Do you agree with this advice? Share your thoughts with us and let’s learn from one another.

If you find this article useful, do help us out and share it with your peers so everyone can benefit from it just like you! ??

 Tune into this week’s episode of 1 Foot In to hear more about the event that was a wake-up call for Mark, what is one skill he would transfer back to his university self, the culture and his position at Mandom. 

Otherwise feel free to follow us on Spotify, where we’ll have 16 episodes coming your way in Season 1 ranging from Technology (Amazon, etc.) to FMCG (Unilever, etc). Alternatively, you can check us out on Instagram for updates!