How this undergraduate landed a job in Reckitt Benckiser (RB) with an average GPA.

Check out episode 3 of 1 Foot In now where we learnt how Hongkiat landed a job in Reckitt Benckiser (RB) in detail or read our summary below to find out more!

It is everyone’s goal to graduate with First Class Honours as there is a common association that your GPA will secure you a good starting career.

But of course, not everybody is able to graduate with First Class Honours.

Some graduate with Second Class Upper, some graduate with Second Class Lower, and some with an even lower class. And to them, it seems like it is the end of the world with possible thoughts surfacing: “I can’t get a good job.”, “My future is over.”, “Where can I go with this kind of GPA?”

Yes, grades are important, but they are not everything. Even if you have an average GPA, you can still secure a good job.

Today, we have Hongkiat, who shares with us 6 tips of what he did despite attaining an average GPA, and how he entered RB as a Management Associate.

1.   Gain as much internship experience as you can during your studies.

Through internships, you do not only learnt how to apply the concepts you have studied, but you also gained additional knowledge/work experience that can aid you in real-life problems or the future. Hongkiat shared about his internships’ experiences, and how they benefitted him especially for his case competitions where he applied what he had learnt to the competition. He also added how his first internship kick-started his interest in the FMCG industry, which brought him to where he is today. Share with us some of your internship experiences and how you have benefitted from them.

2.   Soft skills can be developed.

One common myth about soft skills is that people are born with them, and not made. Being a natural extrovert, striking a conversation and connecting with people is easy for Hongkiat. It is also an assumption by many that only extroverts can be a people’s person. However, this myth was debunked by Hongkiat’s recount of personal interactions with individuals, who were introverts, yet they were able to engage or connect with others easily. He strongly believed that soft skills can be honed and developed over time through one’s experiences and interactions with other people.

3.   Embrace rejections.

Unlike many of us, who are unable to accept failures easily, Hongkiat stands on the other spectrum. We were amazed by how he could remain unfazed by the numerous rejections from his internship applications. When asked how he was able to accept rejections, he joked about being naturally ‘thick-skinned’ that allowed him to not be disheartened as easily. But, this was not the only reason. “I’m not afraid of trying.” was his actual answer, where he embraced each rejection and persevered on to apply for more internships. Let us know how you deal with rejections, or if you have any tips on how to how overcome them.

4.   Form a strong support network.

Having a group of close friends, who you can open up to, and support you is important. During his sharing, Hongkiat acknowledged that it could be tough to talk about failures with others due to one’s pride, but he encouraged us all not to be scared, and to place our pride down to share about our experiences with our peers. By doing so, it allows you to see that your friends are at the same pace as you, but they are just embarking on different routes. Tag your friends, who are your ride-or-die, and share these tips with them too!

5.   Adopt a collaborative mindset.

Displaying your skills or strengths is normal during an interview. But, in a group interview setting, you might find yourself struggling between 2 things: wanting to showcase your strengths/skills, vs. not wanting to overshadow your peers too much. For Hongkiat’s final interview round with RB’s hiring managers, he took on a collaborative and inclusivity approach instead. He further explained in detail what he did during the interview round, and felt that being an inclusive team player portrays one as a more attractive candidate than one who only focuses on himself.

6.   Speak slowly.  

We also asked Hongkiat to share with us his secret on how he could remain composed during interviews, and this is what he revealed: slow the pace of your talking whenever you are nervous. He shared that most of the time when you are in an interview or giving a talk, great ideas/thoughts have been well planned mentally. Yet, the expression comes off awkward as you are talking faster than what you can process. Hongkiat suggested to consciously remind yourself to speak slowly so that you can collect your thoughts better and express them fluently. Let us know your thoughts about this tip, or if you have other advice to share.

Hongkiat ended the podcast sharing with this line:

“You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else.”

 You become your individual when you can truly understand and appreciate your talents. You do not have to constantly strive to do well in something to prove that you are different from others. Everybody has their uniqueness. If you can embrace that part of you and make it YOU, you will naturally stand out among the crowd.

Let us know which tip is your favourite, or if you have any questions/advice you will like to share in the comments below.

Tune into this week's episode of 1 Foot In to hear more about Hongkiat’s experience. He will talk more about his university life, the work culture at RB, and what he would have done differently if he was back in university.

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!