“With a background in international relations, it was exciting to see the relationship between business and global political developments such as trade wars and elections.”
I had been looking for an opportunity to explore Singapore’s position as a vibrant business hub for the ASEAN region when I found a job posting for a Government and Public Affairs Intern position at the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore) on the LKY Career Services page. After submitting my CV and a cover letter, I had a short interview and received an offer to work part-time during my second semester from February to April. It was an excellent opportunity to discover the ecosystem of multicultural and multifunctional stakeholders in a world woven with government, business, and civil society.
I worked in the Government Affairs Department to perform a wide range of tasks from copyediting reports to doing research to support the various activities that AmCham performs in their relationship with the biggest businesses in the region. AmCham Singapore is the largest of the AmChams in ASEAN with over 750 companies consisting of both MNCs and SMEs, and 5,000 members. It provides advocacy, business insights, and connections to foster a business-friendly environment for shared prosperity of American businesses and ASEAN nations. To this objective, it publishes policy briefs, memos, surveys, and reports such as its flagship publication ASEAN Business Outlook Survey and Crossroads: Doing business in Southeast Asia, explaining the context and outlook of, and suggestions to enhance commercial wellbeing. Doing research to maintain the relevance and improve the purposiveness of the ASEAN Business Outlook Survey was one of the main tasks of my internship. I also looked for marketing methods to increase public awareness of these publications and drafted letters and media advisory for this purpose.
With a background in international relations, it was exciting to see the relationship between business and global political developments such as trade wars and elections. The biggest benefit of the internship for me was being able to attend AmCham events which provided a forum for business leaders to hear from experts for better understanding of the impact of sociopolitical issues to their supply chains, customers, and workforce.
It was a meaningful and enjoyable experience where I was able to participate in producing substantive work, learn from experienced colleagues, and strengthen my interest in studying the far-reaching impact of geopolitical issues. I thank the LKY Career Services team for providing access to this wonderful opportunity and for granting the support necessary for me to pursue it.
Balestier Series
DBS Insight
Indonesia Elections
