Search

Internships: Why They Matter

Back to List

MaritimeONE scholar Khoo Wei Hao is no stranger to maritime. Completing his Diploma in Maritime Business at the Singapore Polytechnic, he was determined to further his understanding of maritime and is now working pursuing Maritime Studies at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).  Interning at a multitude of companies has expanded his understanding of the industry, including his current stint with Clarksons Asia Platou Pte Ltd as a Research intern. 

 

could you please elaborate on your role as an intern?

I am a Maritime, Offshore and Infrastructure intern at the Research desk in Clarksons Asia Platou Pte Ltd and have been working with them for around nine months. I worked part time during the school semester and did a full-time 10-week Industrial Immersion programme.

Not many undergraduates continue with their internships part time while still studying, what motivated you to do so?

I wanted to gain more experience in the industry and get a clearer idea of my future career path. Working part time provided me with exposure to different areas of the maritime industry. A 10-weeks internship programme may be too short a period to assess whether I liked research and by working part-time, I could see whether I was able to adapt

How did you manage to balance a part-time internship alongside school?

It is quite tough, and I do have to compromise on sleep to catch up on my academics at night. However, I feel that in terms of the experiences gained, the trade-off is definitely worth it.

I would actually recommend everyone to do part time internships as long as they can cope and manage their time so that they can see if they are really suited for a certain role. 

As a research intern, what was your job scope like?

My responsibilities include researching and improving the data coverage of ports and related infrastructure, as well as certain aspects within the offshore oil and gas sector. I assisted in validating vessel tracking algorithms to derive different data points. I also dealt with various stakeholders’ requests and feedback on different aspects of the data generated.

I took part in projects, helping to conduct initial research on marine and offshore infrastructure across different regions. This includes alternative fuel bunkering projects and refineries. Additionally, I monitored and collected data on COVID-19 related events and restrictions relating to port operations and quarantine measures.

What were some struggles you had to deal with during your internship?

I initially struggled with the remote working arrangement, and I was afraid of troubling my supervisors excessively with questions. 

Thankfully, my supervisor was kind and helpful, dedicating his time towards addressing my doubts. Things eventually got better as I got used to it and when I had the opportunity to go back to the office.

Do you have any tips on overcoming the difficulties that come with the WFH arrangements?

It’s okay to bother your supervisor, do not be fearful of reaching out and asking questions will allow you to familiarise yourself with the task. You are here to learn, and supervisors understand the high learning curve for interns especially when you are working from home. 

Were there any developments in maritime that you have stumbled across in your internship that impressed you?

There are many developments in maritime that have caught my eye while doing research for my internship. With the entire maritime industry looking towards hydrogen, ammonia, LNG and other sustainable fuels, it is interesting to learn which type of fuel will match the operational interests of individual players. Being exposed to some of the subsectors of the marine and offshore segments provided me with enhanced knowledge of the maritime industry and that was definitely one of my biggest takeaways from the internship. 

Has your internship experience increased your interest in certain areas of maritime which you may not have considered before?

My internship has helped me to develop greater interest towards the Offshore sector, which I previously did not have much prior knowledge nor interest in. Most of my pre-existing knowledge of the offshore sector was from my diploma studies of Maritime Business in Singapore Poly. Due to the vast amount of content that has to be covered in school, I could only obtain a surface understanding of the subject. During the internship, I was provided with statistics, independent analysis and research which gave me a much better idea of the offshore industry. After being assigned several tasks and research work, I have obtained some newfound interest towards the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

I am also keen on exploring the Renewables sector, on alternative fuels such as Methanol, LNG, Hydrogen and Ammonia, and renewable energy sources such as Wind and Solar in the future.   This is especially because the industry is shifting towards the use of more energy efficient fuel types to achieve decarbonization goals.

What platforms would you recommend for undergraduates looking for maritime related internships?

Undergraduates can seek internship opportunities through their school’s respective career portals or LinkedIn. They can also self-source internships by reaching out directly to companies. The Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC)  has a career portal and  Telegram channel and they also send out frequent newsletters which undergraduates can use to look out for exciting opportunities. 

Wish to explore the dynamic maritime sector? Or to complement theory with practical experience? The MaritimeONE internship is now open. Apply for available positions here. 

Other Articles
BlogSMF Article

In Conversation with Maritime Lawyers: Maureen Poh

BlogSMF Article

Event Recap: 2021 MSC Connexions Forum

BlogSMF Article

Fuelling the Transition Towards Clean Energy

BlogSMF Article

Sea Asia 2021: Staying Ahead in the Race for New Talent

BlogSMF Article

In Conversation with Maritime Lawyers: Jonathan Choo

BlogSMF Article

Sea Asia 2021: Fireside Chat with Minister Iswaran

BlogSMF Article

In Conversation with Maritime Lawyers: Charlene Sim

BlogSMF Article

In Conversation with Maritime Lawyers: Jade Chia

BlogSMF Article

Decarbonisation Pathways for the Global Maritime Industry1

BlogSMF Article

Start-Ups and the Maritime Industry’s Digital Revolution

logo-white

Subscribe to Our Newsletter   

ABOUT US

CONNECT BUSINESSES

SPUR INNOVATION

DEVELOP TALENT

EVENTS

MEDIA CENTRE

SMF BLOG

CONTACT US

Linkedin Youtube

Inaugural MSC Maritime Digital Challenge Grand Finals Prize Presentation

Over 129 tertiary students across 35 teams took part in the inaugural MSC Maritime Digital Challenge that seeks to plug Singapore students with a passion for technology into the maritime industry.
Students from the Singapore Management University and Nanyang Polytechnic were announced as winners of the challenges posed by Eastport Maritime, Kanda and Torvald Klaveness at the Prize Presentation held on 13 November 2021.

MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021

Three challenge statements, 35 teams, 129 students and 12 finalist teams from 4 universities & 3 polytechnics. Catch behind-the-scene highlights of the MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021.

Singapore Maritime Foundation | MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021

Catch highlights of the MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021. We thank Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport Mr. Chee Hong Tat for being our Guest-of-Honour at the event.

SMF New Year Conversations 2022: Year-in-Perspective Video

The past two years of learning to live with Covid-19 has been challenging, but Maritime Singapore has remained resilient. What are the fundamental tenets that attract companies to anchor their business in Singapore and grow their operations here? And what more can be done to leverage on Singapore’s strengths to enhance its attractiveness as a global business hub for maritime companies? How will the Singapore Maritime Foundation organize its work around Connectivity, Innovation and Talent to strengthen the maritime ecosystem? Find out in this Year-in-Perspective video.

SMF New Year Conversations 2022: Opportunities Amid Disruptions

The 2022 SMF New Year Conversations that took place on 13 January 2022 was graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Transport & Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. Over 250 industry leaders across the breadth of maritime attended physically and virtually.
Singapore was announced to have secured the overall top spot as an international maritime centre for the fifth consecutive time in the DNV-Menon Leading Maritime Cities 2022 report.
Thank you to our industry partners for your strong support.

Mr. Lars Kastrup

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL LINES

Mr. Lars Kastrup is the Chief Executive Officer of Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd (PIL).

Prior to joining PIL, Mr. Kastrup was CEO of NOL/APL, and subsequently assumed the role of Executive Vice President, Strategy and M&A at CMA CGM Group. A veteran in the global shipping industry with over 30 years of experience, Mr Kastrup’s other roles include Executive Vice President of Assets at CMA CGM Group heading up CMA Terminals, CMA Ships, Container Logistics as well as regional carriers such as MacAndrews, OPDR and Mercosul; as well as Vice President at AP Moller-Maersk.
Mr. Kastrup complemented his tertiary education with leadership and management training at Penn State University and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Angeline Teo

MANAGING DIRECTOR & HEAD, GLOBAL TRANSPORTATION & OFFSHORE, OCBC BANK

Ms. Angeline Teo is the Managing Director and Head of Global Transportation and Offshore, Global Corporate Banking at OCBC Bank which focuses on the maritime, aviation, land & port ecosystems.
Ms. Teo has spent over three decades in maritime finance. Prior to OCBC, Ms. Teo was working at ING Bank, ABN Amro and DnB in Singapore focusing on maritime and offshore.
Ms. Teo graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in Business Administration.

Mr. John Martin

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GARD SINGAPORE

Mr. John Martin began his career in London in 1989 with Richards Hogg Lindley Average Adjusters, and qualified as a Fellow of the UK Association of Average Adjusters in 2000.
At RHL he worked in their offices in Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 2003 he joined Gard Hong Kong, as a claims handler. Mr. Martin also worked in Gard Japan, and in 2014 he moved to Singapore to set up the Gard Singapore office.
Besides running Gard Singapore, Mr. Martin also heads the P&I and H&M claims units and is the Senior Claims Representative for Gard in Asia.

Mr. Cyril Ducau

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EASTERN PACIFIC SHIPPING

Mr. Cyril Ducau is the Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Pacific Shipping Pte Ltd, a leading shipping company headquartered in Singapore for the past 30 years.

He is also currently the Chairman of Kenon Holdings Ltd and a member of the board of directors of Gard P&I (Bermuda) Ltd. and of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation Limited, which was established by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. He was previously Head of Business Development of Quantum Pacific Advisory Limited in London from 2008 to 2012 and acted as Director and Chairman of Pacific Drilling SA between 2011 and 2018.
Prior to joining Quantum Pacific Advisory Limited, Mr. Ducau was Vice President in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley & Co. International Ltd. in London between 2000 and 2008.
Mr. Ducau graduated from ESCP Europe Business School (Paris, Oxford, Berlin) and holds a Master of Science in business administration and a Diplom Kaufmann.