Why a Growing Number of Singaporean Graduates are Taking Their Talents to the Online Community

The universities within Singapore are known for producing some of the most intelligent and adept graduates in the world today. As the global community becomes increasingly interconnected, these talented individuals are naturally looking to spread their proverbial wings. It is interesting to note that a growing number are turning to the online community in order to realise their dreams. This trend has actually been occurring for a number of years and the pace has increased dramatically in recent times. Why is this the case? What advantages might an online profession have to offer? What utilities and tools have enabled such a transition to be much easier than ever before? The answers to these questions will serve to highlight the changing world around us.

Why Walk When You Can Run?

While opinions naturally differ, many Singaporean graduates will argue that they are exposed to more professional opportunities within the online community. This is due in no small part to the fact that remote telecommuting has now become a reality. However, the potential for success when establishing an online business is just as profound. There are few limitations and as opposed to brick-and-mortar sales, the associated overhead is extremely low. This signifies that graduates will not be forced to invest a great deal of money in order to begin pursuing their dreams.

The same observation holds true when referring to those who might have obtained a degree in computer programming or IT. The possibilities are boundless and numerous organisations are in desperate need of graduates who possess a working knowledge of the intricacies involved with website design.

More Options Than Ever Before

In the past, the online business community was often viewed as an elite cadre of individuals with a great deal of experience. Thus, it tended to be reserved for larger organisations which possessed the finances to actively promote their products and services. The entire landscape has now changed due to the introduction of targeted e-commerce solutions like Shopify, which are moulded around the needs of smaller businesses.


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It is therefore entirely possible for a graduate student to partner with a reputable ecommerce platform when actively promoting what he or she has to offer. Little prior technical experience is required and if a question happens to arise along the way, professional customer support is never far off. It is therefore clear to see that the rise of small online businesses should pick up pace in the months and years to come.

This is not to say that all challenges have been taken out of the equation. Graduates still need to possess good business sense and they need to appreciate the immutable fact that competition is on the rise. Those who are motivated, flexible and driven by their goals should expect to rise quickly within the digital ranks. It is wise to work in tandem with a viable e-commerce provider in order to fully leverage the tools which are available. Singaporean graduate students are set to leave a lasting impression upon the world around us.

8 Reasons To Choose Digital Marketing As Your Career In Singapore

Looking forward to a career in a high-growth industry? Do you want to work in an environment where dedicated individuals with a drive to learn are in high demand?

Then you must consider digital marketing. In a country like Singapore where people highly count on internet for choosing a product or service, this industry has a lot to offer. Do you know around 84% Singaporeans are Internet users? While businesses are on a look out for better online visibility, they are regularly hunting for new, creative, and skilled digital marketers.

Even if you lack experience, this industry has so many facets to it that experience might not be necessarily a requisite for landing a job. Choosing the world of digital marketing gives your freedom to work as in-house (agency roles) and remote working (freelancing), as per your needs. And that’s not all!

There are several other reasons which will make you choose digital marketing as a career. Have a sneak peek here:

1. Growing Demand:

Singapore is turning digitally-savvy. Whether it is about education sector or shipping industry, digital marketing is becoming an indispensable part of every business. This has made entrepreneurs more inclined towards digital marketers having specialised skills to make their business grow. They are always in search of knowledgeable people who can deal with mobile marketing, search engine optimisation and other digital marketing fundamentals.

2. A well-paid Choice:

Not placing too far in the list, the second most compelling reason to become a digital marketer is that you get a reasonably good salary. As there is shortage in supply of skilled and creative candidates, if you are someone with specialised digital marketing skills, you have a great reason to bargain. Coming to the annual salary, the digital marketing executives can expect to start off with $30,000 – $38,400 whereas a digital marketing manager with a specialised skill set could potentially earn somewhere $52,000 – $90,000. However, it is worth noticing that package offered can vary as per your years of experience and industry standards.

3. Free Learning is Possible:

If you are a keen learner, the possibilities are endless. You can choose among various free online courses, nano degrees, etc. offered by legitimate universities. A number of free courses are available from sites like Coursera, where you can learn digital marketing fundamentals. In fact, you can get a brief idea for what specific skills you’d be moving further. Later you can achieve some specific skill set from SEO Learning Centre by Moz, Google Digital Academy, Google Analytics Academy, or Hubspot Academy, at reasonable costs.

4. Switching is Always an Option:

Working in the digital marketing never put on constraint on starting with some new ventures. If you have some capital saved and want to start your own business, it is perfect. With online information serving to be a key source in introducing consumers to products and offers, you can always use your skills to make your business grow. It hardly matters whether you are a B2B or B2C in nature, the digital marketing strategies and tactics you gained will be helpful in reaching your potential clients.

If you need some idea for what to start, you can read here.

5. Exhilarating Work Environment:

The rapidly-evolving nature of digital marketing landscape in Singapore makes it another reason to build your career here. Every minute there are new tools, algorithms and technologies emerging making it arguably one of the most challenging fields to work and grow. There will be a lot to explore and experiment and explore. The only thing which has to be constant is your willingness to learn and catch up with the pace. Simply putting, you have to be on your toes, stay updated, and clearly monitor all internal and external factors which could affect your campaigns.

6. Spectrum of Roles:

If you have a very spontaneous nature, this field is certainly for you. In digital marketing you will get to wear many hats. Whether you are a newbie or already working in some other field, you have many options to choose. You could be a generalist or a specialist, whatever the role demands. To be successful in this industry, you have to be someone who understands the broader picture, meanwhile zooming in on a particular skill. It is ok to specialize into a particular niche, having knowledge of a broad array of skills, is must.

7. Endless Reading Material:

Even after you have gained the basics, it is essential to stay updated for the latest changes, trends, and so on. Thankfully, for a digital marketer there is a vast literature available. You can read on number of articles and blog posts updated regularly by several organizations and experts. To your every problem you can get an expert opinion.

8. Flexibility:

As everything is done online, you enjoy the flexibility to work as in-house employee for an agency or you can go for freelancing. After gaining some experience as a digital marketer, you can convince your management to let you work at your ease. While all you need is a laptop and access to the internet, working from home, whenever required, won’t be problematic.

So with digital marketing gaining exponential rise in Singapore, it is sure that the obsession is not going anywhere. Together these reasons make it absolute sense to pursue digital marketing as a career.

5 Advanced Gadgets Designed by Singapore

Singapore is known for its diverse culture, cleanliness, food, education and the Marina Bay. The sparkling island is now making a stride in research and technology. Technology and Mobile Apps in Singapore has gone beyond being functional to something that drives an ambitious economy.

Although the country might be smaller than many major cities around the world, it has a wonderful pool of talent in technology. The country has already made its mark with water technology, petrochemical ecosystem and port management capability.

Apart from this, the nation has been at the forefront of creating gadgets and applications that have eased the routine life of an average Singaporean.
Here is a rundown of such gadgets and devices that are exclusively made in Singapore.

1. InkPlus Case:

InkPlus Case is the brainchild of Singapore based OAXIS INC, which has invented other award winning technologies like WatchPhone and Bento speaker.

InkPlus is a smart case for your smartphone. It eliminates the need of unlocking the phone every time to see notifications, pick up the calls or read the text. Simply put, it acts asa second functioning screen.

InkPlus

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It has e-ink screen, the same screen used on Amazon Kindle, lets you display photos, read eBooks, articles and also help you in taking selfies.

The screen offers 19 reading hours. The case is available for all phones. You can even install apps on it or get notifications from your favourite apps. InkPlus case also protects the battery life of your phone as most of the text like news or messages is black and white, eliminating the need to turn on the power consuming LCD display.

Shop InkPlus from Here!

2. Touchpico:

Touchpico projector is from the house of Touchjet, a Segar Road based company started by two friends, Tom and Zhen in 2009.

Touchpico is a projector which fits into your pocket. It changes any flat surface into an 80-inch touchscreen.

Touchpico

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So you can have you show anywhere, from watching movies, playing games to making presentations. It comes with the Lily Digital Pen to interact with the projected images. Or you can use TouchJet Mobile app to control the projected images. The app also lets you share the files and videos directly from your smartphone or other devices.

Shop Touchpico from Here!

3. Buccaneer 3D Printer by Pirate3D

Buccaneer 3D Printer has been designed by Singapore start-up company Pirate3D founded by Professor Neo KokBeng and 3 university graduates. The project was started on a crowdfundingwebsite, Kickstarter. And today it is one of the most successful 3D printers in the world.

Buccaneer 3D

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Buccaneer 3D Printer is useful for both homeowners and industrial use. The printer is a great investment for any craft maker or a model builder. They can get any tangible shape and size, from making a bottle holder, key chair to even a missing chess piece. You can pull information directly from the vendor’s store, Treasure Island. Or you can connect it to a PC or mobile device to make your print.

4. Creative Sound Blaster Soundcard:

Creative is known for giving quality multimedia products worldwide. Established in Singapore in 1981, the company started with a vision that multimedia could make the interaction with PCs more enjoyable.

And the same company is credited for revolutionizing the PC’s sound with the introduction of the Sound Blaster in late 80’s. In fact, the sound card gave the computer a voice. Over the years, the company was the first to introduce a game port and a recording port in the card.

Sound Blaster

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Soon these cards became standard for consumer audio on the IBM PCs, which were the widely used computers of that time. By 1995, 70% sound cards sold worldwide were Sound Blaster. Another reason to proud on our technology!

Shop Creative Sound Blaster Soundcard from Here!

5. Infrared Fever Screening System

There is a thermometer to measure the individual’s body temperature. But it won’t be feasible to measure large groups of people for the symptoms of fever. Right?

Infrared Fever Screening System

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The solution lies in an infrared fever screening system. It was made in Singapore in 2003 to deal with the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. And it is the first infrared-based system in the world to be used for fever screening of large groups of people. The screening system was invented by the Defence Science and Technology Agency and Singapore Technologies Electronics. The system is equipped with a two-point detection to screen large groups for temperature, starting with thermal images.

The first detection point is to filter febrile persons using thermal imagers while the second detection point is the confirmation that the subject has a higher body temperature using traditional thermometers.

Bottom Line:

So these are the devices that are made exclusively in Singapore. These devices are not only useful and made life easier, but also prove the mettle of Singapore in the field of technology and research. Investing on those products will encourage our researchers and manufacturers to come up with more amazing home-grown products.

What do you think? Do you want to share something? Please drop your comments below.