e-Internship Brieng Guide
Understand the value of an internship
Be introduced to the SMU’s SMU’s internship programme
Learn about the Internship rules & programme requirements
Find out how to search and plan for a meaningful internship experience
Leverage on the experience and work towards your career career goal Updated as of July 2016
CONTENT PAGE Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of the life’s greatest pleasures! ~Richard
Meet the DKHMCC Team
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OnTRAC II– DKHMCC Career Services Portal
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SMU Internship Programme Internship requirement for SMU undergraduates
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Internship 101—Tips & Advice
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Internship 101—Strategies for your internship hunt
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Internship 101—Reference Career Resources
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Start o Right!
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BEFORE YOU START~ Pre-Internship Rules & Requirements Requirements Criteria for Internships
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Internship Programme Rules
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Term-me Internships
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Part-me Internships
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Internship Exempon
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Programme-Specic Requirements
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Overseas Internship
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Internship Approval Process
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OnTRACII Guide
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ON THE JOB~ Internship Rules & Requirements Internship Programme Rules
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When thing don’t go as expected
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Equee to observe towards the end of your snt
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END OF INTERNSHIP~ Rules & Requirements Required Submissions– Internship Report and Employer’s Evaluaon
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Mark of Excellence
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FAQs
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CONTENT PAGE Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of the life’s greatest pleasures! ~Richard
Meet the DKHMCC Team
4
OnTRAC II– DKHMCC Career Services Portal
7
SMU Internship Programme Internship requirement for SMU undergraduates
8
Internship 101—Tips & Advice
9
Internship 101—Strategies for your internship hunt
10
Internship 101—Reference Career Resources
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Start o Right!
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BEFORE YOU START~ Pre-Internship Rules & Requirements Requirements Criteria for Internships
17
Internship Programme Rules
19
Term-me Internships
22
Part-me Internships
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Internship Exempon
25
Programme-Specic Requirements
17
Overseas Internship
38
Internship Approval Process
43
OnTRACII Guide
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ON THE JOB~ Internship Rules & Requirements Internship Programme Rules
55
When thing don’t go as expected
56
Equee to observe towards the end of your snt
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END OF INTERNSHIP~ Rules & Requirements Required Submissions– Internship Report and Employer’s Evaluaon
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Mark of Excellence
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FAQs
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The Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre (DKHMCC) is commied to supporng you through your educaonal journey and strengthening your skills for career success.
Interview Rooms for employer -student interview sessions and career coaching sessions
DKHMCC oers programmes and a suite of services tailored tailored to your needs to help you seamless transion from academic life to the working world. Career Resource Library packed with Career -centric books and periodicals
Career Coaching Resume review Career proling & planning Internship Advice Mock interviews Employability Skills Finishing Touch Programme* Career Management Series Industry Access Pass Series Employability Iniaves
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DATO’ KHO HUI MENG CAREER CENTRE
Career Opportunies Internships Full-me Jobs
Visit us @ SMU Administraon Building
Career Events Company Informaon Sessions/Recruitment Talks Industry Talks Networking Events
81 Victoria Street, Level 7 Singapore 188065
M—F: 8.30 am - 5.45 pm
Peer Mentorship Career Champions Programme
[email protected] Tel: 6828 0177
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MEET THE CAREER COACHES
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MEET THE DKHMCC OPS TEAM
CAREER CHAMPIONS
The Career Champions contribute to the SMU student community by providing their peers with informaon on career resources, support in resume reviews and mock interviewing. They form a peer-to-peer support at SMU in career planning and development, serving as an extension to the team at DKHMCC.
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DKHMCC CAREER SERVICES PORTAL
Schedule a Career Coaching Appointment
Apply for Internships
Submit an Internship Self Proposal
Apply for Full-Time Jobs
Register for recruitment, industry talks & Career Fairs 7
SMU INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME
Internships are an integral part of the transformave journey for undergraduates at SMU. They bring a great deal of value and meaning to both students and employers. This internship guide is designed to help students understand what an internship is, the value it brings, the internship requirement at SMU and how to search and plan for a meaningful internship experience.
What is an Internship?
“Internships provide real-world experience to those looking to explore or gain the relevant knowledge and skills required to enter into a parcular career eld. Internships are relavely short term in nature with the primary focus on geng some on-the- job training and taking what’s learned in the classroom and applying it to the real world.” - About.com
What is Singapore Management University’s internship requirement for undergraduates?
As a graduaon requirement, full-me, matriculated undergraduate students of SMU are required to complete a minimum of 10 weeks (totaling 400 hours) of meaningful employment in a business environment. There is a formal process, including the compleon of required paperwork, which must be followed. For more informaon about this process and requirement refer to Secon One of the guide.
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INTERNSHIP 101 TIPS & ADVICE
This is your chance to test drive a variety of dierent elds before choosing a career direcon.
You can develop professional skills and demonstrate them for future employers; i.e., you become much more marketable!
Employers prefer candidates with previous work/internship experience, and it is becoming harder to land a good job without it. Many organizaons use internships as extended interviews for full-me employees. 9
Gives you the opportunity to build up your résumé — relevant experience gives you an edge above the rest.
Gain transferrable skills outside your classroom training (e.g. persuasion, negoaon skills, etc.)
Build your network while you are on the snt, it may be the opportunity for you to clinch your full-me role.
Embark on an overseas internship, ace on intercultural communicaon and be a global cizen.
INTERNSHIP 101 STRATEGIES FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP HUNT
Before seng out to nd an internship, ask yourself these quesons:
Where do I want to do an internship? In Singapore or Overseas?
What type of work would I like to do? In what eld?
What type of organizaon would I like to do an internship for? MNC or SME?
What do I want to gain from an internship? What specic skills or experiences do I want to acquire?
INTERNSHIP SEARCH TIPS
Visit Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre to reference career resources such as books and employer materials. Study the Internship Lisngs on OnTRACII once you gain visibility to roles you are eligible for on compleon and passing of your eInternship brieng quiz. Aend recruitment talks: it is the best way to learn about the company culture as well as internship openings on the spot. Aend Career fairs. Employers oen use fairs to idenfy students for internships as well as for full-me employment. Visit the websites of companies where you might want to do your internship so that you can tailor your resume and cover leer to the employer. 10
INTERNSHIP 101 STRATEGIES FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP HUNT
Applying for an internship Each industry and employer has its own applicaon me-line and process. It is important for you to be acquainted with the mode of applicaon required by the company. Does the company want you to apply online? What is the deadline? What will the employer need from you to make your applicaon complete? Most importantly… Start the process early. Here are a few ps to get you started:
Tailor your resume to the industry and specic job or internship programme. Use keywords!
Place contact informaon at the top of your resume. Include your name, SMU email address, and phone number.
Your educaon secon should include your SMU candidacy for the degree and major(s)(declared). Also include informaon like your expected graduaon date, any awards/scholarship and GPA where required. You may also want to include a list of related course work.
Describe your related work experience and a separate secon for project experience. To make your resume stand out make sure you include your CCA, volunteering experience and IT and Language Skill. Use acon verbs!
Visit the career services pages on OASIS to reference the sample resumes and have a career coach or the career champions review your resume.
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INTERNSHIP 101 STRATEGIES FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP HUNT
Applying for an internship (Cont’d) Some organisaons will also need you to write a cover leer to accompany your resume. Remember to make the cover leer reader-centric and structure your leer along these lines:
First paragraph—State your purpose for wring—your interest in the internship opportunity.
Second paragraph—Highlight your educaon, experience, and personal qualies that you can bring to the posion.
Final paragraph—This is your "acon" paragraph. Ask for an interview and let the employer know how you plan to follow up. Include informaon that will help the employer contact you for an interview.
Close—Thank the employer for considering your applicaon.
Make your cover leer reect your personality and unique qualies while also showing o your great wring skills. Proofread. Remember that you never get a second chance to make a good rst impression. Choosing an internship Your final task is to select the internship opportunity that is the best match for you. Review your goals for doing an internship and choose the opportunity that best meets those goals.
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INTERNSHIP 101 REFERENCE CAREER RESOURCES
Focusing your applicaons and align them with your career interest, caerer values, skills and strengths. As an SMU student, you have unrestricted privileges to the most comprehensive online career resources available. OnTRAC II > “Home” Tab > “Shortcuts” panel on the right CAREER RESOURCES Vault.com provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work within an industry, company, or profession—and how to posion yourself to launch and build the career you want. Students are encouraged to reference Vault for the detailed informaon on nearly 5,000 companies in more than 120 industries. Vault also provides extensive informaon on more than 840 professions. This includes educaon requirements, skill requirements, salaries, advancement prospects, and more. Available at Li Ka Shing Library, hp://careerinsider.vault.com.libproxy.smu.edu,. sg Get the inside scoop on dierent industries also get invaluable ps and advice relang to career elds, interviewing process and more. Watch the videos on the homepage of OnTRACII.
A rich resource providing country-specic career and employment informaon, including worldwide internship and job posngs, employer lisngs, corporate proles and career resources for 30 countries
Learn foreign languages quickly and easily via Mango Languages’ online learning courses. Start speaking a new language today. Available on OnTRACII.
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START OFF RIGHT!
“In the end, you will succeed because of the results of your work. However, how you get those results maer the most. Authencity, honesty, integrity and passion are paramount.” Mary -Frances Winters
The importance of integrity
Being completely honest and factual in your resume is crucial, as it is common pracce for recruiters to conduct background checks and they can be very resourceful in verifying the informaon you have provided. Being authenc is key at interviews, it is important you do not over sell yourself and end up under delivering as it can only result in mismatched expectaons.
Adhere to Your Promises All jobs oers accepted, be it in verbal form or wrien form, must not be reneged. Honour your word. It may seem tempng to keep opons open for other beer oers but such behavior is not tolerated at DKHMCC and students who do so will not have their alternate internship approved. Think not only of your personal reputaon but also SMU’s reputaon before any irresponsible acons.
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SECTION ONE PRE- INTERNSHIP RULES & REQUIREMENTS
BEFORE YOU START THINGS YOU SHOUD KNOW BEFORE YOU START YOUR INTERNSHIP
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BEFORE YOU START
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES ELIGIBILITY All students** can embark on internships aer compleon of two semesters of course work. **School of Law students please see the “SoL Internship Requirement Guideline” secon on this guide (page 36).
Complete e-Internship Brieng = Read e-Internship Guide + Pass e-Quiz. Students should plan appropriately by ensuring to complete the 10-week internship requirement
DURATION To fulll graduaon requirements, all students must embark on a minimum of 10 weeks approved internship, comprising of 400 hours to be completed in <= 6 months during your course
of study at SMU. Students from all schools EXCEPT School of Informaon Systems (SIS):
are able to combine mulple internships to meet the 10 week internship requirement. Students from SIS:
must embark on an internship that is full-me, have a minimum and connuous duraon of 10 weeks for fulllment of internship graduaon requirement. It is your responsibility to en-
sure that there are no clashes with your internship (ICT, CCAs, BSM, family vacaon, etc.) It is necessary for students to adhere to the internship start and end dates stipulated on OnTRACII postings and keep to the duration and arrangement agreed with the organisation. REQUIRED !! Do not negoate directly with the line managers or HR Personnel without informing DKHMCC of changes to the dates for the internship aachment.
Any change to the duration or start/end dates for your internship will require prior approval by DKHMCC (part-time/full-time). Please do the following especially if the end date clashes with your class and/or crosses into the term.
Seek permission from the academic/course instructor for ALL classes you will miss due to the change. Please provide succinct reason for the change; and
Produce documentary evidence from your employer indicating HR/assigned supervisor’s approval of of any changes to the period and reasons for the extension/ reduction of duration.
Inform DKHMCC of the change by notifying your internship approving officer and provide the support16
BEFORE YOU START
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES INTERNSHIP PERIOD
Winter: December to January Winter (MT2): December to February (Only for students enrolled in MT2) Summer: April to August (Students enrolled in MT2 should note their availability and avoid any clashes with class and internship) Part-me internships: During term -me (max. 16 hours/week for student pass holders ) * 6-month internship : Students are required to take a leave of absence. Please refer to “Leave of Absence” Secon in this Guide (page 40). *
PROGRAMME SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS Students from the following degree programmes have programme specic requirements for internship: School of Accountancy (SoA), School of Law (SoL), School of Informaon Systems Management (SIS):
Internships taken must meet degree-specic requirements and adhere to the internship guidelines set by your respecve school.
Refer to “Degree Programme Specic Internship Requirement” secon of this guide (page 19).
Always refer to your school website for updates. Double degree students (e.g. LL.B/B.Acc or a combinaon of the above menoned Schools) are to ensure they sasfy internship criteria set for both primary and secondary degree programmes to fulll their graduaon requirements.
STUDENTS ON SCHOLARSHIPS Should you be required to serve the sponsoring company to fulll your scholarship obligaons during summer/winter break for internship, it does not mean that this will automacally count towards your internship graduaon requirement. You would sll need to submit a self -proposal via OnTRAC II for DKHMCC’s approval before commencing the snt.
Criteria for internship eligibility on page 17 sll applies
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BEFORE YOU START
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES Applicaons
Students are limited to 20 applicaons per term on OnTRAC II (withdrawals of applicaons will not be entertained upon submission). Provide true and accurate informaon about Cumulave GPA if required by employers GUIDELINES INGTUERINDSEHLIIPN EPSRO TGOR AAMBMIDE ER UBLYE S
Acceptance Policy
When presented by an Employer with an oer of an internship at the organizaon, students shall honor their acceptance of the oer by performing the internship to its compleon. An acceptance is deemed to have been given by a student when he/she verbally says ‘yes’; or the oer and acceptance was communicated via email correspondence; or when an oer leer has been signed by the student. Aerwhich, students should withdraw from all other acve applicaons and update the organisaons of your change in status accordingly. An SMU student shall not renege on an internship oer already accepted by him/her. Should an Employer report that a student has declined an oer previously accepted, that student shall face acon when it is evident that a renege has taken place. Acon carried out by DKHMCC shall include non-recognion of Internship performed and suspension of OnTRACII privileges for the student. In the case where a student reneges on an internship with Employer A to work for Employer B; DKHMCC shall deny Employer B’s request for CPF Exempon required of an Internship, which would involve DKHMCC providing the reason of a renege to Employer B. This acon would be applied to students who reneged Internships with eect from the Summer of 2017.
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BEFORE YOU START THINGS YOU SHOUD KNOW BEFORE YOU START YOUR INTERNSHIP
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES
Supervisor Requirement
Your supervisors are to be on -site supervising you during your internships. Internships will not be approved if your supervisor is not on -site, located in another country, or in another branch of the same company whether local or overseas under any circumstances. Your immediate supervisor cannot be a family member and/or a part of your family business.
Personal/ Family Business
Owning your own business does not count towards your graduaon internship requirement. Family businesses are also strictly not allowed.
! Excepon applies to SIS students (please refer to SIS Internship Requirements)
Term-me Internship with LOA
If you are embarking on full-me internships during term -me, you are required to apply for Leave of Absence (LOA); restricons however apply to student-pass holders ( please refer to page 24). Please read up on LOA policies before you apply: ✓Read up the policy via
OASIS > Finance & Admin > Absence &
Withdrawal > Leave of Absence Policy
Read up the refund and cancellaon policy on OASIS > Finance & Admin > Absence & Withdrawal > Apply for Leave of Absence
You need to initiate the application of LOA as the process is not automatic. Procedures on applying for LOA (INTERNSHIP):
1. Accept the internship oer from the company. 2. If you have applied for the job on OnTRAC II, inform DKHMCC. (
[email protected]) of the acceptance and the job ID. If you have self -sourced the position, submit a self -proposal on OnTRAC II. 3. You will have to wait for an “Internship Confirmation Email” from DKHMCC for your internship. 4. Log into OASIS > Finance & Admin > Absence & Withdrawal > Apply for Leave of Absence 5. Include the offer letter from the company and the Internship Confirmation 6. Email from DKHMCC as supporting documents for LOA application
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BEFORE YOU START
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES LEAVE OF ABSENCE (LOA) FOR INTERNSHIP If you are embarking on full-me internships during term -me, you are required to apply for Leave of Absence (LOA); restricons however apply to student -pass holders ( please refer to page 24).
Please read up on LOA policies before you apply: ✓Read up the policy via
OASIS > Finance & Admin > Absence & Withdrawal > Leave of Absence
Policy
Read up the refund and cancellaon policy on OASIS > Finance & Admin > Absence & Withdrawal > Apply for Leave of Absence
You need to initiate the application of LOA as the process is not automatic.
Procedures on applying for LOA: 1. Accept the internship oer from the company. 2. If you have applied for the job on OnTRAC II, inform DKHMCC. (
[email protected]) of the acceptance and the job ID. If you have self -sourced the position, submit a self -proposal on OnTRAC II. 3. You will have to wait for an “Internship Confirmation Email” from DKHMCC for your internship. 4. Log into OASIS > Finance & Admin > Absence & Withdrawal > Apply for Leave of Absence
5. Include the offer letter from the company and the Internship Confirmation Email from DKHMCC as supporting documents for LOA application
Approval of Leave of Absence is at the sole discreon of your respecve School
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BEFORE YOU START LEAVE OF ABSENCE (LOA) FOR INTERNSHIP INTERNSHIP LOA REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENT PASS HOLDERS Please refer to MOM website for latest policy on employment of foreign students: hp://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work-pass-exempon-for-foreign-students
For student pass holders who have completed your internship degree requirement and wish to take up addional full -me internships (beyond 16 hours/week) during term -me, please take special note of the following:
The Ministry of Manpower (“MOM”) requires you to apply for a relevant work pass for ADDITIONAL work snt/internship (that is beyond 16 hours a week during term -me) that you wish to undertake. You are required to
return your student's pass to the Immigraons and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore ("ICA") aer collecng your work pass, and
you will need to make a fresh applicaon for a student's pass to resume your studies at SMU, upon compleon of the internship. It is illegal to hold two passes at any one point in me.
We would like to highlight that the connuaon of your programme candidacy (and compleon of your programme leading to graduaon) is conngent on a student’s pass being granted to you. Re-instatement of your student’s pass is not guaranteed, as the granng of student’s pass is at the sole discreon of ICA. Please refer to OASIS > Careers & Comm Service > Internship > Internship for Internaonal Students for more details including the student’s pass re -applicaon procedures.
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BEFORE YOU START
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES PART-TIME INTERNSHIPS If you have secured a part -me internship during term -me and wish to have it approved by us and recorded on OnTRAC II.
In addion: 1.
An approving account manager from DKHMCC will send you a so copy me -sheet form for you to record your working hours.
2.
Get the form endorsed and signed by your supervisor.
3.
At the end of the internship, submit the original copy to DKHMCC
Note for student pass holders:
In addion to the above steps, a work pass is not required if you are a full -me matriculated or registered student in one of the following instuons (please refer to the website below) if he/she works a maximum of 16 hours a week.
Please refer to MOM website for latest policy on employment of foreign students: http://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work passexemption -for-foreign-students
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BEFORE YOU START
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES INTERNSHIP EXEMPTION
Exempon for Internship – paral or full – may be granted to polytechnic students (only) if they have completed a relevant business aachment during their polytechnic study. study. Such exempons are not automacally granted. granted. Polytechnic students should submit s ubmit a copy of their internship cercate as well as supporng documents on the job scope to the Dean’s Dean’s Oce for evaluaon.
(Note: Students in the BSc (IS) and LLB programme are not granted internship exempons)
DKHMCC encourages students to embark on internships to gain relevant experience. experience. If you have have been awarded an exempon, exempon, but but are sll interested in pursuing an internship and have it on record with DKHMCC, please aempt e-Internship Brieng and pass e -Quiz before applying on OnTRAC II or self -proposing internship posions.
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BEFORE YOU START
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME RULES COMMITMENTS DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP PERIOD It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to check other commitments so they do not clash with your internship (ICT, CCAs, BSM, family vacaon, etc.)
Local male students please check your ICT dates before applying for internships to prevent your ICT dates clashing with your internship duraon.
If you are called up for ICT aer you have been oered the internship, please check with your employer on the possibility of extending the internship to a later date and update DKHMCC on the nal conrmed duraon.
Excepon: DKHMCC will only assist with the
DKHMCC does not accede to any request with ICT deferment during blackout period as listed on the Academic Calendar issued by the Oce of Registrar.
issuance of a leer l eer for ICT deferment applicable to BAcc
students who are called for ICT during accountancy modied term internship at Big Four.
SIS STUDENTS
Please take note your degree requirement requires your internships to be IS-related, must be on a full-me basis, for a minimum and connuous duraon of 10 weeks.
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