The STEP Project that I completed was during summer ‘24 where I partook in a. Here, I interned at The Hoffman Agency in a PR and Communications Consulting role where I got hands-on experience in the field and global working exposure. This included deliverables like writing bylined articles for local Singapore publications, pitching for new business accounts, monthly and quarterly client reports, and various other client interactions.
At the end of my internship, my manager asked me what were some of the differences in my working experience in Singapore versus the US. Asia and the US are viewed as opposites in all aspects from culture to corporate, but I replied that I was more surprised in the similarities I experienced. While there were cultural differences and subtleties in the workforce that made my experience unique from an internship in the US, the crux of the business and purpose of why everyone does everything is the same. In other words, the overarching decisions for businesses and even the reasoning behind the differences in varying corporate culture practices in Singapore matches those of the States. For example, Singaporeans and the US both value things like productivity, efficiency, and results-driven measures in the workforce. Achieving these things may look slightly different in between the two countries, but ultimately, all practices lead to achieving these overarching values. Understanding that the big picture is generally the same even in different continents was a huge shift in mindset for me. This helped me develop a better understanding for global business and as well as cultural competency- many businesses and people around the world want to achieve similar goals, and while the journey to getting there may look different, we are all a lot more similar than we think.
For one, my presumption of Singaporean work culture was that it would be work-intensive and straightforward without much room for creativity and abstract thinking from lower-level employees. However, rather than not allowing for any input from junior employees, Singapore tends to guide suggestions or ideas in order to allow for structure in such endeavors. This differs from US work culture where junior workers are generally encouraged to take a leap of faith and the final idea is evaluated before implementation. An example of this from my internship that led to this shift was when I was given the opportunity to work on a new business account where we pitched our services to a prospective client. I initially did not think that I would be able to have much input on this type of account, but in coordination with my seniors and managers, my thoughts and suggestions were taken step-by-step and streamlined to craft an idea for my section of our pitch. This differs from my US-based internships where I have often been given a challenge or task and asked to use my own critical thinking to approach it, and the end result of my idea would be presented and assessed before presenting it to the client. As such, both cultures go about allowing for individual and creative thinking differently for those who do not have much experience, but still promote it in order to progress innovation.
Another example contributing to my shift in mindset that there are different ways to approach similar situations and scenarios is regarding networking. In my own networking experience at my internship and in talking to my peers and colleagues, I learned that building this connection in Singapore is more formal. This is mainly due to the higher regard to hierarchy and expected respect for those in higher positions. Even small talk and coffee chats were more formal with both higher-level professionals and immediate seniors. In the US, networking tends to be relatively standardized across levels and there is often a positive attitude to exchanging thoughts and ideas on various topics regardless of position. While both cultures go about networking in different ways, they both place high emphasis on the importance and connection that builds from it.
As a final example of this shift in mindset, the culture of Singapore itself was very unique to me. Singapore is also a melting pot of cultures and faces similar problems that the US does in terms of things like race-based issues and understanding people from different cultures who live in the same space. While the US promotes an overall “American” culture without as many explicit restrictions on how the “American” life should be lived, Singapore takes a more methodological approach by placing many restrictions on their citizens, but allows for each ethnic group to maintain their identity. As an American with multiple identities, it was interesting to see Singaporeans from different ethnic backgrounds retain much knowledge about their roots. This differs from the US where Americans with varying ethnic backgrounds still heavily identify with the overall American culture. Although Singapore has many rules and restrictions- which melting pot countries often have a difficult time agreeing on- they promote inclusivity by allowing for cultural connections amongst the varying cultural groups. However, the US does this by promoting one “American” culture. As such both are different methods that society uses to address unity amongst a melting pot of cultures.
In all, this shift in thinking that there are different ways to approach situations and that the end goal for many things is often similar, has been institutional in guiding my thought process in both my professional and career life. This has allowed me to keep an open mind to various ways that people go about solvingissuesand is something I will take with me going forward. It has also added another layer to my outlook on adaptability and taught me how crucial it is to stay flexible depending on the situation. While the approach may be different, the end goal is usually always the same and maintaining an open mind on how to reach these goals is an important aspect that leads to understanding, innovation, and change.
