In December 2019, I took up a 6-month work attachment in the Ocean Freight Operations Excellence department at Schenker Singapore. It turned out to be one of the most insightful and rewarding learning experiences I have had thus far.

Schenker Singapore is a third-party logistics (3PL) company that supports industry and trade in the global exchange of goods through land transport, worldwide air and ocean freight, contract logistics and supply chain management. They provide value-added services that ensure the flow of goods continues seamlessly and supply chains stay lean and optimized for success.

I joined Schenker Singapore with an open mind and the goal to learn about the developments in this industry. As an operations excellence intern, I was able to learn about several of Schenker’s advancement plans as I was primarily responsible for contributing to the on-going process improvement projects in Ocean Freight. One of my main responsibilities involved the investigation and identification of the cause(s) of the issues in the projects, recording of my findings down along with proposed solutions for the issues and reporting it back to my manager for further action. Working on these process-improvement projects, I had the opportunity to learn about the details of the entire process chain in the ocean freight operations and how they are performed on the Transport Management System (TMS). Additionally, working on the projects has provided me with the opportunity to meet and work with colleagues beyond my department, which has helped me to start building a professional network. Through this work attachment, I was able to further hone my technical skills and soft skills such as problem solving and communication.

Due to Covid-19, adapting to the work-from-home arrangements during these trying times also taught me the importance of agility on both a corporate and personal front. I am extremely grateful to have been under the guidance of Min Ke and Cindy, both of whom have been nothing short of patient and nurturing since the start. They have taught me so much about the industry by sharing their knowledge and personal experiences. Not only did they trust me to work independently, they were always ready to offer guidance whenever I required help and never hesitated to show their appreciation for my efforts. Even though I was just an intern, I have always felt valued and respected by my team. That has motivated me to want to perform better and contribute true value to the company. As a result, I was able to learn more independently and more importantly, prepare myself for the workforce by developing greater self-confidence.

Thanks to Schenker Singapore and everyone that I have met and worked with during the course of my work attachment, I have developed a new sense of professionalism and a deeper understanding of myself, which will unquestionably serve me well in the long run. This experience has opened up my perspective and understanding of the freight forwarding industry, which has helped me to develop a clearer vision of where I would like to work and the type of work that I would enjoy doing in my future career.