I stacked six internships. Here’s what I learnt actually matters

[SINGAPORE] I used to collect stamps when I was five. My interest died down a few years later, but in my early 20s, I found a new collectible: internships.

My resume became my new stamp album as I became fixated on snagging internships every semester.

It never occurred to me that there was such a thing as having too many internships, until a colleague exclaimed in disbelief after hearing I’d done six.

Perhaps to earlier cohorts, six might sound excessive. But for fresh grads today, I’d say that’s pretty “normal” – at least among my peers.

The rise of internship stacking – or internmaxxing – says a lot about our generation’s anxieties about falling behind in the employability race.

After all, it’s becoming increasingly common for employers to expect some form of work experience even for entry-level roles. But I question if we truly need that many internships.

So, I asked the experts: what’s the ideal number of internships one should have before graduating? 

🙅 What is enough?

Of course, their answer was there’s no fixed number.

SEE ALSO

Does a tech degree still pay?

Is salary talk still taboo? Your younger colleagues may not think so.

Home loans are getting cheaper – should you stick with HDB or switch to a bank loan?

But surely, in today’s competitive job market, you’d need more than one?

Adrian Choo, founder of Career Agility International disagrees. He tells me that one “good” year-long internship would actually suffice.

“Theoretically, an undergraduate can land just one internship… do so well and leave such an impression that the company makes an ‘open offer’ for them when they graduate,” Choo says.

No doubt that’s the dream, and I do see this working out for some.

But not everyone knows they want to work full-time at the very first place they interned at.

That’s where having two or more internships can be beneficial, Linda Teo, country manager at ManpowerGroup Singapore says.

Through multiple internships, students get to explore industries and understand the environments and responsibilities that suit them. Fresh grads are then able to make more informed choices about their future career path, she adds.

Voluntarily taking on more internships also demonstrates proactiveness – a quality employers look out for – which helps fresh grads stand out from their peers, Teo says.

When employers receive candidates with similar experiences, having an extra few relevant internships may give an applicant a slight edge, she notes. Otherwise, stacking internships just for the sake of it isn’t necessary.

That said, quality internships don’t solely refer to big names or “branded” companies. While these companies may be more established, they don’t always offer the best mentors or real responsibilities.

Instead, students should look for internships where they are entrusted with specific responsibilities or given projects they can take ownership of, Teo says.

Quality internships often provide hands-on experience with clear learning goals, regular feedback and guidance from professionals, she adds.

✅ Picking the right internship

According to Choo, internships should give you exposure that classrooms can’t: real market knowledge, networks and potential mentors or sponsors for future jobs.

ManpowerGroup’s Teo adds that to determine if a role is right for you:

• Identify what you hope to learn and achieve from an internship
• Ask about the projects you’d be involved in and the skills you can expect to develop
• Reach out to seniors or alumni who have interned at the organisation to understand the company culture better

🔎 What do employers look for? 

Skills-based hiring has gained ground and employers in Singapore have begun prioritising candidates’ skills and competencies over traditional credentials.

In 2024, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) reported that academic qualifications were not the primary hiring criterion for nearly eight in 10 job vacancies.

Will skills-based hiring make the race to stack internships even hotter?

Perhaps, but it doesn’t mean hiring managers are counting internships. Employers are instead more focused on relevant experience, concrete skills and workplace readiness, the experts I spoke with say.

Rather than chasing internships, students should prioritise building transferable skills that employers value, such as analytical thinking, creativity and resilience, Teo says.

Experiences and skills acquired outside professional settings are equally valuable.

Choo even says he’d rather hire someone who spent a holiday farming or volunteering meaningfully, than a candidate with nine internships but has no relevant skills or achievements.

Looking back, I didn’t need all six internships. And truthfully, some of them aren’t even worth listing on my resume today.

It is normal to be anxious about the future and chasing after internships can feel like the only way to secure a “bright” future. But every extra internship doesn’t automatically make you more employable.

And if employers are paying more attention to skills, then perhaps the smarter move is to be selective. Pick opportunities that genuinely stretch you, rather than ones that simply pad your resume.

TL;DR

• Internship stacking may be the norm, but experts say that one or a couple solid experiences is enough
• Quality still beats quantity, and the best internship opportunities provide real responsibilities, feedback and support
• With the push towards skills-based hiring, employers now prioritise skills and relevance of experience – whether gained through internships, volunteering or odd jobs
• So, go for opportunities that’ll stretch you instead of playing the numbers game