In this feature, we are going to go inside an organisation – analysing them from within instead of from an external standpoint. These trends are more prevalent and relevant to today either because the world is digitalising, there are new demands from the current workforce, or information are more readily available and disseminated. Consider these pointers and they may help you to better understand an organisation before making a decision.

How Technology is Driving a Company

Investing in technology reflects more than just tangible improvements in its products or processes, which of course is good; nobody wants to work for a backward company. However, it also reflects a company’s willingness and ability to revamp, reinvent, and evolve with the times. They prize versatility in staying ahead of the game, and utilises innovation and creativity in maintaining its market presence and position as industry and thought leaders.

It also reflects that the company values openness (to trends, changes, and opinions) as a priority, which is highly regarded by employees and what they look for in a workplace. To find out about these advancements, seek out features and interviews of its management and staff, or articles from IT publications or platforms that provide industry updates.

In our features, scholarship recipients discuss the technologically-driven processes and advancements that their departments and organisations take to constantly be at the forefront. Find out more on the impacts these changes are making.

What Opportunities Are Available

Everyone wants to join an organisation where they are valued and feel that they matter. The opportunities that an organisation provides for its employees show how much they view people as their best assets. Thus, you can infer how people-centric a company is through the level of investment and commitment to its staff.

As demands, needs, and preferences of the workforce evolved, learning and development opportunities have become more abound in organisations now, and they take more forms. Work-study arrangements, study leaves, and year-long paid overseas programmes to be further trained in your field are not uncommon.

For this, it is good to tap into your social network to inquire about the opportunities afforded from people who work there. Another avenue would be to read employee features. In our interviews, many of our scholars share their scholarship and career experiences and how they are groomed in both their personal and professional lives. Read more about them under each organisation.

What the Long-term Investments and Projects are

At present times, it is common for companies to branch out and expand into multiple industries and products. Find out what are the current on-going developments that the company has undertaken and when it would be completed or launched. They could be beneficial and applicable to your role or job scope by the time you graduate. You may attain a better and fuller picture of what the organisation will be involved in in the future. If these developments excite you enough to want to be a part of it, it could be a good reason to consider this particular company a little more.

How a Company and Industry is Performing

There are the traditional channels to attain ‘official’ updates on this – the company’s site, LinkedIn, news stories, to name a few. Now, more ways have evolved to attain information about them, and information have taken a more insightful turn as well.

Social media plays a big role in this. How many videos, pictures, and news of an event have been posted online, and rampantly shared that it goes viral? And this information is equally valuable because this is from the public, people who are involved with the organisation in one way or another, or industry insiders.

However, this trend is only helpful if one does more research on the matter and cross-reference it with other sources to get a full and accurate picture of any news. Do not take any piece of information wholesale and on face value.

Another helpful tip would be to take note of any change in management and leadership. It could signify a new direction, focus, or objective for the company in the near future, that may concern or interest you when you join them after graduation. Are they aligned with your aspirations and career goals? Does it fit your values and priorities? It would be good to have a think about it.