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Sean is a 22-year-old student from Singapore Polytechnic pursuing his Diploma in Maritime Business. He has recently completed his 6-month internship at Norstar Ship Management’s Crewing Department.

Describe your day as an intern in Crewing Department.

“Aside from supporting the crewing executives with their daily tasks, I was one of the program coordinators for the crew welfare program called Well@Sea, where I regularly communicated with our fleet to increase the participation rate. Furthermore, I was assigned to work together with Marine Department to polish all the elements in our Safety Manual System (SMS).”  

What do you enjoy the most about your internship?

“I enjoy meeting new people during my internship. I was given the opportunity to converse with people from India, Myanmar, the Philippines, and more in the office and through online calls. With that, I was able to learn about the cultural differences and enhance my communication skills.”

Sean Lua at Norstar Officers’ Conference 2021

What are some of the challenges you have faced during the internship and how did you overcome them?

“Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and office relocation, I had to work from home for two months right after my first week of starting my internship. I vividly remember feeling panicky, as I have only received four days of training from my predecessor. Thankfully, my team was extremely patient and approachable, guiding me along the way.”

Any words of advice for people who are interested to take up an internship? 

“When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask questions. An internship is the best time to learn. Also, explore what the others are doing. Even if you are assigned to a specific department, chat with the other departments to understand their job scopes. This will maximize your knowledge of different sectors in the company.”

Interested in our internship program? Check out our Careers page.