Izaac Foo (25), majoring in Finance and Banking at Singapore Management University (SMU), was with the Global Markets & Connectivity department, OCBC Securities, during his FRANKpreneurship internship.

Hello, I’m Izaac. I first heard about FRANKpreneurship from a schoolmate who had completed the internship programme. With my interest piqued, I checked out the OCBC Careers page to read up more about it—and I was sold.

Before applying for the FRANKpreneurship programme, I had already completed an off-cycle internship with OCBC Bank in the Global Enterprise Banking Division. I enjoyed the experience tremendously, especially the work culture and environment at OCBC Bank. Hence, I jumped at the opportunity to sign up for FRANKpreneurship. As a final-year student, I knew that it would give me the right set of experiences to guide my career choices after graduation.

Structured experiences

The project work component which required interns to ideate innovative products and services to disrupt the future of the banking industry was the most exciting part of FRANKpreneurship. They assigned industry leaders as mentors to guide us through the project. This alone made the internship experience different from any other internship opportunities I came across. The ability to be fast-tracked into OCBC’s Graduate Talent Programme was definitely a bonus!

From Mondays to Thursdays, I learned what was required for the day-to-day running of the business by working on specific tasks assigned to me in my division, OCBC Securities. Fridays were dedicated to project work and this had an entirely different slant. At the start of the project, the problem statement they gave us to address was very broad. The tasks required were undefined and unclear compared to what I was assigned to do from Mondays to Thursdays. Therefore, our team had to define the project within the expansive scope provided. Through innovative thinking and discipline, we were able to scope the project and come up with a solution that could disrupt the future of banking. Big ask, but exciting!

Bonding with interns and mentors

It naturally took some time to bond with my fellow interns. However, we soon overcame the initial awkwardness as we connected over meals and shared our internship experiences. Very quickly, I looked forward to meeting my teammates every Friday to catch up with one another while working on the project, which definitely strengthened our bond.

Despite being established industry leaders themselves, the mentors were approachable, shared their insights freely and enthusiastically advised us throughout the project. They generously offered their time whenever we faced a roadblock on our project. What made me feel really good was how openly they shared about careers and imparted life advice to us, interacting with us as though we were friends and not young interns. It was affirming, enriching and confidence-boosting.

Leveraging individual strengths for stronger teamwork

I learned the importance of identifying and leveraging each individual’s strengths while working on the project. I initially struggled with the constant changes and the many iterations we were required to make in a very short time after each feedback round. We eventually realised that the most effective way to deliver the project on time was to split tasks according to the strengths of individual team members. By learning to work effectively as a team, we delivered a pitch that we were very satisfied with even though there were major changes throughout the process.

Embracing feedback

Another important lesson I learned is to seek feedback. When I look back at the many iterations we made to our original idea based on the guidance we received, I now firmly believe that it is essential to embrace feedback as I make a career in banking. While negative feedback can sometimes be disappointing, I’ve seen that the process of continuous refinement leads to better solutions. I am now unafraid to seek feedback, even if they are negative.

Developing an entrepreneurial spirit

The greatest reward from FRANKpreneurship was developing the spirit of entrepreneurship. Instead of following the crowd blindly and sticking with the status quo, I am now confident in ideating new solutions and innovating existing ones. Yet, it goes beyond ideating and innovating because I had to overcome the fear of uncertainty and boldly put forth ideas for evaluation and feedback. On top of these qualities, having the humility to accept feedback and the willingness to iterate consistently encompasses the spirit of entrepreneurship which allows for progress and growth.

A note for future interns

The tagline for FRANKpreneurship is “Not your average internship”. FRANKpreneurship is certainly not an average or ordinary internship where one simply clocks in and out. By interacting with fellow interns, supervisors and mentors, interns get to learn about OCBC Bank as a whole. Working on a team project and pitching it to the senior management is inspiring and motivating as interns are empowered to work on actual projects that can define the future of banking at OCBC. My final word for those who are looking to join FRANKpreneurship is to be open and dare to think out of the box. Throw out your preconceived notions and perspectives, and give yourself the opportunity to unlearn and re-learn with fresh perspectives.