Looking for an inroad into Temasek? Three interns who snagged full-time roles spill the tea on getting a foot in the door, their early days, and how they laddered up to the jobs of their dreams.

The Insiders

Q: The thing that surprised me most starting my internship was…

Jeremy: The sheer breadth of Temasek’s investment mandate, which spans different geographies, stages, sectors. Before my internship, I had the idea that Temasek invested predominantly in late-stage and public companies. However, I soon discovered that it also has a well-established and active presence in the early-stage ecosystem.

George: I’d add the level of diversity within. My colleagues are of different nationalities and come from different specialisations and walks of life. Some have competed in Ironman Triathlons and ultramarathons, while others have trained as lawyers, engineers and mathematicians. Their varied experiences add value to my learning.

Q: As an intern, I never realised I would get a chance to…

Jeremy: Take full ownership of a project. The summer internship was a gruelling three months – I won’t sugar coat it – but you get to see through an investment opportunity evaluation end-to-end, conducting due diligence and presenting your investment case. I also worked on projects I found meaningful, like Sustainable Aviation Fuel, which is key to decarbonisation in the aviation sector.

George: You also get to work on live transactions, be involved in discussions, and hear the perspectives of global leaders at events hosted by Temasek. The exposure Temasek offers is both broad and deep, and really allows you to grow. What I have learnt has remained with me.

Q: Through my internship, I discovered that…

Jeremy: There are many avenues to launch a career in finance and investment. At first, some might have considered my decision to pursue an additional STEM degree alongside my primary finance degree as unconventional, but it has enabled me to evaluate some of the deals we’ve encountered in the Emerging Technologies team more effectively.

Hannah: I realised how important it is to find meaning and purpose in the work that I do. Working in sustainability made me realise how important it is not just to do well, but to do good. Temasek gives me the opportunity to achieve that.

Q: The best thing I learnt was…

Hannah: Don't let perfect get in the way of good enough. The former MD of Sustainability, Frederick Teo, who is now the CEO of GenZero, used to say that a lot. In areas like sustainability, you realise change is a step-by-step process. You don’t go straight from brown to green – you start somewhere and work upwards. It changed how I view both work and aspects of my personal life.

Q: Looking back, I realise that…

Jeremy: The work we did as interns mattered. For example, the financial model that I built during my summer internship served as the foundation for the full model that is currently used by the team to evaluate investment decisions.

Hannah: I agree – interns really have the opportunity to make a difference. It was really when I returned as a full-timer that I realised exactly how much value interns bring, and how they change the team’s dynamic, share the workload, and add fresh perspectives.

Q: My best pro-tip…

George: Your exposure really depends on your desire to learn and take on new things – and there are many ways to bridge your knowledge gap. Trust in your ability to add value to the team, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Just don’t make the same mistakes twice!

Jeremy: Learn to engage with people beyond small talk, and ask questions to deepen your understanding. We regularly speak to founders, experts and other colleagues to build a strong investment case. The biggest mistake is to overestimate your competence because you don’t know what you don’t know, so don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.

Q: The biggest change going from intern to full-timer is…

Hannah: As a full-timer, you get more hands-on with larger projects and bigger responsibilities. You understand the firm a little bit better and have the experience to realise the impact that you make.

George: For me, the change was quite drastic because I have since been rotated to various teams. I went from an intern with the Enterprise Development team, looking at venture building, to my first full-time role with the Portfolio Development. Now, I’m in Financial Services and seeing things through a direct investment lens. But those rotations really speak to the kind of experience that you get in Temasek, which is both broad and deep.

Q: The internship memory that will always stay with me…

George: The friendships made with the other interns, both in my team and from the other departments. There’s a table-tennis set-up here, and we used to play on Fridays. We actually still play now. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun as well – and that’s core to the whole internship experience.

Jeremy: My favourite memory remains when I received news of my conversion from intern to full-time. It felt like my work and efforts had been recognised. I was excited by the opportunity to work at Temasek and to take on new and exciting projects. That was definitely my favourite moment.