I look at my own company as an example; we are a multinational firm with 76 offices globally, headquartered in Singapore. Each year 5,000 applicants globally fight for 20 places under our graduate programme - 21/2- year programme with rotation in three countries.

Singapore-based applicants form the largest pool of applicants - yet for 2015, we had only two successful applicants. Last year, there was just one.

...

Time and time again, the students are, rightly or wrongly, perceived as academically smart but not savvy and not street-smart; not hungry and not as well-prepared for interviews compared with their global peers.

During interviews, Singapore students may try very hard to give the "perfect" answers to questions asked - maybe they see the interview as another examination. My company is prepared to invest in and teach these young recruits - we do not even care what they studied in school. And when they try too hard and give textbook answers, they may come across as naive, and are viewed in a different light by global interviewers.

://.straitstimes.com/opinion/go-beyond-book-smarts-to-resilience-and-curiosity