AT first glance, Aaron Isaac will probably strike you as the typical boy next door.

But this indomitable individual is quite the over-achiever. From stockmarket investments to starting up a profitable tuition agency and being a Young People's Action Party (PAP) member, this 24-year-old wants to try it all.

But Mr Isaac has never had life presented to him on a silver platter. Rather, he has cultivated a habit of spotting opportunities in a situation and making the most of it.

He reveals that his concoction for success comes with no frills, bells or whistles. It merely comprises simple yet effective ingredients such as 'a willingness to try new things', 'not being afraid to fail' and 'perseverance'.

During the first year of his SIM-Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (SIM-RMIT) degree programme, he picked up new skills such as investment analysis and financial management.

These came in handy in understanding the trading mechanics of the POEMS Stock Challenge, an online game that evaluates how much profit you make from simulated trading.

The knowledge gleaned from his undergraduate studies also helped him make decisions when he tried his hand at investing in the real market.

After getting an account, Mr Isaac monitored the trend in prices of some relatively cheap stocks and built up a substantial capital to invest before moving on to dabble in large-cap companies listed on the Straits Times Index.

His opportunistic moves into the stock market was symptomatic of his forays into other areas. For instance, after getting a taste of teaching as a private tutor as well as being a relief teacher in schools, he used his savings and earnings to open a tuition agency business with a friend in 2007.

Registering it under the home office scheme, Mr Isaac saved on rent, found out everything there was to know about tax rates, advertising costs, marketing strategies and other financials before making a tidy profit from the very first commission received.

As proof that not all young people are apathetic to politics, Mr Isaac became a Young PAP member in 2007.

Not only does he look forward to dialogue sessions with Members of Parliament that allow him to share ideas and views on policies, he also volunteers in Meet-The-People sessions.

However, just months before he graduated, he began to feel the pressures of entering the workforce amid the economic downturn, despite having an impressive academic record.

Doubts began to set in about securing a job in the finance industry - his preferred area - in a difficult climate.

But his prayers were answered in time. Mr Isaac was handpicked alongside 16 other students to participate in the pioneer batch of SIM Global Education's SIM All-Rounder Student (ARS) Development Programme, which was launched last December.

The ARS programme helps differentiate students from other graduates by offering a host of fully sponsored services and skills-based workshops to increase their employability in the increasingly competitive job market.

These services include one-on-one career coaching and mock interview training, career preparation workshops, job referrals and guidance until the participants secure their first job. For Mr Isaac, the assistance helped him secure interviews with several financial institutions in Singapore.

He eventually settled on Standard Chartered, where he is currently part of its MAS Finance Graduate Immersion Programme as a management trainee.

Another beneficiary of the ARS programme is fellow SIM-RMIT student, Alvin Lai, who managed to land a job with SMRT Corp.

The company's senior manager for talent management and employee communications, Ng Lee Keng, said of the 25-year-old: 'Alvin showed himself to be intelligent, impressive and independent. He is articulate and competitive, yet down to earth. He also fits into the values of SMRT and demonstrates competencies found in an SMRT leader. It was based on these factors that Alvin managed to edge out the rest of more than 3,500 applications for the position.'

To date, over 50 per cent of the ARS's pioneer batch of graduates is gainfully employed and the programme is already nursing its second intake of students.