WHEN Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) hospitality graduate Toh Kai Feng applied for a human resource position at Sheraton Towers Singapore after her final-year exams in February, she had no idea of the competition she would be facing.

It was only after the 19-year-old accepted the job offer a month later that she found out over 500 people had applied.

'On hindsight I realise I was really lucky to have gotten the job,' she said on Monday.

'My grades are above average but not at the top, so I guess it was my confident and positive attitude during the interview that saw me through.'

Kai Feng was one of more than 400 students from the School of Business and Management who received their diplomas on Monday morning at the school's first graduation ceremony this year.

She and 87 others also made up the first batch to receive diplomas in Hospitality and Resort Management from NYP. In all 4,963 students from 48 different courses will officially graduate this week.