#Reflections

I have decided to end of my last post with a short reflection of ES2007S. This module has certainly impacted me and laid grounds for my future experiences in the workforce. Personally, the most significant lessons were on effective communication. Beforehand, I felt communication should be a natural tendency for all. However, during the module, I discovered certain aspects of communication which I have never though about. This gave structure to the lifeskill, and made me appreciate that connection built between 2 parties should not be taken for granted. On top of that, the gap between different generations and how both sides need to accustom to one another was a fantastic take home point.

Next, I would like to talk about how awesome my group mates have been! Both during peer-teaching and the written proposal. Due to time constrain, we had to work efficiently and maximize the the precious time we had together. For our written proposal, we actually met at 730pm on a saturday night (& it was pouring)! Honestly, although we all made sacrifices, none of us actually complained & used the few hours to complete what we had to do. I was really happy with how the proposal turn out (:

Finally, I would really like to thank RJ for conducting this entire module really well! A mixture of presentations, class room interactions worked out really well. What made this class even better were the students themselves! I felt everyone were really friendly and make effort to participate in any way they can.

cheers to es!

Yi Bei

#5 Oral Presentation Evaluation

The oral presentation was definitely a good way to end of the module. It summaries all that we have learnt during the 12 weeks, including a formal presentation and the project my team has been working on.

Before the presentation

Our group divided the workload into the different sections that we were working on, so this made it easier for us to prepare for the presentation. Since the main issue of discussion was low fertility and birth rates in Singapore, I hope that the entire presentation will be an interesting topic to the audience themselves. More importantly, I made a mental note to myself to keep my presentation formal yet not too rigid and keep the audience enthusiastic throughout the entire time.

To start preparing for it, I started working on my script and then the powerpoint slides. As mentioned by RJ, good presentations are to the point and able to connect directly to the audience. I kept a constant reminder that my presentation should be short and concise, and only the significant points should be explained. Since the duration of the speech was relatively short, I attempted to memorize my speech.

During the presentation

I was the last speaker of my group and had to round up the entire presentation. When i started speaking, I was rather nervous and had to make a good effort to keep my thoughts together. However, after the first 2 slides, I felt more at ease and confident speaking. I was excited to introduce both of my solutions to the audience. I constantly reminded myself to be excited about pitching my solutions to the audience and not worry about what I had to say. This was definitely a good method stay focused and increase the fluency of my speech.

During the conclusion, I gave an adequate summary on what each of my group member has done.

Personal thoughts

I felt that I could be slight more fluent in my speech and perhaps include some pertinent questions that I could ask the audience to keep them engaged. I was kind of in a dilemma on the formality of the presentation, as I understand that the 'audience' was a combination of students and NUS staff, while in actual fact that audience were my own classmates.

#4 Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

I believe that people are complex and it is almost impossible to stereotype (thinking that specific types of individuals adopt a certain way of thinking) one another even if they grew up in the same community. There isn’t a set of rules to conform a culture since we shape culture itself.  In fact, I love abnormalities that we come across within a certain culture and the element of surprise that comes with it.

Value:  Cultural self-awareness

Scale: 3

Loving your culture does not mean walking around and shouting: ‘I love being a

Singaporean!’.  What I’m saying here is that loving something is about respecting it, being proud of it, yet understanding that it has flaws and it is not perfect. But this does not mean that one can conform others into your own thinking, or force it onto others. In fact, sometimes it is good to hear what others view about your culture and gain a greater dept of perspective.

I have never viewed Singapore as a small country until I stepped out of it. When I went abroad, I realized that many people did not know where or what Singapore was like. The first common misconception that I faced was that we were located in China, and the second was that we all conversed in Chinese and was not fluent in the English language. It can be rather frustrating at first, but as time passed, I felt myself being more open to the perceptions of others. Soon, I was excited to tell them about the Singaporean culture and its diversity within itself.

Value: Knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks

Scale: 2

I feel that I am still lacking in this area and as I have only started to expose myself in intense cultural elements in the past year or two. Previously, it was hard for me to initiate myself to learn about another’s culture communication styles, practices and values. Furthermore, I steered toward believing I can understand another culture through its history and places of interest. When I started travelling, I realized how rich all of the cultures are and is made up of many other elements.

*Thus, for the next value, I have ranked ‘Openness’ on scale of 3

Value: Openness

Scale: 3

I feel that both values are somehow closely linked together, since to increase my knowledge of other cultures, I must be receptive to my offshore friends. Open-mindedness to me consist of 2 major parts: First is to step back and listen, and secondly to reach out and develop relationships. Being open minded is particularly importance for a lone foreign traveler living in another country. To accept (or learn to accept) how others live and communicate. While certain values you might personally offended, but never directly present your current feelings, just acknowledge it in the back of your head. (No one actually knows, right?)

Value: Curiosity

Scale: 4

 (My first perfect score! :D) As I mentioned before, understanding a particular culture is not only about its famous places, historical background, but also blending into its culture and mingling with the natives. An inquisitive mind should not be something that only occurs in a short duration but instead something that is lifelong. Also, it is impossible to fully understand a new culture just by listening to one single person. It is important to gather mindset of others within the same culture.

Value: Empathy skills

Scale: 3

Many of my peers have found it difficult to stop complete stereotyping behavior and till today still openly use it in front of people from different cultures. Although I was not as vocal as some of my peers, somehow I did stereoptype others (being really honest here) unintentionally. Until one day I was ‘conventionalized’ by others. Empathy plays a crucial role in how we view and approach others. This brings understanding to a whole new level and helps me to acknowledge the emotional aspects of others.

Value: Verbal and non-verbal communication

Scale: 3

 At first I wanted to give it a top score of 4 but realized how many mistakes I would have committed when I sat through the peer teaching presentation my friend jasmine prepared; on consequences of not communicating effectively across borders. I feel that the only reason why I have yet to commit these mistakes because I have not done them, not because I KNOW it is wrong to do them. It just shows how much more I can learn, even if I am able to understand the other party and communicate well with them.

#3 Resume & Application letter

My Resume:

Personal information
	Full name: Katie Lim Skype name: Mobile phone: +65-91234567 E-mail: katie@gmail.com Date of Birth: 1 February 1990
Education
Current Status	Graduate student GPA: 3.65 National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Bachelor of Science Degree with honors (Chemistry major)
Scholarship
	National University of Singapore Undergraduate  Scholarship
WORK EXPERIENCE
	Regulatory Assistant Intern, L’Oreal Singapore Pte Ltd, May – Aug 2011 ·       Trained in the Regulatory Department and assisted with product notification ·       Inspected standards of new products to be notified on a daily basis (example; labelling of restricted ingredients) ·       Co-conducted a warehouse stock take in the company’s local storage warehouse ·       Consolidated raw data and prepared for a new distribution project  (in collaboration with Scentel) Customer Service Operator, United Overseas Bank (UOB) Call Centre, February – May 2010 ·       Addressed customers Credit Card issues ·       Trained to maintain customer’s good impression of the bank’s services ·       Aid the company in coach a fresh new batch of temporary employees
	Admin assistant, TSP Architects and Planners, December 2008 ·       Catalogued the architectural library ·       Design and conceptualized a condominum green landscape ·       Inspected an on-the-scene construction site Part time tuition teacher, current ·  Coach primary school children in mathematics and science
SKILLS
Languages	Excellent English, Fluent Mandarin
Computer	Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, Outlook
Personality	Professional, Outgoing, Creative

 
My Job Advertisement:

Advertised:3-9-12 | Closing Date:3-10-12

Analytical Development Chemist (Singapore) Responsibilities: Develop and execute projects supporting the Organic Synthesis Plant, Solvent Recovery and the Effluent treatment plant Provide analytical support to the Process Development Team Perform chemical analysis using HPLC, GC, UV, FT-IR and other analytical equipment Carry out method development, validation and product testing Conduct analytical equipment qualifications and troubleshooting as well as maintain laboratory equipment and supplies Requirements: Degree in Chemistry or equivalent, preferably with experience in HPLC, GC, UV, FT-IR in a pharmaceutical environment Fresh graduates are welcome to apply Proven track record in method development, validation and upkeep of a wide range of analytical equipment and the ability to prioritize work task effectively Knowledge of Process Analytical Technology Proven problem-solving skills, customer-focused and commitment to continuous improvement Well developed interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to interact and work effectively within a team and across multiple levels within the organization An attractive remuneration package commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered to the successful candidate. Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd 31 Tuas South Ave 6 Singapore 637578 We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

My Application Letter:

Katie Lim

Blk 111 Clementi Ave 3

Singapore 123456

Phone Number: +65-9876-5432

Email Address: Katie.lim@gmail.com

16 September 2012

Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

31 Tuas South Ave 6

Singapore 637578

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am a fresh graduate from the National University of Singapore and would like to apply for the job position of an Analytical Development Chemist in your company. I came across your advertisement online and wish to write in a personal letter to apply for this job.

The opportunity presented in this listing is very interesting, and I believe that my strong internship experience and education will make me a very competitive candidate for this position. While working in L’Oreal Singapore Pte Ltd, I had to work closely with my colleagues on a major project that required us to re-notify a large amount of products within a limited amount of time. However, I was focused and detailed and managed to efficiently complete the task before the deadline.

In addition, I have collaborated with other international supervisors during my internship in UC Berkeley Lab and interacted well with them. On top of this, during this short time span, I worked on a project independently and produced excellent results for the lab.

Please see my resume for additional information on my experience.

Thank you for considering me as a suitable applicant. I can be reached anytime at the contact information provided above.

Sincerely,

Katie Lim

#2 Resolving Interpersonal Conflicts

Interpersonal conflict is seen as the number one cause of 'office politics' these days. Such politics in the work area is deemed as unnecessary, reduces efficiency and creates extra stress and tension amongst colleagues. (No wonder a large number of us hate our jobs!) Thats why its important that you learn to ease such conflicts, starting from our college years and finally practicing it in our future workplace. 

I remembered my first major conflict with another peer occurred during my junior college days, when we were working on our project work (PW) written report. Back then I was the leader of my group, and as we drew closer to the date of submission, our teacher became extremely critical about the quality of the report. During of my the meetings, one of my members yelled at me for dividing the workload  unequally and expressed it through really harsh words. I was taken aback and started crying (only because I did not know how to handle it, but I have grown quite a bit since then (: ). This really placed the entire group in an awkward situation and our team had a rough time handing in the written report followed by the oral presentation after that meeting.

What I would like to draw from the example given is that conflicts should be resolved as soon as possible and both parties (even other members who are indirectly affected) should make an equal effort to resolve it. In relation my personal experience, straight after the meeting, all of us should have sat down to voice out all our opinion and displeasures, and immediately straighten things out. On the other hand, if you feel that at that moment both parties are hotheaded, a change of environment (preferably outdoors) or maybe meeting after class or after office hours could give them both ample time and space. Secondly, being the leader of the group, I should not express my emotional side (crying) and instead should have taken her criticism objectively and asked her what exactly is she unhappy about and worked from there.

I believe effective communication is not a set of fix rules that everyone can apply at any situations. Ultimately, we all have to judge the situation correctly and be sensitive in handling every conflict (:

#1 Effective communication skills

Effective communication is a neglected life skill that most young adults ignore. I do believe that it not only carries a certain importance in our future career arena, but also in our daily activities. Some its benefits that are slightly more pertinent to myself would be that its globally effective, builds strong relationships in our personal life and maintains a concrete professional network.

Last summer, I did an internship at UC Berkeley, in its Biomolecular Nanotechnology Research Centre (BNC). During my stay at the lab, I got to meet a wide range of professionals and undergraduates like myself. I soon realized the importance of first meet-ups and presenting yourself as an individual. At first I was caught off guard, and did not know how to introduce myself. However, as I worked there, I learnt to present myself confidently and at the same time lay down a good network.

One excellent method that I used remind myself to communicate effectively is to understand that face-to-face communication involves two people (not one!) influencing each other in real time and simultaneously. This may seem strange, as we usually perceive it as a listener and receiver. It is not solely on the words said, but also non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is an on going process and usually becomes a source of output for the listener. For example, when I address my name, it is sometimes difficult for them to pronounce because it is a Chinese name, I would notice they would frown while trying to repeat myself. I would then break the awkwardness by smiling and then repeating myself. Simple gestures like this do go a long way in making an impression.