Final Reflection on ES2007S

Over these 4 months, ES2007S has enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of the value of effective communication skills. I have learnt that effective communication skills are not only essential in preventing misunderstandings, but are also important in resolving conflicts. The different skills and role playing we had in class has definitely heightened my knowledge on many different situations. Many topics and issues discussed also opened me up to new ideas which have never crossed my mind. For example, the various blog evaluations on intercultural behaviour gave me insights to cultural practices I was previously ignorant about.

Besides developing verbal communication skills, I have benefitted from this module by learning to communicate well through writing as well. Written assignmnets such as minutes,business letter, resume and job application letter have enabled me to develop written communication skills which I am confident will be useful in my future career.

Next, the proposal we did also taught me many skills. One important thing I learned was how to work effectively in a team. I learned that it is important to understand the way each team member works in order to have an enjoyable working experience together. The course of this assignment also taught me more about myself and the way I handled things, and this gave me a better idea on how I can improve myself.

Overall, I am convinced that the development of good communication skills does not stop when this module concludes, but should be extended out of the classroom. Hence, I should utilise my knowledge gained from this module to continually interact well with others and ultimately, be an effective communicator, be it at my workplace or among my friends. Developing and maintaining effective communcation skills is a continual process which should not be overlooked.

Finally, I would like to thank Brad for imparting many invaluable effective communication skills to me, and my classmates for the wonderful interactions as well as the insightful comments on my blog posts.

Reflection on my Oral Presentation

Before Oral Presentation

Our group, Tinky Wiki took effort to ensure that the outline of our presentation flows smoothly. However, our group did not have the luxury of time to rehearse together. We had planned to meet the weekend before the presentation to rehearse, but we ended up mending everyone's slides instead. There were overlap of points among group members and we had to sort them out to avoid repeatative points. Through this sorting out process, we managed to organise the flow of points and were able to understand the parts that our team-mates will be presenting. We also racked our brains to come up with ideas to make our presentation slides more interesting and hence, the idea of putting our pictures into the slides to spice things up a little. It was great working with my team members Jia Min and Shin Ye and I had fun laughing at all the silly jokes we made throughout the whole process.

We only managed to start rehearsing together before the presentation itself. Rehearsing together is important because it is essential that we run through the whole presentation once to make sure everything runs smoothly. During the rehearsal, the other group members acted as audience while the presentor presents her slides. This allowed the presentor to practice interaction such as eye contact with the "mini audience" present.

During the Oral Presentation

I was very nervous when I stood in front of the screen. I had rehearsed on my own umpteen times at home during the weekend but when I looked at the audience, my palms start to sweat and I felt the ground spinning. I ended up staring in space for a short while in the beginning and I hoped it wasn't too obvious. Things got better when I started to look for individual faces instead of looking at the audience as a whole. I glanced across the room and Rebecca's smiley face caught my glance. At that point of time, I felt a sense of relieve and managed to continue on with the presentation more smoothly. Thanks Rebecca!

After the Presentation

Initially, I kept asking myself uncontrollably in my head if I had performed "okay" during the presentation. I was worried that I had not performed well and that would put my whole semester's work in vain since the one of the course's aims was to improve our presenatation skills. However, I started thinking through after the lesson and felt that it is the learning experience that matters. As Science students rarely got the chance for presenations, I was glad to have gone through this "nightmare". I was also glad to have been given such exposure because I realise that presentations are bound to take place in the working world and I need more practice in handling that. =).

Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour

This incident happened when I was in Primary 4. One day, my friends and I were at the canteen during recess time. We all decided to queue for the Chinese noodles and as usual, my Malay friend, S, would proceed to queue at the Malay food stall. I was curious as to why she’s always eating from the same stall even though the other stalls had food that didn’t serve pork.

After settling down with our food, I decided to be “nice” and scooped some of my fishballs from my fishball noodles into her bowl of ‘mee goreng’. She immediately flared up and demanded that I get her another bowl. I was stunned when she became angry and did not know what to say or do. I didn't realise I was in the wrong since I was sure fishball do not contain pork. I later learnt that it is not just a matter of whether there is pork or not in the dish served, but also whether it is Halal or not. Muslims take Halal dishes.

This incident took place because of my lack of awareness for the different cultures amongst the different races. I clearly knew that S was Muslim, and the only thing I knew about her was that she could not eat pork. My understanding of her religion was just as much and I took no effort in finding out more.

This happened also because I was disrespectful towards others. In the first place, basic courtesy would have held me back from just dumping my food into another person’s bowl. I should have asked before putting my food on others' plate. There might be cases where a person prefers to eat certain food due to cultural habits and beliefs and it is important to respect that.

Living in a multi-racial country like Singapore, we should all play our part in compromising to the different religious and cultural habits of the different races. By understanding these beliefs, we would be able to avoid unnecessary conflicts and racial riots.

Personal Statement (Edited)

My family has always been my pillar of support whenever I feel troubled. “Be brave. I know you’ll find a way” has always been my mother’s words of encouragement. Their confidence in me brought me comfort and under the guidance of my parents, I have learnt to be independent and to believe in myself. As long as I persevere, there would always be a solution to any problems encountered. Giving up would mean immediate failure.

Biology has always been my subject of interest since young. With that, I studied hard to follow my interest and persue a Bachelor degree in Life Science with specialization in Biomedical Science. My experience in lab environment has enhanced my analytic skills and research skills. There are many times in which I was not able to get the desired results during experiments due to my carelessness when I rushed to complete the experimental procedures. From this, I learnt the importance of patience and how to deal better with frustrations and disappointments when things do not go as I expect them to.

By striving hard to contribute as much as I can to my CCA, I was given the opportunity to hone my leadership skills when I was appointed vice-president of Red Cross Humanitarian Network in Meridian Junior College. Having to take up heavier responsibilities means more commitment and involvement in my co-curriculum activity. Hence, I have learnt to prioritize my work, which is important for good time planning. Being a member of Raffles Hall Dinner and Dance Committee in National University of Singapore, I was exposed to working in teams for many projects. When working on these projects, being a team player with good interpersonal skills makes it easier to achieve results. I also learnt the importance of communication skills which is needed to avoid misunderstandings.

Believing in “never say die” led me to achieve success in many things and brought me a great sense of satisfaction. With the support of my loved ones, I will continue to work hard in future.

Personal Statement

My family has always been my pillar of support whenever I feel troubled. “Be brave. I know you’ll find a way” has always been my mother’s words of encouragement. Their confidence in me brought me comfort. Under the guidance of my parents, I have learnt to be independent and to believe in myself. As long as I persevere, there would always be a solution to any problems encountered. Giving up would mean immediate concede.

Biology has always been my subject of interest since young. With that, I followed my interest to persue a Bachelor degree in Life Science with specialization in Biomedical Science. My experience in lab environment has enhanced my analytic and research skills. There are times in which I was not able to get the desired results during experiments. This is due to my carelessness when I rushed to complete the experimental procedures. From this, I have learnt the importance of patience and how to deal better with frustrations and disappointments when things do not go as one expects them to.

Appointed vice-president of Red Cross Humanitarian Network in Meridian Junior College, I was given the opportunity to hone my leadership skills. Having to take up heavier responsibilities means more commitment and involvement in my co-curriculum activity. Hence, I have learnt to prioritize my work which is important for good time management. Being a member of Raffles Hall Dinner and Dance Committee in National University of Singapore, I was exposed to working in teams for many projects. When working on these projects, being a team player with good interpersonal skills makes it easier to achieve results. I also leant the importance of communication skills in avoiding misunderstandings.

Job Application Letter Draft 2

Company: ITS Science & Medical Pte Ltd

ITS Science & Medical Pte Ltd is a distributor of leading brands of high-tech scientific & research equipment and biochemical. Their focus and commitment is on being a provider of instrumentation and service to our customers, partnering customers to create successes with scientific breakthroughs and enhancements in their quality assurance systems.

Job Title: Product Specialist

Responsibilities

• Marketing and sales of scientific equipment to research institutions, universities and industries.
• Formulate and execute marketing strategies to support growth and expansion plans.
• Involve in business development for new markets and new products.
• Build and enhance good relationships with all our customers.

Requirements:

• Degree in any Science discipline
• Work experience of 1 to 2 years preferred but fresh graduates are encouraged to apply as training will be provided.
• Highly motivated, goal oriented individual with passion for science and technology.
• Independent and team player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Class 3 driving license preferred.
• Applicant must be a team player.



4A Sennett Place
Singapore 466875

September 4, 2009

Human Resource Manager
ITS Science & Medical Pte Ltd
219 Henderson Road #11-02
Singapore 159556


Dear Sir/Mdm,

Re: Application for the position of Product Specialist

I am writing in response to the Product Specialist position advertised online at www.jobstreet.com.sg on August 19, 2009. Here, I have enclosed my resume and certificates.

As a fresh graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Life Science from National University of Singapore (NUS), I would like to use my relevant knowledge to create more revenue opportunities for your company. My specialization in Biomedical Science also enhances my experience in the laboratory environment during my course of study. Next, I would like to be able to tap on the knowledge I have gained working with the sales and marketing team during my internship to contribute to better business development for ITS Science & Medical Pte Ltd. With my experience in the service line, I am confident that I would be able to meet up the high service standards provided by your company with all that I had learnt.

Well-equipped in Microsoft Office, I am able to not only use these programs (Microsoft Words, Microsoft Powerpoint and Microsoft Excel) for administrative work, but to provide substantial presentations as well. I possessed a Class 3 driving license and my own transport which will be useful to the job. With good interpersonal skills, I aimed to build and maintain good relationships with all customers.

I love interacting with people and I believe that that would help me to adapt to the job position without much difficulty. I strived for excellence which I believed would be one of the key strength for success in this position.

I can be reached anytime at 96908888. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you about this employment opportunity.


Kind regards,

Hazel Lee

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

Once upon a time, there lived couple A and B. One day, A decided to hold a birthday party and B agreed to help out. However, conflict between them arose since both A and B had many different views.

Food menu

A loved thai food and since it was A's birthday, A decided to cater Thai food for the party. Moreover, Thai food fit the budget as compared to Western food. However, B thought Western food to be more appetising for the masses and felt that it was acceptable to have the cost of the meal to be over the budget since this issue could be easily resolved by cutting down money used for decorations.

Result: Thai food was chosen. A felt that B did not understand the concept of budget and was hurt by the fact that he did not support her on Thai food even though he knew that was her favourite food. B felt offended that his choice of Western food was not accepted even though it had been agreed beforehand that he would be in charge of food for the party.

Decorations

A felt that it was important to spend some effort to decorate the house with balloons and streamers etc so that it would not only create an atmosphere suitable for a happy occasion, but act as a good way to allow guests to feel welcomed too. B regard all these to be unnecessary since the decorations would all be thrown away after the party. B felt that people would spend more time eating than to admire the decorations.

Result: A felt that it was troublesome to spend time to convince B the need for decorations. Instead, she gathered her friends to help out with the decorations. B felt uninvolved.

Rearranging of Furniture

A wanted the food to be placed in the balcony to save space in the apartment for the guests. A also thought that putting catered food in the living room would obstruct the walkway by narrowing it. However, B felt that the catered food should be placed in the house since there might be a possiblity of a rainy day. It would be a hassle to remove the funiture during the party if it rains.

Result: Food was placed in the balcony. A felt that the needs of the guests were important while B felt that it was more important to be practical when planning things. Hence, B felt A to be unreasonable and always insisting that she gets her way in everything.

Overall feelings:

A felt that B had not been co-operative at all. Instead of helping out, he had been rather unsupportive in orgainising the party since he had so many disagreements with how the party planning should be. B felt that his opinions were not respected and that he had helped out in every way he could but was not appreciated.


Who is right? A or B? How would they have acted to prevent the unhappiness during party planning? What are the important things they should note about when working hand in hand? =).