Final Refection on Learning

It has been a quick semester and yet we have all come a long way. Since our first day in class, with the unique introduction session I knew this course was different and had much more to offer in comparison to other courses. There is so much learnt from this course – be it essentials of making good presentations, leading a team, making decisions, making elevator pitches or even facing stone-faced interviewers. With all the constructive criticism at every stage, encouragement and suggestions I know this module has been an enriching experience for us. Each activity in this course was so different, yet possessed the same goal, of self-awareness, improving confidence and organizing content.

The presentations along the module not only helped me improve my presentation style, but also improved my confidence. Before ES2007S, I usually rushed through my presentations, not focusing much on the visuals and sticking to the content. I would stammer a lot and never had much control over the content. This course has exposed me to variety of presentations and presenting skills to adapt from. Incorporation of these in our final OP enhanced our presentation. We let the slides complement our speech rather than let it speak for us. This course has taught me how to focus the entire presentation on oneself and the importance of getting a good grip over the content.

The mock interviews and elevator pitch were an enriching experience. As a student I is very important to able to give a good interview, starting from writing a good and readable resume and cover letter to finally making the mark on the interview.  This course taught me to not only structure my resume and cover letter well but also to present confidently and clearly. The elevator pitch was a first time experience. It helped me learn to be quick on my feet and how to effectively communicate the idea in almost no time.  

Each activity in this module came along with teamwork. This not only helped me build good relations with my classmates, but also taught me to work well in a culturally diverse group. It taught me to take criticism in the right spirit and also give constructive feedback.

Thank you all for a great semester of fun and learning, especially Brad. Thank you for bringing out the best in us and motivating us throughout!  Everything in this module from the fun elements to the learning bits is unparalleled and something we’ll cherish for long! 

Reflecting on my Oral Presentation

Oral presentations are an integral part of any professional’s life. I am glad to have been given an option of being a part of one in this module. One of my objectives of taking up this course was to improve my presentation skills and develop my overall confidence while presenting to a crowd. The final oral presentation section of this module was the perfect way to polish my skills and learn useful ways to improve my presentation style.

I had a great time working on this proposal and oral presentation with my team. Midst all the joking, laughing, fooling around, I have learnt a lot through this oral project. Ranging from planning, making surveying, interviewing, making email correspondence with authorities, brainstorming, accepting and rejecting ideas with due respect and making decisions. We not only credited each other for the work, but also gave valuable feedback and constructive criticism. This was very useful in shaping our final presentation. I would like to thank my teammates for all their effort throughout!

When I look back at the previous presentations that I’ve made and compare it to our final oral presentation I can feel an improvement. I’ve learnt that when giving a presentation it is vital to realize the “ME” factor involved in the presentation; the slides/props involved are secondary. I tried to follow this in this presentation by having good control over my content and knowing my subject in coherent depth. I tried to ensure that the talk did not entirely depend on the presentation but the presentation complimented the talk. 

We tried to implement the Jobs style of presentation by including no bullet points and just focusing on the main point of the subject. I think incorporating this along with pictures in our slides made them more readable.

In my opinion, there was a good flow from one team member to another. The delivery of the presentation was clear and concise with good explanation for most of the parts. Eye contact was effective throughout, though in some places it could have been better. I felt, that the question and answer round was challenging, but I tried my best to answer as much as possible extrapolating from the survey results and interview questions. It helped me think on the spot.

There are various areas I can improve upon for my future presentations. I tend to stammer at times when I am short of words, especially in the beginning of the presentation, when I am slightly nervous. I need to practice more fluency in my speech. I should also use better words and avoid paraphrasing some sentences over. Another thing I should improve on is my pace of speaking. I feel sometimes I rush and don't give enough pauses. 

Although there still exist various areas of improvement, I enjoyed this experience a lot and wish to continue learning and improving further.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLTqMyGFRE

Fostering Intercultural Communication

Every region stands out from the rest in various cultural aspects be it language, use of technology, values etc. 

Before I moved to Singapore I assumed it would be very similar to Dubai (which was where I was then staying) in terms of the technology used, architecture or even the global feel about the place. Although I was right about a couple of things, as I settled into Singapore I noticed various oddities between the two places; some were good while some were rather strange as compared to my own culture.

My first impression about Singapore, apart from the cleanliness was the wide use of technology. It has amazingly Hi-Tech parking systems, which make public parking a breeze. All one needs to do is wait for the card reader to automatically read your parking card and assesses your balance. There are also displays, which indicate the number of vacancies in the different parking floors. Granted – this isn’t rocket science – but the fact that you can use it absolutely everywhere is genius!

Although there are a couple of things in Singapore that amaze me, I found certain traditions, habits dissimilar to those back home.  

Singapore is much more open when it comes to interaction between men and women,  dressing or interaction between the expats and locals. Dubai on the other hand has a more conservative culture where interaction between people is limited especially between men and women. Despite the large number of expats in Dubai one doesn't get to mingle a lot with them due to the different societies people from different cultures stay in. Imagine extending Little India in Singapore for each cultural group. Though this system is partly followed in Singapore too, the level of interaction here is much more. 

Aside the obvious cultural differences I noticed a few dissimilarities in the lifestyles of the two places. 

I remember on my first day here, I went out for dinner around 10 30pm, only to find everything shut down. Coming from Dubai where most shops close by 12/1 am, I found it strange to see no shops open after 10 here.

One of the stranger things that I became accustomed to was that most Singaporeans place the word ‘la’ at the end of a sentence – similar to ‘ya’ back home. I recall clarifying its meaning to ensure I was interpreting the local language correctly.

Although Singapore is similar to Dubai in many ways, various cultural traits differentiate the two places. 

Intercultural communication’s objective is to establish and understand how people from different cultures behave, think or do. If we overcome these differences we can learn to appreciate different cultures and make for a better environment.

Cover Letter

Reference number: 1414
Karin Steiger (HRCS 85) Campus Recruiting Singapore Tel. +65 6433 3137
Dear Mr. Steiger,

15^th Sept. ‘12

I am a second year undergraduate student at The National University of Singapore (NUS), majoring in Computer Engineering. Your advertisement on the online portal prompted me to contact you about internship opportunities in the Information Technology division at Credit Suisse. This program at your company is very appealing and I am particularly keen on interning as a Technology Analyst in the period from May-Nov.

My proficiency in computer languages like C, C++, and Java meet the job requirements and provide me with a good base to quickly understand and adapt to the systems specific to Credit Suisse. I believe my ability to analyze and learn quickly would enable me to add value to the position.

In addition to the skills I've obtained from my education, my experience as a technical services intern last summer has provided me with an excellent background in the practical aspects of computer engineering. If given the chance, I would love to work and improve on my skills further.

During these two years at NUS, I have taken on many additional responsibilities. As you will see in my attached resume, I’m engaged in various extra curricular activities. I am the Director of Special Program Department, Electrical and Computer Engineering Club and part of the SoC Leadership Program. These leadership roles, have boosted my organizational, communicational and interpersonal skills.

My ability to think outside the box and passion for my subject of Computer Engineering would allow me to contribute to Credit Suisse. I hope that you will consider my enclosed résumé, which provides full details of my qualification. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,

Shweta Sharma

email: shweta*******                                                                    

HP: 9030****