The basic building block of good communications is the feeling that every human being is unique and of value. (by unknown author)

Thursday, 18 February 2010

Understanding Intercultural Behavior

It is often very easy to judge people based on our own set of beliefs and values. We have heard of the need to place ourselves in other people’s shoes and this is so especially true when one is dealing with people from other cultures.

During my exchange to Denmark, I had a module that is solely based on group work and my Singaporean friend and I was paired up with two other Danes. Perhaps due to my long accustomed mode of group work in Singapore, I was expecting to go straight down to business once we are given our projects to do. However, during the first few meetings, while my friend and I are already considering the project, the two Danes are joking around and taking things slowly. At first I was quite frustrated, as I thought that the few hours that we met are quite a waste of time as nothing substantial was done. However, after the first few meetings, I realize this is their mode of working. They actually do take their work seriously, they just express themselves differently. Through half joking and half seriousness ( they have the ability to crack jokes in the middle of a dead serious discussion), they can turn in work that is of a high standard and allowed my friend and me to appreciate their different but brilliant way of thinking.

This is a valuable experience as it shows that things in life can be treated in a more light-hearted manner while ensuring quality deliverance. Perhaps this different outlook can be a way of dealing with the piling stress that we sometimes feel in Singapore.

Sunday, 7 February 2010

Blog Post 3: Application Letter

Unsolicited Application Letter for Internship


Lam Si Xiao

Blk 123A Tampines Drive 14
#05-67 Singapore 123456
92343231
lam_sixiao@yahoo.com.sg

7th February 2009

Ms Lily Tan Chu Mei
Deputy Director of Human Resource Department
i Raffles Link, #03-01 South Lobby
Singapore 039393

Dear Ms Tan,

I am a third-year undergraduate majoring in Mathematics at National University of Singapore (NUS).

I chose to study Mathematics as I have strong analytical skills and logical thinking which serves this area of study well. However, I am very interested in the banking field. I would like to ask whether your institution could accommodate me as an Intern for 10 weeks in the month of May-August 2010. I do hope to be given a chance to intern at the Investment Banking division though I am very willing to try other departments too as a good way to gain more exposure and build a strong foundation.

I have constantly made use of my electives modules to learn more about the finance sector. They include: Principles of Economics, Macroeconomic Analysis and Money-and-Banking. Currently, I am taking Principles of Accounting. I have also taken modules such as Communication to the Academy and Professional Communications to further hone my presentation and writing skills.

Outside of academics, I grasp opportunities to learn about the finance sector too. Last year, I went with a group of 20 students for a Finance Trip to Hong Kong, where we visited financial institutions and did an exchange with finance tertiary students there. I gained more understanding of how the industry is like and had a chance to talk to some of the executives to learn about their day of work.

It was during this visit that I came across Credit Suisse. The executive we had a talk to was a Physics Major himself and he encouraged non-business students to also apply for banking as people from different disciplines contribute to diversity, which is important for innovation and vibrancy. The bank also has a pleasant and professional working environment which drew me and led me to apply for an internship here.

In addition, as I was more familiar with Hong Kong , I was tasked with organizing the group and bringing them around. There I learned organization and planning and also assumed a leadership role and learn to deal with problems as they arised during the trip.

I went for a semester of exchange at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark last semester. This opportunity to immerse in a very different culture had allowed me to acquire a more global perspective than before.

Having joined band and symphony orchestra and being involved in Campus Crusade where I was involved in planning and organizing events, I have confidence that being in such environments where one is required to interact with many different people have taught and mold me to be a good team player.

I hope to be given the opportunity to learn under your organization. I believe my logical thinking and analytical skills from my Mathematics studies and my personal experiences will be able to make a contribution to the team that I am assigned to.

Thank you for your kind attention and I truly look forward to hearing from you.


Sincerely,
Si Xiao Lam