I lived the first twenty years of my life dreaming about becoming a scientist. However, I decided to try something else after extensive exposure to research work. Subsequently, I transferred from life science to statistics and started to attend career talks and exhibition. As I started my career exploration, I realised that I need to learn to present myself better. As a student, our target audience of communication are generally from defined age band, education level and occupation background. Once we start working, we are going to communicate with people from very different background. Now I am working with AIA as an insurance agent. Effective communication is of tremendous importance to a sales person. Fresh graduate usually need to learn these kind of soft skills in the hard way. However, I always hoped for an opportunity to develop such skills in a relatively protected environment.
Hence, when I came across the E-news letter sent by Science faulty regarding ES2007S, I immediately put in on my wishing list for the New Year. In addition, I took SP1202, Communication with the academia under Ms Susan Tan back in 2009. I enjoyed the active atmosphere during class and close interaction between teachers and students after class. I think these are the types of lessons which I apply university for. And I am not disappointed after two lessons of ES2007S.
Hi Haotang,
ReplyDeleteIt is great that you took the first step out to try something different. Everyone knows that it is always difficult to take the first step, especially when it is something unfamiliar.
However, I feel that effective communication can also be learnt in a fun manner if one treats daily experiences with an open mind and is receptive to feedback.
Hope that you can grasp the soft skills of effective communication from this module and allow you to perform well in your future career.
Hope to hear experiences from your job once you are expose to other people other than your friends.
Hi Chuan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. I am fundamentally a risk adverse person. Ironically, I seemed to make major changes to my life path all the time. I hope everything work out to be meaningful when I look back someday, just as Mr. Blackstone shared on Tuesday.
I had some interaction with my boss and colleagues although all my clients are my friends. Something I realised just recently, after my first blog is that people really think differently. I had certain assumptions about what my friends want and how they will approach an issue. We all went overseas as teenagers, stay in hostels, manage our own pocket money, and work hard in the library to keep our scholarship. Our life experiences overlap with each other so much. Yet, our thoughts about the same problem differ a lot. I cannot imagine how different will people from diverse backgrounds think and communicate.
I like this clear, concise and well focused response to the question, Susan. You develop your ideas beautifully (and coherently), with vivid illustrations demonstrating what you value, how your interests and intentions have evolved, and why you are in ES2007S. Thanks for the very good effort!
ReplyDeleteHere are a few minor language issues to take note of:
a) ...our target audience of communication are generally from defined age band, education level and occupation background. >>> ...our target audience of communication IS generally from defined age band, education level and occupation background.
b) ... from very different background. >>> ... from very different backgrounds.
c) Fresh graduate >>> A fresh graduate or Fresh graduates (a count noun requires an article or plurality)
d) put in >>> put it
e) with the academia >>> with the academy
f) between teachers and students >>> between the teacher and students
g) which I apply university for. >>> ...which I applied to the university for.
Finally, I'd like you to try and secure more feedback from your blogging groups members. You are leaving feedback on their posts, right? Ask them to do the same on yours.
Hello Brad,
ReplyDeleteI will work on my grammar.
Thanks for the corrections!
haotang