On one occasion, I witnessed an argument between my Singaporean Chinese neighbour, Aunt Jenny, and a non-local as well as non-Chinese neighbour who just moved into the unit next to Aunt Jenny’s a few weeks ago.
Aunt Jenny was burning incense paper in a metal container at the corridor like she always does every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. The new neighbour who looked displeased reflected to Aunt Jenny that the smoke produced from the burning was causing her great irritation. In reply, Aunt Jenny suggested closing her door and windows so the smoke would not enter the house. But the new neighbour seemed dissatisfied. She started raising her voice and requested for Aunt Jenny to stop the burning immediately. Upon hearing this, Aunt Jenny became frustrated and scolded her before shooing her away. The new neighbour’s face turned even darker. She stormed back to her unit and slammed the door shut.
I could understand Aunt Jenny’s mentality since I have relatives who are devout followers of Taoism like her. Burning of incense paper is an action of worship to pray for the family’s well-being and is viewed as highly respectful. The new neighbour might be unaware of this significance to Aunt Jenny. Even though she has her reason for stopping Aunt Jenny from burning incense paper, Aunt Jenny could be unhappy that she interfered with her worshipping and see it as a form of great disrespect.
If there had been a greater understanding between the different cultures, and the parties compromised and spared a thought for each other, the situation might not have turned so ugly in the end.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
#4 - Personal Statement/Biodata
My name is Goh Chai Yee and I am currently an undergraduate in my fourth year, majoring in chemistry at the National University of Singapore. I completed my secondary education at River Valley High School and my college education at Jurong Junior College.
I chose to major in chemistry because of my passion for the subject, which grew since I was in secondary school. Having a strong sense of curiosity, I enjoy the thrills I get whenever I learn about a reaction or perform an experiment and make new discoveries. And the most fascinating part about chemistry is allowing me to understand phenomena in the world and apply my knowledge in real-life situations. I welcome any opportunity for me to put my curiosity and knowledge to use.
Besides Chemistry, another thing which I am passionate about is music. This led me to take up choir as my co-curricular activity in both secondary school and junior college. Being in a choir not only satisfied my desire to sing, it also trained me to be a team player, because coordination among all the singing parts and the members is fundamental for a song to sound good. I have learnt to be observant of my peers and act in accordance with them, which has certainly helped to hone my interpersonal skills and improve my ability to work with others.
Being a perfectionist, I always strive to perform to the best of my ability in whatever I do, including chemistry and singing. Therefore, I hope that the effort I have put in would keep my passion burning and enable me to excel one day.
I chose to major in chemistry because of my passion for the subject, which grew since I was in secondary school. Having a strong sense of curiosity, I enjoy the thrills I get whenever I learn about a reaction or perform an experiment and make new discoveries. And the most fascinating part about chemistry is allowing me to understand phenomena in the world and apply my knowledge in real-life situations. I welcome any opportunity for me to put my curiosity and knowledge to use.
Besides Chemistry, another thing which I am passionate about is music. This led me to take up choir as my co-curricular activity in both secondary school and junior college. Being in a choir not only satisfied my desire to sing, it also trained me to be a team player, because coordination among all the singing parts and the members is fundamental for a song to sound good. I have learnt to be observant of my peers and act in accordance with them, which has certainly helped to hone my interpersonal skills and improve my ability to work with others.
Being a perfectionist, I always strive to perform to the best of my ability in whatever I do, including chemistry and singing. Therefore, I hope that the effort I have put in would keep my passion burning and enable me to excel one day.
Monday, September 7, 2009
#3 - Job Application Letter (Cover Letter)
Goh Chai Yee
Blk 991 Jurong West St 99 #08-609
Singapore 640991
6098 7654
9123 4567
chaiyee@hotmail.com
6th September 2009
Human Resources Department
Atotech S.E.A. Pte Ltd
20 Tuas West Road
Singapore 638379
Dear Hiring Professionals,
Laboratory Technician (Contract) - JobsDB Ref.: JDBS144393201
I am writing in response to your advertisement in JobsDB.com for the position of laboratory technician (contract) posted on 4th September 2009. I am interested in filling this position because I have a strong passion for doing lab-related work. I believe I can meet your requirements for the job.
I will be graduating from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with an Honours degree in Chemistry in July 2010. I am well-equipped with various laboratory skills from the intensive amount of laboratory work I have done during my course of study in NUS. I am trained in the operation of lab equipment such as AAS, HPLC, CVS and UV. I am also well-versed in the working principles of these techniques from the modules on Spectroscopic and Analytical Chemistry I have taken. With a deep understanding of the equipment, I am confident of maintaining and operating them proficiently.
I am participating in a research project in my Honours year which trains me to work independently with self-motivation. I need to have the initiative to read journals constantly and decide on the direction of my research. Moreover, I possess good analytical abilities from the vast amount of data analysis I have done for my research project and the coursework in NUS. After the completion of each experiment, I have to analyze the experimental data and submit a report on the findings. Given these qualities, I believe I am capable of completing my tasks independently and efficiently.
I am a team player who can work well with others. In NUS, I have taken arts and social sciences modules which required me to do group projects with course mates. I am used to and comfortable with working as group. In addition, I have taken a module on Professional Communication which equipped me with good interpersonal and communication skills. I have learnt to be aware of emotions and the behavior I should adopt in maintaining good relationships between me and my team mates. I have also practiced skills to write speak, and listen effectively. Hence, I believe I can communicate and get along well with my co-workers.
Having worked several times as an administrative assistant, I have developed an eye for detail and a meticulous nature since I needed to handle minor and miscellaneous stuff. My prior experience in data entry also trained me to be meticulous due to the large amount of data I had to organize and input correctly into the system. I believe such a quality of mine can be put to good use for quality assurance and analysis.
I am a conscientious and enthusiastic person. I believe with my academic achievements and analytical and communication skills, I am able to work to your expectations and be competent as a laboratory technician. I am sure that I will be able to pursue a challenging yet satisfying career with a company like yours. I hope to have the opportunity to meet you personally so that I can demonstrate my qualities in greater details. I will call you at the end of next week to discuss whether such a meeting would be possible and the appropriate steps to follow up. I look forward to receiving your favorable reply.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Goh Chai Yee
Link to Job Advertisement
Blk 991 Jurong West St 99 #08-609
Singapore 640991
6098 7654
9123 4567
chaiyee@hotmail.com
6th September 2009
Human Resources Department
Atotech S.E.A. Pte Ltd
20 Tuas West Road
Singapore 638379
Dear Hiring Professionals,
Laboratory Technician (Contract) - JobsDB Ref.: JDBS144393201
I am writing in response to your advertisement in JobsDB.com for the position of laboratory technician (contract) posted on 4th September 2009. I am interested in filling this position because I have a strong passion for doing lab-related work. I believe I can meet your requirements for the job.
I will be graduating from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with an Honours degree in Chemistry in July 2010. I am well-equipped with various laboratory skills from the intensive amount of laboratory work I have done during my course of study in NUS. I am trained in the operation of lab equipment such as AAS, HPLC, CVS and UV. I am also well-versed in the working principles of these techniques from the modules on Spectroscopic and Analytical Chemistry I have taken. With a deep understanding of the equipment, I am confident of maintaining and operating them proficiently.
I am participating in a research project in my Honours year which trains me to work independently with self-motivation. I need to have the initiative to read journals constantly and decide on the direction of my research. Moreover, I possess good analytical abilities from the vast amount of data analysis I have done for my research project and the coursework in NUS. After the completion of each experiment, I have to analyze the experimental data and submit a report on the findings. Given these qualities, I believe I am capable of completing my tasks independently and efficiently.
I am a team player who can work well with others. In NUS, I have taken arts and social sciences modules which required me to do group projects with course mates. I am used to and comfortable with working as group. In addition, I have taken a module on Professional Communication which equipped me with good interpersonal and communication skills. I have learnt to be aware of emotions and the behavior I should adopt in maintaining good relationships between me and my team mates. I have also practiced skills to write speak, and listen effectively. Hence, I believe I can communicate and get along well with my co-workers.
Having worked several times as an administrative assistant, I have developed an eye for detail and a meticulous nature since I needed to handle minor and miscellaneous stuff. My prior experience in data entry also trained me to be meticulous due to the large amount of data I had to organize and input correctly into the system. I believe such a quality of mine can be put to good use for quality assurance and analysis.
I am a conscientious and enthusiastic person. I believe with my academic achievements and analytical and communication skills, I am able to work to your expectations and be competent as a laboratory technician. I am sure that I will be able to pursue a challenging yet satisfying career with a company like yours. I hope to have the opportunity to meet you personally so that I can demonstrate my qualities in greater details. I will call you at the end of next week to discuss whether such a meeting would be possible and the appropriate steps to follow up. I look forward to receiving your favorable reply.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Goh Chai Yee
Link to Job Advertisement
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