ES2007S Professional Communication

While on a short vacation in Brussels with a group of friends from Singapore, we chanced upon a street with several restaurants or cafes selling seafood. Remembering that that place is quite famous for its mussels, we decided to find the restaurant with the best deal to try the delicacy.

As we walked down the street, we were constantly interrupted by waiters from different restaurants. With bright smiling faces, they shoved menus into our hands and guaranteed us the best offer in town. We eventually decided on one and happily went in to find a seat. Being on a budget trip and just wanting to sample the food, we intended to order one set meal for every two people. However, when we read our orders to the waiter, he sternly said, “That’s all?! How about you…you..you?” When we told him we were going to share, he loudly exclaimed, “NO NO no…no such thing!..” and he subsequently chased us out of the restaurant, creating quite a din since we were quite a large group.

After what seemed like an attempt to humiliate us, we proceeded to find another restaurant and made sure to specify that we were going to share food. We did find one eventually and enjoyed our time still.

The reason I said “what seemed like an attempt to humiliate us” is because my group of friends and I found the situation rather amusing instead. Of course, we couldn’t help but feel indignant initially but it quickly wore off.

I think one major source of conflict was the language barrier. While the waiter could speak English, his understanding was minimal so it was difficult for us to communicate with him from the beginning. The waiter probably became irritated when we had to ask several questions about the menu because it was in French. Another source was probably the wrong assumption we had that Cafes in Paris and Brussels operated in a similar manner (wouldn’t mind us sharing food). Perhaps what we thought looked like a cafe was in fact a more formal restaurant (where it would be poor etiquette to share food). Or was it the restaurant’s attempt to get more money out of us?

Wells, at least now we know what to do should we enter another restaurant in Brussels 🙂

Job advertisement!

LOCAL ON-THE-JOB TRAINING (LOT) PROGRAMME IN

Aerospace Industry

The Local On-the-Job Training (LOT) Programme, is one of the programmes under Preparing for the Upturn (PREP-UP), an initiative by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) during the downturn to help build up science, engineering and technical capabilities in areas critical for Singapore’s manufacturing and international services sectors.

The EDB, in conjunction with Singapore Aero Engine Services Pte Ltd (SAESL), is offering training places for aspiring professionals in the aerospace MRO industry. SAESL is the Trent Centre of Excellence dedicated to the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of the successful family of Rolls-Royce Trent aero engines.

We are looking for dynamic individuals, who want a challenging career in the Aerospace industry in the following positions:

Continuous Improvement Engineer

Ø Lead and assist in continuous improvement projects to drive cost savings, productivity and quality improvements

Ø Facilitate improvement teams in the journey to process excellence

Ø Conduct training in continuous improvement methodologies

·       Degree in any Engineering discipline

·       Good written and oral communication

·       Strong interpersonal and analytical skills

__________________________________________

Job application letter

1 Sunshine Ave

Singapore 976432

5^nd February 2010

Mr Sia Kheng Yok

Singapore Economic Development Board

250 North Bridge Road

#28-00 Raffles City Tower

Singapore 179101

Dear Mr Sia,

Application for Local On-the-job Training (LOT) Programme as Continuous Improvement Engineer at Singapore Aero Engine Services Ltd

I would like to apply for the position as a Continuous Improvement Engineer at Singapore Aero Engine Services Ltd as posted on the EDB website on the 5^th February 2010.

I specialized in Electrical Engineering in the National University of Singapore (NUS) and will be graduating in June 2010. I am confident that with my outstanding results, accompanied by the LOT programme, I will be able to make significant contributions to the Aerospace industry in Singapore.

I have taken relevant courses in university which will equip me for the offered position. One of them is Critical Thinking and Writing. This course has trained me to analyze and speak clearly, as well as to write professionally in academic and professional settings. I was given the opportunity to write a position paper and participate in an oral defence. Throughout my Engineering education, I had to investigate and solve problems and devise methods to improve current situations.  This has helped me to excel in my ability to analyze.

I am currently taking a course in Professional Communication. Under this course, I am exploring how I can be a more effective communicator especially in workplace settings. I am also learning how to write proposals and give oral presentations as a group. Therefore, I believe I am well-equipped with strong written, interpersonal and communication skills.

I was the Drum Major in my Secondary school’s Symphonic Band and am currently holding leadership positions such as a worship leader and committee member in the youth group in my church. This shows that I am a leader that embraces new challenges. Being in the band and subsequently the orchestra in NUS, I am well-acquainted with the need to work together as a group. These make me both a leader and a strong team player.

Singapore Aero Engine Services Ltd started as a joint venture between world-renowned companies such as SIA Engineering and Rolls-Royce. It has proven itself to be reliable and efficient among many airworthiness authorities around the world. It also consistently excels and pursues further improvements in the quality of services provided such as maintenance, repair and overhaul support. This presents excellent opportunities for its staff and future employees to grow and explore with technology in the aerospace industry. Therefore, I would sincerely like to be part of this programme.

I will be contacting your office next week. In the meantime, I may be contacted at the following e-mail address: tay_jialin@hotmail.com or mobile phone number: 96565057. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Ms Tay Jia Lin