Having
reached the final hurdle of my academia life, application to jobs and attending
NUS career workshops to upgrade oneself professionally remain the priority in
my to-do-list. From the few interviews and workshops that I have been to, I
learned that COMMUNICATION is the key to success and the doorway to my desired
job.
It is with
a well equipped set of communication skills can one impress the interviewers
amongst the many interviewees. I have come to realize that the answers to the
interviews questions are mostly similar among the many candidates, hence the
differentiating factor is communication. It is the first 10 seconds when the
actions and words that we do and use that creates a striking impression. As the
old adage goes, ‘you will never get a second chance to create a first
impression’. Additionally, the non verbal communication, listening and
questioning skills throughout the interview play an integral role in forming a
good impression.
Unfortunately,
communication is not widely taught and not much emphasis is placed on it in the
engineering faculty. Prior to job hunting, I was oblivious to the power of
communication and the many wonders it can perform, from enhancing relationships
between friends to building a professional rapport with clients and colleagues.
Most importantly, it enables both professional and personal development. It is
fortuitous that I can hone my skills with the ES2007S course before entering
the workforce.
Hence I
would like to take this opportunity to emphasize on the importance of effective
communication and encourage everyone to introduce this module to your
peers. Let’s dispel the notion that many
employers have of NUS students, that is, we can’t converse as well as the other
university students.
