Intercultural Scenario

I went to Taiwan for a short trip with my friends last year. We chose Taiwan as we felt that their culture is similar to ours and we would not have much trouble adapting. However, I realized that there are still differences.

In Singapore, we wait for the train behind the yellow lines. Those who are anxious to get into the train will stand right in front of the train doors. Taiwanese queue up in neat lines at the side of the train doors (within the boundaries of the white lines in the picture below) while waiting for the train to arrive.

An embarrassing incident happened at the train station during our trip. After we got off the train, we walked towards the escalator and joined the group of people who were waiting at the side (a common sight in Singapore) .We received a few stares from the people around us. Wondering what was wrong, we turned our heads and looked around. To our surprise, we discovered that the Taiwanese join the queue from the back instead of “cutting” queue from the sides!

The bus system is also more complicated when you compare to Singapore’s. Some buses only accept cash, while some offer the option of cash or Easycard, which is similar to Singapore’s ez-link. Then, some of the bus fares are paid when one boards the bus while some are paid when one alights.

Sign stating that payment is to be made before one alights from the bus.

In conclusion, I feel that we should try to read up on the cultural differences before travelling to a foreign country. For cultural conflicts that occur unexpectedly, we should make an effort to observe and imitate what people around us are doing. In this way, we will not offend the locals. Last but not the least, here is a picture of my friends and I at the destination after the travelling. :D

Personal Statement

In junior college, I was not interested in Chemistry. I always dozed off in Chemistry lectures and tutorials. Expectedly, I failed my mid terms. However, my teacher did not give up on me and gave me remedial lessons and tried his best to make them as interesting as possible. My love for Chemistry grew and I managed to get a good grade for A levels.

Throughout my days in NUS, I picked up various analytical methods in laboratory work such as the usage of UV-VIS and IR spectroscopy, HPLC and LC-MS. Other than chemical knowledge, working in the laboratory has taught me how to think on my feet. Things can go wrong in an experiment and it is important to think of solutions quickly.

During my school holidays, I took up jobs in different fields. As an accounting assistant, I categorized and sorted out documents, which helped to hone my organization ability. In addition, my experience as a sale associate developed my communication and interpersonal skills through constant interaction with customers and colleagues.

I also helped in organising the NUS Science Club's charity run From the event, I learnt how to work in a dynamic team comprising of people from various backgrounds and to resolve conflicts. In addition, I was part of the marketing and publicity team in my hall's concert and Dinner and Dance respectively. I have learnt the importance of good communication skills from all my school activities and I believe that they will be useful for a career as a laboratory officer.

Application Letter

Job title: Lab Officer

Company: Institute of Bioengineering & Nanotechnology

Responsibilities

• Organise and and maintain integrity of laboratory information in print and on file server
• Responsible for lab safety and smooth running of routine activities in the lab
• Participate in research projects by contributing technical competence in biological assays, molecular and cell biology, or analytical methods such as HPLC, LC-MS and CE

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering
• 2 or more years of working experience preferred
• Good communication, interpersonal and organization skills
• Hand-on experience with biological assays, molecular/cell biology, micro-array and real-time PCR or analytical chemistry preferred.

_______________________________________________________

122D Rivervale Drive
#13-462
Singapore 544122
+6591465595
ohjiamin@gmail.com

September 3, 2009

Human Resource Manager
Institute of Bioengineering & Nanotechnology
31 Biopolis Way
The Nanos, #04-01
Singapore 138669
Tel: +65 6824 7000

Dear Sir/Mdm,

Application for Lab Officer/Senior Lab Officer (Cell and Tissue Engineering)

I read a post from NUS ejob centre of your need for a lab officer for the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. I believe that my education and work experience will make a contribution to A.Star in this position.

In May, I will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from National University of Singapore. As you may know, NUS is one of the leading universities in Singapore that offers a dynamic science education. The various analytical methods which I learnt hands-on will be useful for this post. In addition, I have worked at various companies in areas such as sales and accounting which helped to broaden my perspectives and equipped me with good communication and organization skills.

From my resume, you would have seen that I have helped to organise events such as a charity run for the NUS science club. From the event, I learnt how to work in a dynamic team comprising of people from various backgrounds and how to resolve conflicts when the need arises. In addition, I was part of the marketing and publicity team in my hall's concert and Dinner and Dance respectively. I have learnt the importance of good communication skills from all my school activities and I hope I can apply them for this job post.

I believe that the combination of my working experience and laboratory training in NUS is well-suited to the lab officer position described. I have enclosed a copy of my resume with additional information about my qualifications. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to receiving your reply.

Sincerely,




Oh Jia Min

Enclosure