I am a third year undergraduate majoring in Applied Mathematics in Faculty of Science at the National University of Singapore. I aspire to work in the financial sector or field of statistics.
During my internship stint at the Technology Department of Singapore Civil Defence Force Headquarters under the Civil Service Internship Programme 2008, I had gained invaluable experiences of communicating with targeted users to understand their needs and working as a team with my fellow colleagues. It is a great challenge to work on an IT project, which is not my area of expertise, but I had learnt a lot through overcoming obstacles along the way. I had also picked up useful IT skills such as Dreamweaver and Java programming.
In addition, I had worked in the debit card operations department of OCBC Bank as an administrative officer during the vacation in 2007. As the position demands careful processing of applications, it has trained me to be a meticulous person and take responsibility for the work assigned.
I enjoy doing community service and had participated in some visits to the elderly living in Jalan Bukit Merah organized by NUS Lion Befrienders Club. Other than chatting with the elderly and be fascinated with their stories, we also celebrated festivals such as Chinese New Year and Mid Autumn Festival with them through the activities organized. It is really a meaningful experience and I had won the star blogger award for one of my blog entry (http://lbontheblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/0708-lb-star-blogger-is.html ). I had also given tuition to needy primary school students at Serangoon Moral Family Centre when I was in junior college.
After working with the less privileged, I have learnt to appreciate what I have and work harder to improve my skills so as to contribute to the society in future.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Open Topic: Business Card Etiquette (Post #5)
Business card might be just a small card for exchange of contact details, but the art of handling it speaks volumes of one’s knowledge of the culture and may even determine the chances of the next meeting.
Starting with the design, one side of the card should be translated into the business language of the country and may be tailored to fit into the culture of the country. For example, gold coloured lettering is favoured in China as it is considered as auspicious. In the case of India, it is good to include university qualifications or any kind of honour received in the cards as business in India places more emphasis on academic achievement.
Upon receiving the business card, one should look at the card for a few seconds as it is deemed as disrespectful to put the card straight into the pocket after receiving it. In fact, it would be good to make some comments about the card, even if it is only to acknowledge the address. In high context culture like Japan, business cards are exchanged with great ceremony and should be kept in pristine condition. During the meeting, the cards should be placed on the table and they should be kept in a business card case or a portfolio when the meeting is over. Interestingly, you should treat the business card you received as you would the person, which highlights the emphasis they placed on business cards. Just imagine what would a Japanese businessman think if you accidentally drop his card and step on it!
On the other hand, card etiquette is relaxed in UK and little ceremony is involved. It is acceptable to keep the cards in pocket and it need not be given to everyone you meet.
Handling of the small card may do wonders or spell trouble. Hence, business card etiquette is an important aspect which should not be overlooked in business setting.
Starting with the design, one side of the card should be translated into the business language of the country and may be tailored to fit into the culture of the country. For example, gold coloured lettering is favoured in China as it is considered as auspicious. In the case of India, it is good to include university qualifications or any kind of honour received in the cards as business in India places more emphasis on academic achievement.
Upon receiving the business card, one should look at the card for a few seconds as it is deemed as disrespectful to put the card straight into the pocket after receiving it. In fact, it would be good to make some comments about the card, even if it is only to acknowledge the address. In high context culture like Japan, business cards are exchanged with great ceremony and should be kept in pristine condition. During the meeting, the cards should be placed on the table and they should be kept in a business card case or a portfolio when the meeting is over. Interestingly, you should treat the business card you received as you would the person, which highlights the emphasis they placed on business cards. Just imagine what would a Japanese businessman think if you accidentally drop his card and step on it!
On the other hand, card etiquette is relaxed in UK and little ceremony is involved. It is acceptable to keep the cards in pocket and it need not be given to everyone you meet.
Handling of the small card may do wonders or spell trouble. Hence, business card etiquette is an important aspect which should not be overlooked in business setting.
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