Blog Post #4: An Intercultural Situation

I have a golden retriever who loves to swim. Once, when I brought him to the beach, there was a Malay family swimming in the sea. As Rover walked towards the sea, the children screamed “Anjing!” (I’ve heard it often enough to know that it means dog in Malay) and the parents quickly ushered everyone out of the water and retreated to their picnic mat.

After Rover was done swimming, we went to the nearest toilet to rinse him off. While I was doing that, a Malay cleaner scolded me for polluting the waters. Since I was done with Rover, I decided not to argue with him and left. As we were walking back, I noticed that the Malay family had gone back to swimming in the sea.

Before letting Rover into the sea, I made sure that we were as far away as possible from the Malay family. By getting out of the sea while Rover was in it and getting back in once he was out, the Malay family communicated non-verbally that they were still uncomfortable being in the same waters as Rover, even though we were very far apart. The cleaner was more direct, verging on ethnocentrism, when he accused me of polluting the waters.

I understand from my neighbour, who is Malay, that Muslims view dogs as ritually impure. Thus, they are not allowed to come into contact with bodily fluids, such as saliva, of dogs. That was why the Malay family quickly exited when they saw Rover stepping into the sea and why the cleaner was displeased with me.

That was a one-off incident though. I’ve met Malays who smile politely and let Rover and I pass before going on their way, which I’m thankful for because there are others who bounce away from me, as though there’s a monster on the other end of the leash.

Blog Post #3: Application Letter Critique

Yeo Siew Ting
Block 971 Hougang Street 91
#09-202
Singapore 530971
Mobile: +65 90225266
E-mail: siewting_06@hotmail.com

7th February 2010

Human Resource Manager
Gaia Science Pte Ltd
Blk 102F Pasir Panjang Rd
#06-03
Singapore 118530

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Application for Sales Product Manager Position

I am writing in response to apply for the position of Sales Product Manager. I am an undergraduate majoring in Chemistry at National University of Singapore (NUS). I would be graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in May 2010 and would like to begin a fulfilling career in marketing with your organization.

I believe that my prior knowledge and experience gained through my education in NUS would have equipped me with the knowledge relevant to sales and marketing of scientific, laboratory and research instruments to the scientific research community and industries. The courses that I had taken include Instrumental Analysis, Advanced Experiments in Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Hands-on laboratory work together with theory based modules had allowed me to deal with many scientific instruments and machineries. With addition of my willingness to learn more about the products that I will be responsible for promoting, I am sure I will be able to provide excellent customer service through extensive product knowledge and to handle any inquiries and eventual sales order.

My past work experiences have allowed me to develop excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills too. I was mainly responsible for promoting apparels in the customer service line and I aimed to hit the monthly sales quota. Being a dynamic, self-motivated and result-orientated person, I am able to complete my tasks successfully. Customers gave feedback that reflected their appreciation for my service and I see these as a rewarding experience.

One of my most challenging experiences was working with Research International Asia Pte Ltd, where I was assigned to complete projects with very demanding deadlines. I had to rush reports under stress and time constraints. Through this experience, I was trained to be diligent, resourceful, and to be able to multi-task. As the projects were assigned to small groups, I got the chance to work in a variety of disciplines with the team where I displayed and developed good interpersonal skills.

I am very interested to get into this line as I feel that it will be exciting to be doing work and be at the cutting edge of science at the same time. The responsibilities of a sales product manager may be largely managerial, but it is in an area where there are real scientific challenges. I feel that I possess the chemical knowledge and experience essential when it comes to sales and marketing of scientific, laboratory & research instruments; so I would like to take this as a chance to broaden my experience outside of chemistry as I adopt strategic planning and tactical activities to promote the products to the relevant communities.

In view of your company's objectives and possible openings, I believe that my capabilities are in line with your current needs. If your organization is looking for a dependable, results-oriented professional with a desire to learn, I would be glad to discuss how my expertise and ability may be of help to your organization. I am confident that I would be an asset to the company in terms of sourcing out new accounts and bringing in more business opportunities.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Yeo Siew Ting