Internship...

Will be doing my internship with my dream company in the coming Summer holidays, and ironically, my best friend had to work in Apple.

I was asked to attend an interview two weeks ago as an selection interview was one of the criteria for the internship position.

The night before the interview, prepared my transcripts, CCA Records and various other certificates which, I suppose would help me gain a better footing amongst all the people who will be competing me for the internship position.

I remembered I had a sleepless night as I mentally prepared myself for the interview. The product number and specifications, the company history and recent new news ran through my head again and again.

Then it was the day of the interview. I was all formally dress up and ready to put my best foot forward.

The interview was rather informal I would say, but as the interviewer flipped through my transcript, I was a little nervous. I am not exactly the first-class-honors type and my achievements are mostly non-academic.

I was hoping to score better "marks" when she was about to go into the CCA Records, but just like in the transcripts, the interviewer flip through without even looking at them!

But something caught her eye, and that was my list of "skills". And she started asking me about them and about the projects I engaged and how those skills helped me. For those who know me, my skills are mostly technical: Photography, Video, Programming (C, C++, C#, JAVA, ASM) and good knowledge of databases as a designed one in my NS time. I also have some skills like project management and inventory management while I was in NS as well.

Then the interviewer went down to look at my previous job experience and asked me many questions about my experiences. At a point in time, we even discussed about the organizational culture of the company and its shortcomings in the US.

As I walked out of the interview room, somehow I felt that all the things I done in school seemed useless I would say. People are interested about that I do in the working world, my skills and not my grades, and certainly not what position I held in various committees in school.

All the things I did in school can only serve as a prove to myself of my abilities, and cannot be use to prove my worth at in the workplace.

This is not the first interview where people ignored my transcript and CCA Records. This is the fifth in my lifetime.

I guess the time to prove me to myself is over. Now it is time to improve my worth and value. And learning .NET Framework would be a good start. =)

Disclaimer : Your personal interview experiences may vary from mine. And I am 90% sure that interviewers for scholarships or academic awards DO look at your transcripts, and often CCA Records very carefully.

Family...

I am really glad that CE put whatever little video editing skills I taught him into good use... =D

After watching CE's masterpiece, I am felt reassured that I was doing the right things all this while.

While most leaders in our Hall focused in building committees, I look in a different direction. In the initial stages (last academic year), the committee wasn't the most productive. Although I received some scrutiny from people who can't even run their own committees properly, I held on to my own belief; although many a times I admit that my faith wavered.

I belief that there is more then just getting the work done... lot more of other things. There is more then just short-term and superficial stuff which our Hall pays attention to. There is more then just using power and position to get others to work for you which our Hall leaders are particularly fond of.

Two weeks ago, I went to the JCRC President Rally and saw the number of people that turned up. The attendance for the second rally was equally bad. In a matter of 2 hours, EW can gather more people then a President Rally for something which is a lot more minor. Why the difference?

I feel that it is time for this Hall and its leaders to wake up. Every year there is talk about Hall Spirit and stuff, and but year after year things remained the same. And honestly I am disappointed because I believed in my leaders.... once.

My plan for EW was never to build a committee, but a community instead. That is one of the many secrets to EW's success. Capturing Memories and Creating Memories, that is the job is EW and that is what keeps the family going.

Poster...

One of the posters from EusoffWorks series of motivational posters...

And the most funny thing is, everything started when RCYL, CE & I got a little interested in some demotivational posters and was entertaining ourselves with it in the EusoffWorks Room...

The next thing I knew was when saw this poster while helping JW edit XY's "one-night-wonders" PSDs of the posters...

Inspirations can sometimes come from odd places... =)

Changing...

Was trailing The Malaysian General Election this morning on CNA in Hall. All the Malaysians in hall gathered in B-Lounge to watch as the results unfold one State at a time.

I watched as my fellow Malaysian hall mates cheered when the opposition won over the state governments from the ruling party.

Changes always bring about uncertainty, and people are generally cautious or even fearful of the unknown. Which is why most of the time, people resist change.

But this time is different. Everyone seemed to embrace the change. Where is the usual uneasiness and fear? Somehow, no one seemed to wondered or even thought about the future with the opposition parties in power.

Can they do a better job then the ruling party? No one is certain.

But there is such optimism.

I have been searching for the ways to make people embrace change for a long time now, and my "techniques" always comes with mixed results. But now I have found the answer.

Instead of just making changes, make changes in such a way that gives hope to the people. And with hope, people will embrace change positively.

Make a change, whose one of its many gifts, encompasses hope...

Withered...

Shot a couple of photos of a bouquet of withered flowers with the Canon 40D yesterday.

There is nothing really fantastic about them other then that they looked colorful! The photos are not very skillfully taken either; my techniques are getting rusty. But it is not about the photos, it is about something which I have forgotten about...

It has been a long time since I took any photos. Conducting workshops, replying emails and doing admin stuff seemed to fill the main bulk of my jobscope nowadays.

But to be able to revisit an old hobby is a nice feeling.

And my thoughts start to wonder.

How I can even forget my love for photography?

Solutions...

I always thought people come to me for solutions to their problems, because they thought that I am brilliant at finding one.

But I realized that many a times people just want me to listen to them. They are actually more concerned about having someone to care for them and spend time with them, then so solve their problems for them.

There are also people who already have their own solutions in mind, but just needed reassurances; people who needed more of emotional support then practical ones.

I would say that I am fairly competent at finding solutions to many of the problems we face in life, but I always try my best not to share my solutions with those who seek it.

Every time we encounter a problem, it is often we who has the most information about the problem. And all these information about the problem, if organized, analyzed and given some thought, will actually turn out to become the solution.

So why give people an answer or a solution when they themselves already have one? Which is why I believe in helping people to find their own solutions instead of looking up to me to give them one.

From my experiences, giving a solution to someone is a lot easier and definitely less time consuming then helping someone find their own or even at times, just listen to their unproductive ramblings or complaints.

But I don't mind spending a little more time and even at the cost of efficiency I guess; for long term and somewhat intangible benefits of course.

Happy Chinese New Year...

This year is the Year Of the Rat! Which means I am going 24 this year.

Will be going back to Malaysia for a couple of days and stuff myself with as much new year goodies as I can before coming back to Singapore.

At the moment I am trying to finish up as much work as I could before the new year so I won't get a shock by the amount of work that has pile up on my desk when I am away.

Anyway have a Good New Year ahead everybody and enjoy your holidays. =)