Update: Learning on the Job

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the latest addition of my blog.  Today it rained.  And then it rained, and rained...and rained.  And then it rained.  So much in fact that instead of taking bus 184, I opted for bus 700 in connection with the MRT train service to avoid arriving at worked looking like I had just gone swimming.  After two hours of floating to work in the bus (yes it took that long), I finally arrived and began another day of work. 

It was the big meeting day for the opening of the research center, ASC Pandan, which will happen next week.  The entire crew attended this meeting.  Set up, personnel roles, transportation, seating, rain precaution, ceremony aspects and so on were all discussed. What it really meant for me, was that all the planning we have been doing is soon to be tested.  We project 200+ people at this point - and hopefully it will be quite a show.  Quite a rain free show, otherwise the canal on which this research center sits might wash all of us away.

For me there remains now just under three weeks.  Work wise, we have covered a lot of ground from even and booth planning, design, creation, and organization, to the creation of promotional materials, to work on the opening ceremony the science center to working exhibitions for sustainability.  It has been a great engaging experience thus far, not only in terms of the various project involvements, but also in terms of learning about office communication, deadlines, budgets, and sometimes how to resolve conflicts. 

Today, I started applying for internships/work in the fall.  All of the above has in a way helped me to further refine the parameters of the type of job in which I would like to be.  As it stands now, I am looking at three crucial components... a job in which there is a creative marketing element - creating, designing, and producing marketing materials, events and campaigns...a job in which there is a management element - planning, organizing, and managing events, campaigns, projects...and of course, an international element in which I can utilize my cultural knowledge and skills in adaptability and serve a global client base. 

Beyond that I know now how important communication and office personalities will be.  I have also learned to be proactive and the importance being self-confident in offering up proposals and ideas.  And perhaps most important, I have learned I can be successful being me.  There are still a few weeks to go, and still a few things to learn and experience, of this I am sure.  But so far, the learning experience has been pretty sweet - well worth the 4000 miles and time zone flip!

Singapore fun fact day 40: the National University of Singapore was founded in 1905