Religious Belief

I once had an interesting discussion with my friend, Kiruthika, from India regarding our differences in religious belief. It started out when she remarked that she usually coped with exam stress by praying to her god for strength. This surprised me because most of my friends and I would probably relieve stress by playing sports or hanging out. I figured out that she must be very devoted to Hinduism.

In contrast, I am still confused about my religion. Although it is stated as Taoism on my birth certificate, I must admit that my knowledge is very limited. For instance, I will be dumbfounded if you ask me the difference between Taoism and Buddhism. Some of my friends would gladly claim to be free-thinkers, but it may be because they are simply ignorant about religion. The general lack of interest in religious faith among young Singaporeans had been observed by Kiruthika, to her bewilderment.

According to Kiruthika, Hinduism is an integral part of people’s lives in her hometown in Chennai. There are numerous festivals and rituals commonly celebrated and carried out in every household. She further explained to me how Hinduism had helped her deal with difficulties in life and given her a sense of direction. Having benefitted from her religion, she could not comprehend why so many of my friends are free thinkers.

Throughout the discussion, I showed respect to Kiruthika’s religious belief and practices. Similarly, she was willing to hear my opinions when we broached on sub-topics like Karma and vegetarianism. As a result, it turned out to be an enlightening inter-cultural exchange session.

Personal Statement

==Draft 2==
Have you ever been deeply absorbed by any hobby or interest that you really enjoyed? This was exactly how I felt when I started to learn percussion in secondary one. I was so engrossed in picking up the skill that, sometimes during school lesson, I would pretend to be paying attention but secretly beat some rhythms on my lap under the table.

What has fascinated me about percussion is that any composition, no matter how challenging it may be, can be decomposed into the same basic element – a single stroke by the drum stick. On the sub-microscopic level, a basic rhythm is formed by combining a variety of strokes. A drummer has to master all the different rhythms in the composition first, before he can integrate them together and perform in one succession. This bottom-up approach of conquering a musical score appeals to my personality of being analytical and organised.

Akin to interpreting a composition according to its constituting strokes and rhythms, I always break up a seemingly insurmountable problem into multiple achievable tasks. This allows me to stay focused and composed when faced with difficulty. In fact, my ability to solve problems in a systematic manner explains why I have always been strong in Mathematics and Science subjects.

Pursuing honours in electrical engineering gives me the opportunity to apply my analytical skills to solve real life problems in future. My traits will be an asset to the industry where effective engineering design must be carefully planned and systematically executed.



==Draft 1==
Have you ever been deeply absorbed by any hobby or interest that you really enjoy? This was exactly how I felt when I started to learn percussion in secondary one. I was so engrossed in picking up the skill that, sometimes during school lesson, I would pretend to be paying attention but secretly beat some rhythms on my lap under the table.

What has captivated me about percussion, even until now, is that any challenging rhythm can be decomposed into the same building block – a single mallet stroke. As long as you can master the correct variations of strokes in the musical composition, you can perform pleasing drum beats to the audience. Not only that, transfer the same striking techniques to the keys on a xylophone, and you can produce melodious tunes.

Playing percussion has taught me to be more systematic in solving problems. Just like interpreting a musical score stroke by stroke, I have learnt to break up a big task into smaller parts, and tackle them one at a time. When practicing a certain segment of the rhythm, I have to be fully focused and not be bothered by the rest of the rhythm. Similarly, I have learnt to be patient in overcoming one obstacle at a time and not rush into things.

This pretty much tells you about my character - I like things to be neat and organized. I hope to apply my systematic analytical skills in solving real engineering problems.

My Application Letter for Internship

Position Title: Intern

Responsibilities:
-Perform hands on building M&E preventive maintenance and attend to fault complaints like building, basic electrical and air-con works
-Conduct routine checks and update for any defects/ damages for reporting
-Attend to client’s requests and complains
-Daily routine follow up on maintenance job and daily check on equipments
-Familiarise with the location of all equipments and status
-Other duties as and when assigned
-Assist in Supervision of other subcontractors

Requirements:
-Candidate must be currently pursuing at least a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Mechanical), Engineering (Electrical/Electronic), Engineering (Others) or equivalent.
-10 Internship duration of 3 month(s).

======================

(my address)

2 September 2009

Lydia Quek
Human Resource Manager
Elyo South East Asia Pte Ltd
146B Paya Lebar Road
# 03-01 ACE Building
Singapore 409017


Dear Ms. Quek,

Re:Internship for Electrical/Electronic Engineering Students

I am very interested in the above-mentioned internship, as advertised on JobStreet.com. I believe I have the necessary skills and qualities to make an impact during the 3-month period.

Currently, I am a third year undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering at National University of Singapore. Having maintained excellent academic performance, I believe I possess the analytical ability to handle the tasks assigned to me. In addition, balancing part-time tuition with study has honed my time-management and organizational skills. As I am specializing in Electrical Energy System, I am being equipped with the necessary knowledge to excel in the utility industry.

I have always enjoyed hands-on tasks that require good observation skills, like carrying out simulation tests on printers. During my temporary job as a pharmacy assistant, I was commended by my supervisor to be initiative and inquisitive. This was probably due to my strong sense of curiosity and motivation to seek out an answer. When doing community service work in Cambodia, my team achieved our goals after overcoming obstacles like rural lifestyle and language barrier. This demonstrated my ability to adapt to a new environment and perform in a team.

My resume is enclosed for your kind perusal. Should you require more information, I will be most obliged to finish it. I will be very glad to attend an interview convenient to you. You may contact me at (mobile) or (email).

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,
(Signature)
Chee Xiang Min
Enclosure: Resume