Fostering Intercultural Communication

Intercultural situations may arise in many shapes and forms. Certain nations, such as Singapore, are privileged in the fact that they have a diverse array of cultures. As a result, learning to work with and appreciate the various cultures within those culturally diverse nations would become paramount for the people of those nations. As a Singaporean, I have worked with many friends who come from different cultural backgrounds, and as such, I have had many intercultural interactions.

However, when I think of intercultural scenarios and their effects, the first thing that came to my mind was a British comedy series named, “Mind Your Language”. If you have not heard of it, let me give you a short synopsis. “Mind Your Language” is about the events and experiences of an English teacher who is assigned to teach the English language to a class of foreign nationals. In fact, every student in the class hails from a different part of the world. They have their own cultures and varied understanding of the English language. As a direct result of this cultural diversity, many intercultural situations and interactions occur within and outside the classroom, often resulting in side-splitting humour.

So, for my intercultural scenario, please take a look at the very short video below.

In the scenario depicted in the video, the teacher wanted the student to concoct a sentence that begins with “You are”. However, as is clearly evident, the student was not able to comprehend the question. This resulted in confusion, frustration, anger and eventually, a mini riot.

Clearly, having a common language is pertinent in fostering better intercultural understanding. When two people of different cultures share a common language, they can share their cultures with each other more effectively. Furthermore, if those two people are equally proficient in the common language, it can go a long way to preventing cultural misunderstandings which can lead to confusion, frustration and anger.

Personal Statement

Name: Muhammad Idris
Position: Junior Blood Transfusion Scientist
Laboratory: Blood Component Processing Laboratory
Department: Blood Services Group
Organisation: Health Sciences Authority


Having been intrigued by the complexity and beauty of biological systems, I was naturally drawn to the life sciences major in my undergraduate years. The life science major offered in the National University of Singapore was both rigorous and enlightening. The knowledge and experiences that I had gained through the major gave me an enormous appreciation and respect for the health sciences sector and the people who work in such fields. In order to enhance my undergraduate experience, I decided to concurrently take a minor in Statistics as biological experiments and data are often analysed through statistical protocols.

After graduating with the aforementioned qualifications, I was determined to contribute to and make my mark in the public health sciences field. Being a member of the blood component processing laboratory would allow me to make such a contribution.

Blood component processing is an important line of work that prepares the required components of blood for patients who are often in dire need of the various constituents of blood. As such, the Blood Services Group and its laboratories are in the noble profession of saving lives. Moreover, blood components do not last very long and more of such resources are constantly needed. Even though I may not be an official member of the Red Cross family, I do my part by donating blood as regularly as I can, a habit that I picked up as an undergraduate.

Above all else, I value the quality of my work and would strive to maintain a high throughput in all my professional endeavours. This would correlate well with the qualities of your organisation, which has recently achieved the Singapore Quality award in April 2009 and the AABB accreditation for the Blood Services Group in May 2006. Being punctual, disciplined and responsible are some of the other qualities that I was able to polish as an undergraduate. I am also an independent worker who can work effectively and cohesively with others.

My short – term career goal is to have the experience of working in a world class laboratory such as the blood component processing laboratory of the Blood Services group, while my long – term aspirations involve contributing to the health sciences field in a higher and more involved capacity.

I hope that I can be part of the Blood Services group and the Health Sciences Authority and share in your vision of innovation and service, to protect and advance national health and safety.

Job Application Letter - Critique

Below is an application letter that I have drafted for the position of Junior Transfusion Medicine Scientist.

Before you guys start critiquing the letter, please note the following:

1. Please pretend that the year is 2012 not 2009 as that would be the year that I will be graduating.
2. Please also pretend that I have successfully graduated with the qualifications mentioned in the letter.
3. Please note that I have not witten my real address and the organization's address is omited.
4. The character reference and resume would be included with the actual application letter.

If you wish to take a look at the job advertisement, the link has been indicated below.

http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsaportal/en/careers/current_job_opportunities0/045.html

Md1idris
Blk XXB Nameless Avenue
#XX-XXXX, Country SSSSS

Date: 03 September 2012

(Address of the Organization)

Dear Sir / Madam,

Re: Application for the Position of Junior Transfusion Medicine Scientist

I am very interested in the position of the Junior Transfusion Medicine Scientist that was presented on your website. I believe that I can contribute to the progress and development of the Blood Component Processing Laboratory.

I graduated in June 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree with a specialisation in Biomedical Sciences. Being a Life Science graduate, I am very enthusiastic about entering the public health sciences field and contributing to its development using the knowledge and experiences that I have gained so far.

Throughout my undergraduate studies, I have accumulated extensive and valuable laboratory experience as I worked on my honours year project and participated in an undergraduate research project. In addition, I would like to highlight that I have a minor in Statistics and am proficient in applying some of the more advanced statistical software tools such as Minitab and ‘R’.

From the enclosed character reference, it would be clear that I can work with others effectively, including personnel of lower divisions. Above all else, I value the quality of my work and am willing to take on new roles without hesitation. I am a disciplined and careful planner, a fluent writer and most importantly, a quick learner – a trait that would help me to carry out my responsibilities promptly and correctly.

I would welcome an opportunity to discuss with you how I could be of service to the Blood Services Group of the Health Sciences Authority. I can be reached at the numbers and email address indicated in the enclosed resume. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Faithfully,

Md1idris