Introduction, Communication Skills and Module Goals.

Dear Professor Blackstone,

My name is Ng Zi Long Justin, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. In this letter, I will provide an overview of my educational background, communication strengths and challenges, and the goals I aim to achieve throughout this module.

I graduated from Temasek Polytechnic (TP) in 2022 with a diploma in Aerospace Electronics. My passion for the aerospace industry began when I was 14, after my father, who works as an Aerospace Technician, brought home an old black box. That experience ignited my curiosity, and I have been captivated by the field ever since. While my background is in Aerospace Electronics, I chose to pursue Mechanical Engineering at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to broaden my knowledge and explore career opportunities beyond electronics.

One of my key communication challenges is public speaking. I occasionally experience slight stuttering, which sometimes makes me concerned about delivering my message clearly during presentations. Despite making progress over the years, I still find myself lacking full confidence when speaking in public.

In contrast, my strength lies in my ability to adapt to different communication styles, depending on the audience. I am proficient in English, Chinese, and Cantonese, and my experience working as a bartender sharpened my skills in interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. Since many of the customers I served spoke Cantonese or Chinese, I found it easier to connect with them compared to some of my colleagues.

Through this module, my primary goal is to improve my public speaking abilities. I believe this is an essential skill for both personal and professional development. Being able to articulate my ideas confidently and clearly will not only create more opportunities but also enhance my leadership potential in future endeavors.

Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction. I look forward to working with you throughout this module.

Best regards,
Ng Zi Long Justin

Comments

  1. Peh Jun Yi BryanSeptember 15, 2024 at 9:43 AM

    Hi Justin,

    I really liked the way you explained about your weakness in communication which is public speaking. I can relate to this as I too have problems speaking in front of a large crowd, while you point out that stuttering is your issue, it is the fear of judgment that gets to me halfway through a presentation. Moreover, after reading your reflection, I am amazed that you are able to speak three languages proficiently. Knowing more language means that you are able to communicate with more people, and being a bartender even so brings out the value in being a trilingual. This made me want to improve on my Chinese language just so that I can communicate better with my family and even just to present myself better when speaking Chinese.

    Great work on your reflection, I am glad that I am able to learn new things about you even though we have known each other since our primary education. I hope that you will be able to achieve your goals you have set for yourself, as do I. I look forward to seeing you in campus!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeo Dong XuanSeptember 15, 2024 at 11:38 PM

    Greetings Justin,

    It was a pleasure reading your introductory letter. It was particularly interesting to read that you are actively and willingly broadening your scope of knowledge from Aerospace Electronics to other fields of engineering and not limit your career opportunities to just the niche field of Aerospace Electronics. Your strength is special as not everyone in our generation can claim to be proficient in other dialects which seemed to benefit you greatly during your time as a bartender. I agree with you on being able to confidently and clearly articulate your ideas will create many potential opportunities in the future. I do hope that you will be able to improve your public speaking skills by the end of the module. I greatly anticipate your work in this module.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brad BlackstoneSeptember 23, 2024 at 1:53 AM

    Dear Justin,

    Thank you for this clear, concise and informative letter. You address all the key points. I'm particularly impressed by how you connect your initial interest in engineering with the experience of your dad being an aviation tech dude and him having brought home a black box.

    You also do a good job of sharing on your comm skills and explaining how your bar-tending job "sharpened" your skills. That certainly makes you unique in this class (although I had a student last year in UCS MEC who was also a bar-tender!).

    I look forward to learning more about you this term.

    Cheers,

    Brad

    ReplyDelete

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