Self-Introductory Email

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To: Brad Blackstone 
From: Cheryl Choo
Date: 19 January 2019
Subject: Self-introduction

Dear Brad,


I am Cheryl, a second-year hospitality business undergraduate from Singapore Institute of Technology. My purpose of writing to you is to formally introduce myself.


I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a diploma in Chinese Studies. Upon graduation, I took a year gap with several objectives in mind: to expose myself in the real working environment, accumulate work experience and most importantly, explore my career options.


I embarked on this journey working as a business associate in a lighting company for six months. I was mainly involved in several functions: sales and marketing, project management and handling of administrative tasks. It was an eye-opening experience for me however, I grew to realise it was not the industry for me. After which, I worked as a waitress in IBIS hotel, Novena. It was certainly not an easy job as it was both physically and mentally challenging but it was the most rewarding and exciting experience I ever had. I was thankful for this opportunity as it allows me to become more independent and mature over time.


One of my biggest communication weakness is my inability to formulate my thoughts into a proper sentences instantly especially in front of a crowd. In such situation, I would stutter and take short pauses, resulting in speech disfluency. Conversely, I believe my strength is my ability to listen attentively and connect with the speaker through showing genuine interest in the topic and sharing similar experiences.


The two goals I have for the module would be to become a more effective speaker where I am able to think on my feet and communicate eloquently. I would also want to gain deeper understanding on how my communication skills can be applied to the hospitality industry.


Best Regards,

Cheryl Choo



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Comments

  1. TriciaJanuary 22, 2019 at 7:04 PM

    Hi Cheryl! I enjoyed reading your self introduction. I am glad you exposed yourself to the various work environment and took your time to explore your career options. I hope you are enjoying your course of study and you found your ideal career path.

    In terms of communication skills, I can relate to your weakness as I am experiencing similar situation. I believe that we will be able to improve our communication skills under the guidance of Professor Brad. Lets work hard together!

    Have a good day ahead!

    Best regards,
    Tricia

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brad BlackstoneJanuary 25, 2019 at 9:01 PM

    Dear Cheryl,

    Thank you for this detailed letter. I enjoyed learning about your background. In particular, it was interesting that a tough waitressing gig inspired you since, as you reported, it was 'the most rewarding and exciting experience' you'd ever had. My only question is what made the job so? What made it 'eye-opening'?

    I have other questions about what makes you who you are that surfaced when I read about your communication strenghts and weaknesses. For instance, you state that you're able to connect well with people, and I'd guess you have lots of experience doing so. What would be an example?

    In terms of language use, this is a fluent posts with just a few areas to take note of:

    1. sentence structure
    -- It was an eye-opening experience for me however, I grew to realise it was not the industry for me. > (run on sentence) It was an eye-opening experience for me. However, I grew to realise it was not the industry for me. OR It was an eye-opening experience for me; however, I grew to realise it was not the industry for me.
    -- After which, I worked as a waitress in IBIS hotel, Novena. > After that, I worked as a waitress in IBIS hotel, Novena.

    2. verb tense
    -- I was thankful for this opportunity as it allows me to become more independent and mature over time. > (verb tense inconsistency)
    -- In such situation, I would stutter > In such situations, I stutter

    3. minor edits
    -- One of my biggest communication weakness > One of my biggest communication weaknesses
    -- formulate my thoughts into a proper sentences instantly especially in front of a crowd. > o formulate my thoughts into proper sentences instantly, especially in front of a crowd.

    I look forward to learning more about you in the coming weeks.

    Best wishes,

    Brad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. https://helloiamcheryl.blogspot.com/February 4, 2019 at 7:12 AM

      Dear Brad,

      Thank you for your comments and feedback. Please give me the opportunity to clarify your questions. What made my job as a Business Associate an eye-opening experience one was that I was exposed to the full spectrum of the business where I am able to see how the business operates and how the various departments communicate and work together closely to fulfil expectations. For instance, I was given the opportunity to witness how an idea or a product was generated and pitched to potential clients followed by the creation of prototypes as well as facilitating the construction work on site.

      And what made my job as a F&B service staff the most rewarding and exciting experience was that its was the most physically exhausting job I have taken up. I distinctively remembered the body sores and pain from the long working hours however, I had never succumbed to the fatigue but reminded myself that I had to give my best shot in anything I do. Fortunately, my hard work and determination paid off as I had gained recognition from my supervisors and guests were often satisfied with my service. I have also learn to appreciate the little things in life where a smile and nod of appreciation from a guest could brighten my day. Therefore, it was the most rewarding and exciting experience I ever had.

      Having said to be able to connect well to people on an emotional level, I believe strongly in being empathetic and focus on listening instead of giving suggestions and judgement instantly. At times when my friends confide in me, I would ensure that my attention is fully devoted into listening to them. I am unafraid to share my experience with him/her even if it mean that I had to expose my vulnerable side or insecurities. If someone shares an experience that I am not able to relate to, I will often picture myself in his/her situation so I would be able to empathise better.

      Delete
  3. Brad BlackstoneFebruary 8, 2019 at 6:07 PM

    Thank you for this detailed response to my questions, Cheryl. I can certainly see that the aches and pains have paid off and led you to this point in your career development. Your trajectory is only upward and outward!



    ReplyDelete

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