2 cents worth

I would like to share my experience during the interview with 3 offices of NUS comprising of Capmus Security, Office of Estate and Development and Office of health and safety. These three departments have collaborated with each other to form the NUS Trheaffic Safety Task Force (TSTF).

Going into this interview, my team and I did not know what to expect- we did not know who would be present, or how formal this meeting was suppose to be. I can say I was both alittle shocked yet pleasantly surprised when we entered the meeting room. There were 8 senior officials present. Yes, eight. Most, if not all of the staffs present were either the head of their department or head of a project. The atmosphere was somewhat somber and you had the feeling they wanted to get things over and done with quickly- after all, we were just students.

Intimidating? No. I did not feel intimidated by them, nor should anyone be. But I knew that I should at least justify their time for coming down.

Silence was broken when we were asked to introduce ourselves and our agenda for this meeting. Confidently, I spoke up in a clear and concise manner, acknowledging my teammates and getting straight to the point.  It is crucial that you make the first impression count. Speak up, clearly.

They decided to give us a mini presentation of their plans and proposals. While it is important to nod your head occasionally, it is even more important that you do not just accept everything they are saying is true. Stop to question their plans, if possible, at appropriate timings- do not cut into their presentation halfway.

The interview lasted for about an hour- longer than a lot of us expected. But I felt we had an engaging and though provoking ideas and questions- for both sides. At times, I felt our questions caught them off guard, and they would simply repeat some points in their decision. However, if they do not answer your question, do not be afraid to ask them, or pinpoint someone of interest, and ask the question directly.


I would also like to stress that it is essential for you to have done your research and preparation before hand. I am sure people are able to sniff out whether you do know anything of the project or not. This research extends not only to the context of what you're interested in, but a wider persepective, in this case, road traffic rules in details. 

So take home point is to be confident and respectful to them, but not feel intimidated by their ranks or seniority.