Application Letter: First Draft

Wong Sher Lynn

10 Heng Mui Keng Terrace

Singapore 119617

(65) 8427 2590

wslynn@nus.edu.sg

11^th September 2011

Hiring Manager

Yahoo! Singapore Pte. Ltd

60 Anson Road

#13-01, Mapletree Anson

Singapore 079914

Re: Vacancy in Position of Human Resource Intern in Summer 2012

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am an NUS student, currently pursuing the third year of my Bachelor’s Degree in Science, majoring in Chemistry. I first heard about the Yahoo! Summer Internship Programme from a friend who is currently doing her semester-long internship programme with your esteemed company. Having read the experiences of Human Resource Interns from the Yahoo! website, I am really interested in securing an internship with Yahoo! during the summer of 2012. Despite being a Science student, I have a keen interest in human capital management. Besides, I believe that my strong communications skills and various leadership experiences make me a suitable HR intern candidate.

During my tenure as the Finance Director of the 31^st Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) of Kent Ridge Hall, I have learned how to be an efficient leader. With four committees and 36 members under my purview, I had to macro-manage the committee heads to ensure that plans of each committee were well executed. It was then I learned how to give the committee heads the suitable amount of autonomy to make decisions which they thought were best for the committee, and also to micro-manage the committee members when they are not performing up to the best of their abilities. In the process of managing my subordinates, I became skilled at dealing with different individuals of different personalities and working styles. Under my leadership, two of the committees produced excellent results in their own rights.

Besides that, being the Marketing Executive of the Freshmen Welcome Orientation Camp Committee (FWOC) has taught me how to be an effective communicator. Having secured cash sponsorships from governmental subsidiaries such as the Social Development Network and the National Youth Council, I have learned how to effectively express my ideas to corporations as well as cope with the different publicity demands of these organizations. As an HR intern is expected not only to be good at managing internal affairs but external relations as well, I am confident that my vast marketing experience and capability in dealing with companies of different nature would be an asset to your esteemed company.

Moreover, my involvement in a wide array of activities in NUS shows my willingness to step out of my comfort zone and experience new things. I am eager to learn and having an open mind allows me to benefit from the experiences of HR professionals in Yahoo! and hence groom me into a more equipped HR intern. With the skills that I have already possessed and those which I will pick up during the internship, I believe I can contribute to the vibrancy and excellence of Yahoo!.

I am eager to speak to you and sincerely hope that I would be given an HR internship opportunity in Yahoo! I am confident that my easygoing nature and vast experiences in dealing with people from different walks of life will be an asset to your esteemed company. I can be reached at the above contact details and would love to discuss my possible contribution to Yahoo!.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully

Wong Sher Lynn

Enclosure: Resume

Resolving Interpersonal Conflict

In our daily interactions with people around us, be it due to a simple misunderstanding or a serious clash of personalities, conflicts are inevitable. Personally, there is one interpersonal conflict which hit me rather hard, even until today:

One year ago, during the 3-month vacation in NUS, I was asked to be a part of an Orientation Committee of my hostel called the Freshmen Welcome Orientation Committee (FWOC). FWOC was made out of twelve selected individuals who are tasked to plan and execute two camps, one of which caters to 250 new residents of our hostel. Every aspect of both camps from the important elements to the tiniest details was done solely by the twelve. The demanding nature of this committee requires every member to be a 100% committed to the cause of the team. My fellow committee members, whom I usually regard as my FWOCers were very driven and eager to top whatever the past FWOC team has accomplished. Our common goal was to plan and execute the best camp that our hostel has ever witnessed. To realize that goal, we were ready to pitch in our all. However, there was one FWOCer, Bobby who had a different idea of FWOC and having not experienced FWOC before, he was not entirely sure of what he was getting himself into.

I guess that made it hard for him to stay committed to the team and put in as much effort as we did. He slowly began to slack off and did not deliver what he was supposed. The rest of the team slowly felt the extra load from his lack of responsibility and though unspoken, the tension and unhappiness were taking a toll on our work progress and team dynamics. It was then I felt the need for the team to voice out whatever discontentment which was plaguing us. The sharing session was not the most pleasant one but through that, we understood the problems Bobby was facing-the experience was not what he expected when he signed up for it and was slowly losing his passion. In the end, we came to a compromise that we would learn to be more understanding and try to put ourselves in Bobby’s shoes while Bobby promised us that he would see himself through the entire FWOC journey. Bobby stayed true to his words and remained in the team, though the rest had the team had to cover up for him in several occasions, I think that was the best possible outcome of the entire conflict. FWOC finally culminated in the NUS Rag and Flag Day 2010 with our hostel, Kent Ridge Hall clinching the prestigious Chancellor’s Shield.

This interpersonal conflict was the most difficult I have ever encountered as it felt like it was an-eleven-versus-one sort of conflict; and sometimes I cannot help but wonder, how I would have reacted if I was in Bobby’s shoes. Would I have had the courage to stay in a team which did not share my sentiments for three long grueling months? And for that, I really respect him, for not walking out on us, because he could have. What would you have done if you were Bobby?

They say twelve is the magic number ...