Post 3 - Work experiences

Post 3

Work experiences

Not everyone gets life on a silver platter. For me, since young, I did not get much pocket money. It got worse when both my parents got retrenched. With the little I had, I learnt to be accountable and thrifty in the way I spend, so that I have enough money to last me throughout the week.

To be able to do that at a young age, I took up odd jobs since secondary school. Cashiering and Waitressing were not glamorous jobs, but I am glad I had to do it because unlike most of my peers, I learnt what the textbooks dont teach – How to tweak my communication styles to handle difficult customers; How to be accountable for the tasks assigned to me; How to think on my feet to react in difficult situations diplomatically. Sometimes, the people I work with can also be demanding or uncooperative. I learnt how to manage expectations and gain the liking of others.

Through odd jobs I also discovered one of my strengths, when I worked for Hao Shuen Pte Ltd as a Sales Promoter. I worked hard to equip myself with the full knowledge of the products that I had to sell. Although it was my first time taking on a sales job, I exceeded my sales target, bringing in sales worth $1,000 over 4 days. I believe that it was because of my ability to be charismatic, eloquent and convincing in my sales pitch. To be persuasive, I always try to first understand what the customer needs, and then tailor my recommendations of products to suit their needs. By showing the customers that I care for them, they are more likely to stay and listen to what I say about the benefits of the products. I also learnt that it is important to structure my thoughts so that I can put forth (As this is a public blog, I have decided not to put a reference contact here. If needed, please contact me to get my boss's contact number).

Through this life experience, I learnt that we don’t have to be rich, or the smartest, to make it out in life. With the right attitude, perseverance, commitment and the willingness to try and keep trying, we will ultimately get to where we aim to be. Compared to the rest, it may be a tougher and longer road, but what is important is that we learn at every step of the journey.