Perception

I attended two interviews recently, both of which weren’t work nor internship related. The first, conducted last Thursday, was for Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) Ambassador Programme. It’s a voluntary programme which I suspect is targeted at tertiary students, and basically volunteers selected will be involved in providing manpower support for the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix (SGP) as well as a series of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings being held in Singapore later this year.

The interview for this programme wasn’t really an interview but more of a briefing for the two events, with a simple get-to-know-more-about-you session at the end. It was the last of six briefings, and according to the presenters there were hundreds of applicants on the waiting list, and we were among the few hundred shortlisted for the programme. The portion on the Singapore Grand Prix was pretty straightforward, and the roles we would be expected to take up include creating hype on the weekends before the event as well as directing human traffic on the day itself.

Giving out flyers is also on the itinerary, which isn’t all that exciting, but I suppose in the context of the entire SGP the activities do accumulate to a worthwhile experience. I’m more interested in the APEC meetings, however, probably because it’s a lot more formal. The general description of our involvement is to be a sort of “personalised point-of-contact” for the delegates, either in the form of escorting them from venue to venue or being stationed at information desks. On surface, such a role may seem more boring, although I feel the exposure will definitely be useful.

The number and intensity of APEC meetings are expected to culminate in November, which sadly would be near my final examinations. It’s starting soon too, in July, so I’m looking forward to the possible positions I might be deployed in. Following the July and August meetings would be the SGP in September, before the focus of the Ambassador Programme returns to APEC in November. Hopefully, I’ll be able to volunteer and participate my fair share of days while deriving some useful experience from all this.

My second interview, which metaphorically went tragically, was for a few NUS Entrepreneurship Society (NES) and Start-Up@Singapore (S@S) director positions. The interview started off bad enough when I realised I actually saved the interviewer’s number wrongly (apparently my short term memory fails me at the most crucial times), and was unable to contact her. I somehow managed to pick a face from the crowd which I thought might have resembled her, and fortunately for me, it indeed was.

The interview was quite a serious affair, which I guess is what interviews should be, but considering it was for a CCA I was probably wishing that it would seem more fun or appealing. They mainly discussed the roles and responsibilities, and perhaps the word I should use to describe what I was feeling was daunted. There was even a technical test for me later, which I just wasn’t in the mood to get down to. I think by the end of the interview I was pretty disheartened by the emphasis on commitment and the responsibilities, and somehow any excitement in me had subsided. I promptly informed the interviewer the following day that I would like to withdraw my application.

Although my attitude might suggest that I was lacking in any serious commitment to the applied appointments, I withdrew with mainly the consideration of my studies in mind. To leap into such a dedicated role (for a year, and no less) would definitely impact my studies, and in my opinion I didn’t really want to compromise my grades. I had already lost my initial enthusiasm too, so such an action only seemed reasonable. I’ll probably look for a more relaxed CCA this coming semester, something fun or purposeful. I haven’t really planned my modules as well, and since my involvement in the Ambassador Programme would likely take up some of my time, I guess I’ll be contented to sit out this one this time.