landed that internship job!

i applied for an internship position for the 3 month summer break and i landed it! one shot, one kill. *blows smoke wafting off gun tip*. come 10th may, i'll be working for a property management company in toa payoh (jackson square). the interviewers did mention something along the lines of me being attached to offices at different locations all over Singapore, so i guess i'll be doing a bit of running all over the place.

admittedly, this intern job might not be as glamorous/life-en''rich''ing as those my peers are gunning for in the fields of REITs/banking and finance/urban planning, but property management nevertheless is one important aspect of the creature that is real estate. in the words of one of my property management professors, 'this job is recession-proof!'.

so basically it's end of examinations, then climbX, then embark on this adventure (or chore depending on how one sees it) until school starts again in august. i hope to learn as much as possible from this opportunity. no doubt that going to hongkong/krabi with the rest is a more exciting and enticing prospect, but as i grow older, i accept that i got to shoulder on more responsibilities. *i see more wrinkles forming around my parents' faces each day*. and that entails me doing something i might not like now in hope of future security. delayed gratification. the time value of money. cannot escape from these concepts. of course being a wanderer (my childhood ambition) is romantic and all.. but it doesnt put food on the table. good bye idealist jansen. here is the more pragmatic version. i hope i dont lose myself in the process.

anyways i gleaned some insights from the interview that i want to share here. this can potentially help job seekers, or it might not. i'm no expert, but i did manage to get myself selected out of a large pool of applicants (some of them year 3s) =)
1. dress smartly and arrive 30 minutes earlier. this gives time for you to catch your breath and prepare yourself mentally for the interview. it also gives the employer a good first impression.
2. ask for your interviewer's name so you can address him properly when you meet him. this little gesture goes a long way into showing your potential employers how you are trying to make the effort.
3. use humour where appropriate. a little laughter lightens the entire rather tense atmosphere.
4. engage your interviewers. lean in. smile. gesture. say things along the lines of 'i am humble and willing to learn'.
5. have job experience that you can talk convincingly and enthusiastically about. they want to see that you are outgoing and proactive. they want to see that you can be a team player and yet is able to work alone.
6. ask questions about the company. this signals to them that you are interested in working with them. to them, a disinterested potential employee wouldn't bother to ask any questions.
7. email them after the interview to say that you appreciate the chance for the interview and that you hope to hear from them soon.
8. dont lose hope. or burn joss-sticks. or hope around 10 times with your tongue sticking out. or pray to God. whatever works for you.
9. do more of that thang in 8. and no i wasn't kidding. now do it more earnestly. go back to 8!
10. VIOLA!
CAVEAT: this worked for a property management company, but might not work, for say, a research department at a bank.

haha had fun writing this entry! a change from my more emotionally-laden entries recently.