My Final Reflections on ES2007S

Truth to be told, there is a part of me that is still in denial that the semester is coming to an end. I enjoyed every blogging sessions as it is a platform for me to freely express my views on assigned topics. Time flies quickly and soon enough, this is the last blog post for ES2007S professional communication- a module that I did not regret taking.

I am glad to have taken up this module as I have learnt many fundamental skills and gained exposure to effective communication. The most valuable skill that I have acquired is writing skills which allow me to craft out resume and reports in a professional way. In addition, soft skills like oral communication, have taught me the importance of communicating effectively.

In class, we went through a mock interview by being interviewed and interviewing others. It was an enriching experience as it helped me to understand the thoughts of an interviewer and interviewee. Thus, with these skills, I believe that I can become a more articulate communicator, at an interview as well as in my workplace.

The professional communication skills are important, especially so when I am able to transfer them for my employment in future too. (:

Reflection on Oral Presentation

The presentation has finally come to an end and I feel a great sense of relief and satisfaction. My group mate, Fadzillah and I have put in much preparation, hoping to make it a good one. Although not perfect, I believe that we have done a decent job and I am proud of our effort. Nonetheless, there are still rooms for improvement.

Throughout the presentation, we made use of slideware like power point slides with good colorations and graphs to make them interesting. As recommended by our tutor to keep our slides simple to read, we put up point forms and most the time, we would try to engage the audience by elaborating verbally and ‘show and tell’. However, I think that we could do better and should have engaged them more so that they would not feel bored. In this case, more audiovisuals like pictures and videos could be used.

On my part, I feel that the main issue with my presentation is my speed of delivery. I tend to talk very quickly and occasionally, fumble my words. As a result, I would lose my train of thoughts. Before speaking, I made a mental note myself to speak steadily but I was too focused on my thoughts that words come out as quickly as I think of what to say. Perhaps my nerves got the better of me and I learn that having a cue card in hand would help to prevent a blank mind. Still, it is also important that we do not rely on our cards too much but maintain good eye contact with the audience as well. I feel that I still have to work on presenting smoothly and giving good attention to my audiences by maintaining eye contact.

Overall, I am aware that my performance was not as what I expect it to be during rehearsals. Nevertheless, practice makes perfect and I am thankful for the experience gained from this presentation.