In my last post, I mentioned about letting my Communications Officer know that I would be working for five days during the tuition free week.
It barely felt like I even a chance to rest during that week! It was hectic and obviously I suffered a lack of sleep, making it almost seem like it was already the end of semester where all students experience sleep deprivation because that's when all major assignments are due.
Can't say I regretted working for the entire week even though I struggled on Saturday and Sunday to complete three assignments due the coming Monday when the semester continues. There were days when I had to drag my feet to work - not to mention the weather during that week was TERRIBLE - and 4.30pm felt so far away. But honestly without all those, I would probably still be inexperienced... and spoilt.
I can say I've managed to look past those and learn to suck it up. And I probably deserve a clap for that. ☻
Moving on to what I actually did during that week. Of course, there were more articles, considering the deadline to publish the in-house newsletter was getting closer. I was given the task to research, construct articles, and arrange them in Campaign Monitor. I had to also update the organisation's website, Facebook and Twitter page.
My biggest nightmare was to contact the house seniors of the organisation's respite houses to get interesting stories for the in-house newsletter and the annual report. I get REALLY uncomfortable and tend to stutter whenever I was given that task. I managed to pull through, of course, after making a fool out of myself... several times in fact.
Phone conversation example:
Receiver: Hi, this is <respite house name>. Who's on the line?
Me: Hi, it's Identitywa, and I'd like to find out if there's anything particularly interesting that the residents are doing so I could include it in the Identikite.
Receiver: Sorry, who's on the line?
Me: Identitywa...
Receiver: I meant your name, the houses are under Identitywa, so obviously you have to be from Identitywa to be calling.
That was one of the most embarrassing one for me. But there's a saying that goes, "you have to fall in order to learn".
The most insightful experience while working there so far, was on Friday where my Communications Officer brought me along to the airport to interview a man with intellectual disability. She told me instead of her conducting the interview and me taking pictures, she wanted the roles to be reversed.
She gave me a brief background information of the man; he has a deep passion and thorough understanding in aviation, and is striving to get a job at the airport where he once used to work at. She was also kind enough to brief me on what questions she wanted me to ask and what information she planned to get out of the interview for the article.
When we met him and his friend (a support worker), and considering how it was my first time doing a face-to-face interview with a person with disability, I just went blank. My Communications Officer saved me, and took over the role of interviewing. I felt so lost for the first half an hour because I found it really difficult to understand what the man was saying as he had a mild speech impediment. But after a while, I started to get the flow of the way he spoke and learned to interpret it in my own understanding much faster, I managed to do a few questionings.
My Communications Officer said told me she had a bit of trouble trying to understand him at first, but managed to pick it up. I believe it comes with experience.
We spent a fair bit of time walking around the airport, taking pictures of him looking at the planes, and just talking to him - which I found very enjoyable. It was a great way to end the week, and it left us feeling very inspired by the man's strong passion to pursue his dream.
I managed to take down a lot of notes for my Communications Officer to write the article, and just maybe I'd offer to write the article instead. ☻
More work coming up next week! Hopefully they don't consist of me having to make phone calls again!! Is anyone else experiencing embarrassing things at work, or is it only me?!
Denissa Goh
15652315
15652315
