Showcase Saturdays: Chun Jan Bong
(Above: Exhibition during SFCF)
Name: Chun Jan Bong
Course/University: Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Experience: Coordinator of Sector Focused Career Fair (SFCF)
On Nov 20, 2014, the Sector Focused Career Fair (SFCF) was organised by TalentCorp, in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) at the Main Hall of USM Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal.
This event was conducted by representatives from TalentCorp, Pn. Rohaya binti Husny Pahmy from Industry Collaborative Center USM, Pn. Norzita binti Nanyan from Students Affairs and Development Department USM and a group of volunteers under the Secretariat Career Fair USM.
(Above: Opening ceremony by VVIP)
Tolerance
The preparation process was rather thorough and a number of meetings involving the various representatives were conducted. Throughout these meetings, there were a number of disagreements but we managed to reach a peaceful outcome as all of us were united by a common goal: to make this SFCF a great one.
This shows that tolerance is an important element in a discussion as all parties will need to hear the opinion of others in order to achieve the best result.
Communication and delegation
As the main coordinator of this SFCF, I was the link between TalentCorp and the volunteers, thus the task of relaying information from TalentCorp to the volunteers fell on me. Communication is essential so that everyone knows their responsibilities and the plans of this event.
I was also responsible in allocating manpower for the event. There were 63 volunteers in total that I had to assign to the right tasks. This experience enhanced my leadership skills as I was leading a group of volunteers, ranging from first year to fourth year students.
Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
Prior to the event, I reviewed the itinerary and even imagined going through the day so that I could anticipate what would happen on the actual day.
Later, we also conducted a few rehearsals of the opening ceremony to ensure that we could give our best on the actual day.
In the end, the opening ceremony was a successful one with the launching of the LED gimmick produced by USM students.
Concluding thoughts
In retrospect, it was not easy to handle such a big event, with all the stress and work involved; yet the satisfaction after the event was immeasurable.
Throughout this event, I gained new experiences, which will help me a lot in the future. It was indeed a good learning opportunity. After all, learning never stops.
