Introduction
Hello and welcome to the first entry in this blog page dedicated to the lovely module that is Fundamentals for IT Professionals 3. This Blog page will henceforth contain all reflection based assignments related to the module. In this first iteration, I will be conducting a personal reflection on my experience attending the Career Fair. As with all activities in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, I do deeply cherish the unseen efforts that went into organizing this event, evidently with the intent to help students such as myself to ideally secure an internship of interest or at least to broaden our perspectives on the career opportunities pertaining to our course. Upon entering the convention center, other than the immediate rush of refreshing air-conditioning against the blistering heat of the day, (nothing really caught my eye, just kidding). The convention center was beautifully decorated, like a bride on her wedding day walking down the isle: bright colorful streamers adorned the counters; like flowers gently scattered by cute basket carrying bridesmaids, a myriad of intricately crafted posters each with the inherent purpose of catching my awing gaze, like the tantalizing cocktails catered to tease, drawing you in but never really satisfying your thirst for more. With each step drawing me closer, in a brief moment, something deep within me clicked, the till then dormant desire to reach out into the working world, to seek and to explore the potential future that lay before me burned with a fire brighter then which I have ever felt. As the feeling of warmth slowly enveloped my being, like the first rays of sun on the thawing fields of winter, my mind, as if easing out of a long slumber, started piecing together the plan to which I was going to undertake on this journey of discovery. Join me as I recollect and reflect on this masterpiece of an experience, a grand tale of excitement, passion, insight, and revelations. Care a few sorrows, the grand order that Ngee Ann Polytechnic had presented to me and surely many students alike will have you in the cusp of euphoria. Get cozy and lets begin! Company Number One (A-Star) The first company that caught my eye was A Star, also known as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research. Not just because it was situated as the second booth from the entrance, but also because as I made my way inward the convention center, among the booths, like a field of flowers all equally magnificent, there stood what I could only describe as a prodigy of marvel. A boomingly tall tree asserting its splendor but surprisingly subtle in a way that maintained its eloquence. If the other flowers, booths, surrounding it were deemed as radiant, this tree, this booth, emitted an incomparable iridescence that could rival even the brightest star systems. The very essence of its name dictates what I felt right then. A-Star can be said to be an epithet of its very name, a star, as old as the universe itself, holding deep rooted wisdom, shining bright, illuminating and paving the way for branches in Science and Technology. As I shuffled my feet toward the booth, each step matching the trepidation of my beating heart, I spotted the outline of the booth manners. As if engaging in a wakeful vigil, 3 figures stood at odds, with each maintaining a pose that reminded me of the idle monotony I had seen back in the days of serving my nation. What blasphemous thoughts have I spouted! It should have been obvious to me then that these 3 refined individuals chosen to maintain and disseminate information pertaining to A-Star could definitely not have been reveling in idle pursuits. Thinking back now, they must have been well deep in thought, possibly conjuring up scenarios of interactions between us students and their company image, wanting only to provide the utmost deliverance of help and apprehension. With a hot dog bun in one hand (yes there were free hotdogs), and a flyer in the other, I steadily pressed on. About A-Star A-Star is a company of focus and ambition, priding themselves as a global leader in science, technology and open innovation. They see themselves as a catalyst, an enabler, and a convenor of significant research initiatives among the research community in Singapore and beyond. They believe that through open innovation, they are able collaborate with partners in both the public and private sectors, and bring science and technology to benefit the economy and society. Their aspiration is to be a global leader in Science, Technology and Open Innovation. As a Science and Technology Organisation, they bridge the gap between academia and industry in terms of research and development. In these endeavors, they seek to integrate the relevant capabilities of their research institutes and collaborate with the wide research community as well as other public sector agencies towards meaningful and impact-full outcomes. Together with the other public sector entities, they develop industry sectors by: Integrating the capabilities to create impact with Multi-National Corporations and Globally Competitive Companies; Partnering Local Enterprises for productivity and gearing them for growth; and nurturing R&D-driven Start-ups by seeding for surprises and shaping for success. As a student, I feel that as a sign of respect for the companies that I speak off, it is not my place to re-phrase their foundation's principles and as such have taken the 2 paragraphs above as excerpts from their company's website. To read more on the overview of A-Star, kindly check out https://www.a-star.edu.sg/About-A-STAR/Overview. Among the wide assortment of fields that A-Star's R&D is invested in, one of them is in the field of Infocomm Technology. This field is further split into 6 sectors: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber Security, Data, Image & Video Analytics, Internet-of-Things (IoT), and Natural Language Processing (NLP). Despite being egregiously enthusiastic about diving into the first-rate explanations that make up the base of these fields, lock me up and throw away the key, it would, in my opinion, be an even bigger crime for me to regurgitate the information already so well presented on the company's website. I do understand however that one of the requirements of the ever so persistent reflections; like the incessant pitter patter of mid July rain in the summer heat, droplets never too big to drench but just big enough to warrant it a nuisance, not unwanted as an easy grade, while at the same time vexing, thrown out by this module is to "Write a short description on the company’s background, profile, and area of IT they are involved in". Hopefully, my less than incisive elucidation of the what A-Star is about is enough to satisfy this requirement. Burning In A Star's Light (The Impact, Part I) There I was, in front of the booth, frivolously chewing on a piece of hotdog, trying to keep the overflowing mustard; a result of a poorly maintained squeeze bottle, within the confines of my mouth. Was I lost? Having just a moment ago been blinded by the guiding light of the booth, now that I was here, the initial fervor seemed to have dissipated, in its place was now a faint sense of paucity. I as a mere student who had not even dabbled in the art of programming 2 years prior was here to engage in conversation with, in my eyes, the epitome of R&D in Singapore. What was I to say? No less was I here to inquire details about the company, but actually forming the words proved to be a challenge. As I stood there dumbfounded, something happened that would change my life forever. He spoke. He spoke! The words he said etched into my mind so clear, like the bluest of skies on a cloudless day, formed were the words "Hi, what you want?". With those words I slowly begun to turn my head, careful as to not to make any exceedingly hasty movements which could be deemed as being overly eager, I was convicted to remaining composed. Once I was standing in front of him, I noticed he was leaning against the frame of the booth, in a slouched posture with phone in one hand raised up to his face. He was everything I envisioned and more. With that much knowledge and standing, he mustn't have a care in the world, at the pinnacle of Science and Technology, among mere students like us, it was understandable that we were no more than mere ants scattering about hungry for food. As my eyes looked to analyze every aspect of his stature, I could only dream of comprehending a little of what awesomeness he must exude. Replaying this out now would be like a Michael Bay action sequence in slow-motion, this slice of time as a first impression, despite being seemingly small in the grander of things, would serve as a momentous occasion that played a role in contributing to the impact A-Star would later have on me. At that moment every fiber of my being screamed to be part of this world class organization. (The Impact, Part II) "May...", "Can...", "Hi..." words stirred in my mind in an effort to piece together a respectable first sentence, finally, "May I know more about your company?" was what I settled upon saying. As I held my breath in anticipation awaiting a reply, I glanced fleetingly at the numerous pictures that spanned their poster. Some were smaller then others, almost representing a collage, their size proportionate to their culminated achievements displayed alongside. Time came to a standstill as I perused
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