Discovering Self

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. – Albert Einstein

Having lived for almost 22 years, Jason Mak has perceived life as a journey of self-discovery and living with a noble purpose. Born in a family of six, this young chap comes from a small town called Sentul. When he is small, he is seen as extremely playful and at times disobedient. Throughout his primary school days, he has fought with all the boys in his class. At home, arguing with his parents and got caning or punished to kneel in front of the altar whole day is a common sight. Sometimes, even his elder siblings helped to cane this poor little child. His parents chased him out from home a few times and almost sent him to youth rehabilitation centre. He grew up with minimal childhood entertainment unlike the other contemporary kids. His childhood may seem depressing to us yet he seems to enjoying every bit of that moment and always contemplate about his memories of childhood.

In his teen days, he was fortunate enough to join the Scouts Troop which helped develop him into a more discipline and independent person. He learnt to be prepared all the time and helping others when they are in need. His path in Scouts has not been easy for him as he faced lots of obstacles before he finally took the helm in Secondary Five. He was honored to be conferred by the school the Student Excellence Award in recognition of his contributions in servicing the public and school community. The year after, he was appointed as Assistant Scoutmaster to guide and mentor the younger scouts. The end of high school also marked the end of his second stage of life.

Now, this small boy has grown to become an adult who aspired to achieve many dreams in life. Much perspectives of life have changed in this youngster and many of his beliefs were shaped during this period of transition. He is currently an undergraduate in the National University of Singapore, pursuing a Bachelor Degree in Engineering, looking forward to graduate and start working like everyone else. During his university years, he has being elected as the President of Institution of Engineers, Singapore – NUS Student Chapter. This new experience certainly proved to be a fulfilling and enriching which he thinks has enhanced his interpersonal as well as communication skills. As a quiet person, he do not have many close friends which is why he is always seen alone sitting at a corner, deep in thoughts. This has caused people who do not know him well think him as a man of few words. Nevertheless, he continues to enjoy helping others and seeing people around him happy.

At times he feels confused and lost about who he is. He wondered why he is different from others, but another side of him thinks otherwise, “Why he has to be same like others?” As seen here, he is quite a complicated and self-contradict person, however he is one who strive to excel in life and changing to a better person from time to time. He believes he has much to learn in life, to be able to self-aware and reflect will lead him further in life.

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln

Job Application Letter

Jason Mak
Block 21, #03-24 Room J
Prince George’s Park Residences 5
Singapore 118429

September 3, 2009

Keppel Singmarine Pte. Ltd.
15 Benoi Road
Singapore 629888

Dear Hiring Manager,

I graduated from National University of Singapore with Bachelor Degree of Engineering (Mechanical) specialization in Offshore Oil and Gas Technology. I am interested in the full time position – Assistant Engineer/ Officer (Shipwright) advertised in the online job portal of Jobs Central on August 31.

From my four years of undergraduate studies, I have gained strong fundamental knowledge in engineering such as design engineering, material selection, failure/fatigue analysis, equipment design, oil and gas extraction process, etc. I was honored to become part of the RoboCup team where I assisted in the building and design of robots to compete in the soccer tournament in Graz, Austria. I researched in subsea oil exploration and the feasibility of laser drilling in onshore oilfield. My graduation thesis focused on studying the indentation deformation in the subsurface of Bulk Metallic Glass.

Being the President of Institution of Engineers, Singapore, I have enhanced my leadership, communication and organizational skills. I was also a Career Guide in the NUS Career Centre where I assisted in various projects and advised my peer in career related areas. Apart from that, my working experience as ride operator in United States has developed myself to become a global citizen and adaptable to foreign environment. This is especially important in Keppel where diversity is embraced and employers are posted overseas for projects at times. Given the opportunity, I strongly believe that my discipline, self-oriented behavior and personable disposition would make up for my inexperience, fit well into the company's community, and contribute to its success.

I have enclosed my resume for your review. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet you to demonstrate how my abilities and qualifications fit into Keppel. I can be contacted at (+65) 91417103 or makyankit@gmail.com. I am very interested in this position and will be available to start work anytime soon. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.


Yours sincerely,
Jason Mak