IN THIS SERIES OF BLOG POSTINGS, WE FEATURE OUR ALUMNI AS THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE BEING IN THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THEIR UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS AS FORMER XU DEVCOM STUDENTS.

Why did you take DevCom?

I was initially tossing between taking a college degree course that would either guarantee high salary or nurture my passion.  In the end, I chose the one which resonated more with my heart.

 I actually did not have a clear understanding about DevCom.  But I always knew that I have a knack for writing, reading and public speaking. And DevCom’s course prospectus excited me with an outline of subjects that are in line with my interests and curiosities.

So yeah, in the end, passion led me here.

Can you tell us something about your experience with the program?

The course fulfilled my expectation by teaching me the fundamentals of Communication and honing my skills. However, it also taught me something more. It taught me to think bigger; to be more aware of the society, to acknowledge the stakeholders, to respect the communities, and to act with a purpose.

DevCom has taught me to use communication not as an end to a means, but as a means to an end.

The course program went beyond the pages of the books and outside the four corners of the classroom. We had community immersions, outreach programs, stakeholder engagements, theatre productions, etc.

I graduated just closely before the digital information boom – so we did not have the privilege of having available information off the internet. We had to do our research, investigations, enquiries – manually. We were always on the move, bound with deadlines as well (take note: 12:00pm, not 12:01pm). Those were interesting days indeed. But it has taught me with the disciplines I need to be successful where I am right now.

What are you busy about these days?

I am now based in Australia, working as a Senior Legal Assistant. I am responsible for assisting the Lawyer in practice and client management administration.

Do you get to apply your learnings?

More than learning about the technical skills, I have also learned the Soft Skills a well, to enable me to become an effective Communicator.

Communication permeates all aspects of my daily work. Every day, I am exposed to dealing with different stakeholders like clients, witnesses, defendant solicitors, court officers, etc.

Some of the learnings that has come in handy for me at work:

•  Confidence – Confidence builds credibility. It shows my knowledge about my cause, what I believe in and what I will deliver.  You need the right technical communication skills to convey that confidence.
•  Clarity and Concision – This means saying what I want clearly and directly. Catering my manner of communication by choosing the right words in a manner that can be easily understood by my listener.
•  Style – This is purposive communication, bearing in mind the use of communication not just to inform, but to influence. This means picking the right medium for my message and conveying it in the right manner, catered to a specific audience.
•  Respect – This means communicating with a flexible and open mind. Rather than just simply getting my message across, I endeavour to be open to listening to and understanding the other person’s point of view. By being willing to enter into a dialogue, even with people with whom I disagree, I will be able to have more honest, productive conversations.

Would you recommend the course to the younger ones, why/why not?

Based on experience, I did not choose the college degree course which guaranteed high salary. I followed my passion. This has led me to a happy, fulfilled and driven live – now, that’s priceless.

To the young ones, I would say – allow your passion to guide you. Pursue what excites you.

If you love to write, read, talk, draw, paint, act, – then you are on the right track by taking the DevCom course. Even if you think that you do not have the right talent, I still say, go for it. The DevCom program will help you discover your talent and hone it.