Post 3

Mohammad Ali

Blk 67 Commonwealth Drive #02-221 Singapore 140067

Phone: (+65)-84242311

Email: u0806021@nus.edu.sg

Dear Recruiting Manager,

I am a student in the National University of Singapore (NUS), pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics with a minor in financial Mathematics. I am interested in applying for a full time position in the Risk Management Department. I am applying to Credit Suisse because not only does it have a reputation of consistently meeting its goals and outperforming its competitors but it also boasts one of the finest risk management teams present in the industry. The fact that Credit Suisse emerged unharmed, if not stronger, from the last recession is a testament to the prudent risk assessment and strategic allocation of capital by the institution.

I consider myself to be a people person who takes initiative in meeting and befriending others. My role in organizing successful events for the NUS Statistics Committee, such as designing souvenir T-Shirts for the students graduating in 2010 from the Statistics department, is a proof of my excellent management and soft skills. I am also a member of the Cross Cultural Community (CCC), whose sole purpose is to help international freshmen to adjust to a new environment. Being a part of the CCC, I had the chance of organizing a presentation with people from a diverse mixture of nationalities. This experience not only gave me the opportunity to work in a multicultural environment, but also introduced me to new perspectives about different cultures. After having such a close interaction with people of such diverse cultural backgrounds, I feel that I have learned to respect the cultural differences and to use them to achieve a better group dynamic. I believe that these experiences have left me with the ability to perform very well in a multicultural workplace such as Credit Suisse.

Apart from the interpersonal skills, I am also well trained in the subject of risk management. The Statistics and Mathematic courses in my curriculum have prepared me for the rigor of calculation and analysis pertaining to risk evaluation. Advanced level of proficiency in probability and data analysis makes me suitable for the work done in the Chief Risk Office. I also have the experience of working with many statistical tools such as R and Microsoft Excel which can aid the process of data analysis. I also keep up to date on the latest financial news and events through both print and electronic media.

As a person who is fascinated by the intricate workings of the financial market and has the appropriate skill set to make a significant contribution to the Chief Risk Office at Credit Suisse, I look forward to discussing my career prospects with you in person.

Sincerely,

Mohammad Ali

National University of Singapore (NUS)

Post 2

I’ve seen my fair share of conflicts over the past years. When I look back I come to realize that most of the conflicts arise due to some misunderstanding on part of one or more of the parties involved. Sometimes people in conflict converse with each other with the preconceived notion that the other party is trying to take them for a ride. Due to such prejudice they fail to understand what the other party is trying to say. They merely resort to stressing their own one sided platitudes and the conflict escalates.

I came to hear about an incident in a research institute. The researchers in that facility work on recently developed materials with unknown properties. One day a lab researcher was told to dispose of a chemical in the restroom. The chemical had a brown color and it badly stained the toilet. Next day the cleaning lady informed her company that she was unable to clean the mess. This is where the conflict began. The cleaning company contacted the lab in-charge to talk about the matter. In the conversation the lab in-charge kept on demanding from the company that it’s their job to clean the washrooms, while the company representative kept on stressing that it was not their job to clean chemical waste.

If we analyze the conflict we come to know that both the parties are correct in their stance. However, this does not help in resolving the conflict. The lab in-charge could have suggested some way for dissolving the chemical or the cleaning company could have quoted some extra money for the unusual job. What do you guys think?