I was pretty excited to get selected for the MOH scholarship interview as it was my first scholarship application. It didn’t go as well as I expected it to be. Probably because I was nervous and didn’t keep calm when forming my train of thoughts.
The usual questions of the interview goes like what do you do in NS? As usual, I’ll list out my job scope and touch on points which reflect my interest in helping others as well as interacting with new people. Should have better highlighted my willingness to step out of my comfort zone as my appointment requires me to interact with strangers, solve their problems, coordinate with suppliers, and make judgment on offenders and also to host oath taking ceremonies. Something which I didn’t fare well is my stage boldness ability. I was nervous when emceeing the volunteering oath taking ceremony. Although the MOH scholarship interview didn’t turn out badly, I was glad that I did it. It was my first time and surely it’s a memorable experience and it is something which I would want to improve on.
Next, he would ask me with regards on my choices for the Sis scholarships. On my reasons for the ranking. The usual question on goals, hobbies, aspirations and how do I intend to achieve them was then brought upon. I guess these questions are to get to know the applicants better. Following those come the killer question. “Do you read books?” was what he asked. I feel that my reply lacks thought although it can be viewed as interesting to others. I replied “No, but I tend to read stuffs such as “Men’s health”. I believe this killed the interviewer’s interest in me. However, what I could have responded better with such an answer would be to link it to healthcare since he was from the healthcare industry. I should have responded that I was interested in health that’s why I read up on men’s health and it provides more graphics than lengthy words found in storybooks which may not be absorbed easily. Furthermore, I shouldn’t have mentioned that my hobby was to hang out with friends and to relax (This is due to the fact that I was nervous and thus didn’t think when I replied to him on my hobby). I should have highlighted my sporting interest and my passion in keeping fit. Taking part in marathons and ad hoc competitions are something which I’m fond in. I believe these are better hobbies to highlight than the mandatory “slacking off” doings. It’s funny when he replied me with “So you like to skive?” and I responded with “ No, but I value time with my friends”. To some extent, it’s a valid argument however people from the higher hierarchy in their field of work wouldn’t want to hire someone who doesn’t show the determination and desire and willingness to sacrifice. High achievers do sacrifice their time at the beginning of their years as nothing in the world is free.
Lastly, he asked me about government healthcare policies. I knew some of them such as Medisave, Medifund, etc but was unable to highlight them during the MOH scholarship interview as my train of thoughts crashed. I tried to divert the topic by saying that I’ll read up on them. Thus, he raised another question on government policies. I responded with the HDB cooling measures although I don’t know much about it and that’s something which pokes me in the ass. As the debate continues, he argued that the housing cooling policy will deter highly paid executives like him from investing and my reply was “Oh nevermind, for you I won’t tax”. I SHOULD HAVE DONE MY HOMEWORK BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.
Overall, the MOH scholarship interview was a good experience and it has taught me that I need to be more prepared for my future interviews. Furthermore, at least I’ve gotten a better understanding on how interviews are usually run. Looking forward to more interviews in the future so that I can hone my interview skills.