Eileen See Mei Jie
Goh Eu Jeen
Marylene Chung Jen Nie
Bachelor of Communication (HONS) Public Relations
Alumni August 2009

As we penned down the last word on our exam script, we heaved a big sigh. We cracked our knuckles and rolled our shoulders to ease our tensed muscle. Ipso facto, the burden of an elephant that we were carrying for three suspenseful years is finally lifted off.

We rested our heads on our hands laid on the table; the song entitled "We Are the Champions" filled our tired brains:"We are the champion my friends and we'll keep on fighting to the end...".

The triumphant music stopped abruptly. Wait a minute! This is not the end of our journey. The battle is over but the war has just begun. We are suddenly stricken with the thought that now we are like kites with no strings attached- aimless again.

A plethora of feelings filled our hearts. At one extreme, the thought of not having to endure anymore examination made our hearts sing. However, it is somewhat dampened by the anxiety of our uncertain future. And in between these two extremes, lies the sadness that comes with the thought that we might not be able to spend quality time with our friends as frequently as we did during our three meaningful years at UTAR.

Reality hit us. A new chapter in life is awaiting us. Are we fully armed to ride into battle of our next stages in life? We recollect fund memories of our stint at work: our semester of industrial attachment. We recollect the 16 weeks of traineeship at Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS). On the first day of traineeship, we sat for 2 hours test. We wondered why we were placed for exams when we had already been accepted as trainees. When later found out that the test was to provide an insightful evaluation of our aptitude, skills and knowledge which would form the basic for assignment to the appropriate department.

Although we were assigned to different departments, we often exchanged notes on our experience. We all agreed that what you learn in school is enhanced by experiencing working life in the corporate work. For example, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was an important topic covered in our 3 years of study. However, there was limited opportunity to relate to real world events and working life.

At PETRONAS we engaged in many activities related to CSR, ranging from planning to the execution of CSR activities. The process comprised drafting proposals, attending meetings, brainstorming as well as conducting post-mortem evaluation. We soon become sharper and more professional in handling CSR activities, among others.

We are glad to note that our stint at PETRONAS opened doors to the world of the oil and gas industry. We assisted in a range of prestigious events such as F1 Race, Merdeka Award Cocktail, Petroleum Geology Conference and Exhibition, The International Year of Planet Earth and lastly Tanah Air Exhibition.

Although we had fun, we also spent sometime on detailed paperwork - a necessity in the corporate world. We are proud to say that; PETRONAS has trained and prepared us for future challenges. We are especially grateful to the staff who provided us with more than we could possibly ask a conductive on the job learning environment.

In a nutshell, we believe that nothing comes free in this world. An open heart and willingness to learn are important recipes for sucess. We would like to end by pointing out 'Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself'. Take every opportunity that comes around without fear.