05 June 2009

The Art of Convincing

These few days we're to talk to our respective class teacher about applying for the part-time job permit.

Before coming to Japan, I was being told that doing part-time job while studying is plausible, and in fact it's being encouraged to do so.

Doing part-time job is not just solely for earning the money to support oneself, but also a different kind of environment to practise the language while you're outside of the school. When you mix along with the locals, naturally you'll be getting better with their language.

That's one of the few reasons why my family would send me over here to study as I can learn more things and to become more independent all by myself.

So far I've learn how to settle myself of daily needs, from the laundries, groceries and recently, picking up how to cook.

If I can pass the test of earning money by myself, then I can, officially "graduate" from being independent to live life all alone by myself. It's about time that I learn all these things, better to learn it earlier than later when I'm too old to accept any sort of drastic changes.

Back to the part-time permit stuff with the teacher, yesterday my friend had a talk with the teacher and his request is being rejected, as the teacher cited that his reasons were not convincing and strong enough for her to approve the permit.

The teacher is a great teacher I would say, a strict one. I heard she don't easily approve the permit even for previous batches of students.

So yesterday I've prepared a list of reasons why I need to work part-time. The contents roughly is something like this:

  • Limited funding from home.
  • Do not want to rely on family.
  • Mainly to cover living expenses.
  • Impossible to concentrate on studies if basic living necessity is not fulfilled.
  • Study is still top on the priority. Thus will not work OT.
  • Gaining working experience now so next time when in university can be prepared for it.

    I roughly sketch the points in English and plan to write it in Japanese, but later I decided to write everything in English since the teacher should somehow able to understand simple English.

    It's like a gamble, if the teacher rejected all those points, I still have a "last weapon" to throw out in case initial plan doesn't work out.

    After today's class I talk to the teacher 1 on 1. She read the points and kinda agreed with me. She then proceed to brief me bout the expenses cover etc etc, and ask whether I plan to work for the sake to save enough money for university.

    My reply is that, if I need a large amount of money for university, I might still need financial support back home. Anyhow, if I can support my own living expenses, that would've saved a lot of money from home already.

    She did approved my permit application, and make me promised that if the teacher asked me to pause working, I must honour the teacher's request to stop working, especially before the major exams which falls on Nov.

    Am happy that I got the approval from the teacher. I'm on the winning gambling side this time. :D

    I noticed that in order to convince someone, first you must have some valid points to stand on. One might be able to lie about the points, but if you do not have solid evidence to back it up, sooner or later the lie will burst.

    Try to think from the other's point of view. From there, you extract the possible points that the other party would likely to say, and then prepare counter-argument to strengthen your own points.

    Sometimes the other party may be giving out some reasonable points, that one can accept and consider it, if it does really benefit oneself. If it's a plausible point, why not take it in if it sounded reasonable for one?

    During such convincing period, or perhaps negotiation, it's best to control the emotion, be calm and professional. Yelling and shouting will only make the matter worse, communication breakdown.

    Reasoning with someone close is a good practise for what you will be facing when you step out into the society in the career sphere. Those clients can be more rockheaded that what you face right now.

    I think that convincing and persuading is a better than arguing for something. Would always prefer peace than violence. :)

    Anyway, likely to receive the working permit by mid July, and then start working during the summer holiday which falls near the end of July. :)
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