I wonder if it was a sign from the heavens that the weather was ABSOLUTELY pissing down during the career fair on campus today. Quite a few of the representatives from the various companies ended up being held up in heavy traffic due to the inclement weather. You could tell that the students milling around the foyer were getting really anxious as the clock ticked by and the empty booths stared back at them
As usual, a couple of more well known companies really dominated the fair, leaving some of the lesser known companies to fight it out for share of attention. That being said, I wonder if a career fair is the best way for a company to really sell itself to graduating students. I find that the on campus presentations tend to leave a more lasting impact and really allow the company to showcase its achievements and opportunities. Often at a career fair, you only really have the chance to talk very briefly about the opportunities without really being able to sell the rest of the company. I understand the rationale that the campus presentations often require a much larger commitment in terms of people and resources and companies may not be able to make that commitment (especially smaller ones). But I think that making the effort really makes a difference in terms of the impression that is formed.
I can't say that I was particularly blown away by any of the participants at the booths at the career fair today but at least I got to learn more about some of the potential opportunities out there. I figured it doesn't hurt to at least get to know more companies and understand what they do. Most of the really large companies either have their own separate campus presentations or they just know you'll apply anyway to skip on campus recruiting altogether.
That being said, I'm only in P1 so the career fair wasn't really aimed at me but at the batch above me. You could see a lot of them milling around anxiously trying to get "air-time" with the right people at various company booths. It's that tense time now when everyone's pacing up and down in suits practicing in their mind what they are going to say in that interview.
My time will come...
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Day 23: I wish I spoke Spanish
So here’s the deal right… at INSEAD you need to prove that you know at least 2 languages (1 being English) to enter and you need at least the basic grasp of a 3rd language to graduate. Most Europeans I know easily fit this bill given the similarity of various romance languages to each other. The Brazilians too have a good deal with this because Portuguese and Spanish are quite similar but different enough to be considered by INSEAD to be 2 different languages.
Now I’m not advocating lying but I know some people who’ve put various “Native” languages down that they only “kinda” know. I guess you could say that they are stretching the truth somewhat. It’s true that it may be their “Native” language but they certainly can’t speak it like a native speaker. Still, no one ever really checks your native language so you do get away with it. Add on another 2 languages that you are more confident in and voila! You’ve automatically achieved your exit requirement for languages.
I’m in the unfortunate situation though of only really knowing 2 languages and needing to learn a 3rd while at INSEAD so that I can graduate. Little did I realize that I would be one of only a very small handful of people who have to take language classes from scratch! Now when I think about it, I really should have done some intensive studying at a local language school before starting. That would certainly save me the headache of trying to juggle language lessons on top of an already packed schedule. As someone put it on the very first day, “Your days are already all over the place, language classes only screw that up even more”.
None of my classmates seem particularly keen to learn Spanish with the official language schools. To be fair, they are quoting a pretty expensive fee for the classes. I figured that there’s got to be someone out there whose partner is here in Singapore and possibly a native Spanish speaker who might be keen to give a couple of people language lessons on the side for some extra cash. Turns out that there is such a person! Hopefully we’ll get started soon as I know that languages are not really my forte and I’m keen to put in some effort to make sure I get the basics right.
Now I’m not advocating lying but I know some people who’ve put various “Native” languages down that they only “kinda” know. I guess you could say that they are stretching the truth somewhat. It’s true that it may be their “Native” language but they certainly can’t speak it like a native speaker. Still, no one ever really checks your native language so you do get away with it. Add on another 2 languages that you are more confident in and voila! You’ve automatically achieved your exit requirement for languages.
I’m in the unfortunate situation though of only really knowing 2 languages and needing to learn a 3rd while at INSEAD so that I can graduate. Little did I realize that I would be one of only a very small handful of people who have to take language classes from scratch! Now when I think about it, I really should have done some intensive studying at a local language school before starting. That would certainly save me the headache of trying to juggle language lessons on top of an already packed schedule. As someone put it on the very first day, “Your days are already all over the place, language classes only screw that up even more”.
None of my classmates seem particularly keen to learn Spanish with the official language schools. To be fair, they are quoting a pretty expensive fee for the classes. I figured that there’s got to be someone out there whose partner is here in Singapore and possibly a native Spanish speaker who might be keen to give a couple of people language lessons on the side for some extra cash. Turns out that there is such a person! Hopefully we’ll get started soon as I know that languages are not really my forte and I’m keen to put in some effort to make sure I get the basics right.
Friday, 17 September 2010
Day 19: I wish I was a December batch
There’s something they don’t tell you when you apply that I’m going to let you in on now. The December batch is in a privileged position when looking for jobs compared to the July batch. Why do I say this?
Many companies tend to follow the US MBA fall recruitment cycle which coincides nicely with P4 for the December batch but is during P1 for the July batch. What this means for students is that some companies won’t even bother coming back to campus in March/April during the P4 of the July batch. As a July batch P1, this sucks because your opportunities are reduced. Moreover, if you apply in P1 for a company you think you might be interested in, you’ll have to make a final decision on it (assuming you get an offer) without being able to speak to any other companies that might recruit in P4.
Also, the December batch gets the invaluable chance to have a summer break within which to do an internship or perhaps continue to pursue an entrepreneurial venture. If you’re planning on switching industries, that summer internship can be a very valuable stepping stone to get to where you want to go. I’ve heard far too often in the recruitment process that companies essentially want more of the same type of people they already have in the company rather than people with a different background. Proving that you have some experience, even if it’s just 8 weeks over the summer can make a huge difference on whether you even get called up for an interview.
Many companies tend to follow the US MBA fall recruitment cycle which coincides nicely with P4 for the December batch but is during P1 for the July batch. What this means for students is that some companies won’t even bother coming back to campus in March/April during the P4 of the July batch. As a July batch P1, this sucks because your opportunities are reduced. Moreover, if you apply in P1 for a company you think you might be interested in, you’ll have to make a final decision on it (assuming you get an offer) without being able to speak to any other companies that might recruit in P4.
Also, the December batch gets the invaluable chance to have a summer break within which to do an internship or perhaps continue to pursue an entrepreneurial venture. If you’re planning on switching industries, that summer internship can be a very valuable stepping stone to get to where you want to go. I’ve heard far too often in the recruitment process that companies essentially want more of the same type of people they already have in the company rather than people with a different background. Proving that you have some experience, even if it’s just 8 weeks over the summer can make a huge difference on whether you even get called up for an interview.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Day 18: Entrepreneurship
Despite only having our first class at 2pm today, quite a few people in my section came to class today looking like they'd been up all night. That being said, some of us were indeed up till the wee hours of the morning last night "networking" at the "Wednesday club of the week" at Clarke Quay. It's not everyday that you get a late start so definitely take advantage of it when you can. People here sure know how to go out and have a good time. On the whole they just strike me as people who really want to get the most out of life.
Today we were formally introduced to the Entrepreneurship program at INSEAD which consists of various electives you can take along with activities and workshops that you can participate in. INSEAD is known for its entrepreneurship program and I'm keen to take advantage of the environment to really give this a shot this coming year. Stay tuned to see how that turns out!
Today we were formally introduced to the Entrepreneurship program at INSEAD which consists of various electives you can take along with activities and workshops that you can participate in. INSEAD is known for its entrepreneurship program and I'm keen to take advantage of the environment to really give this a shot this coming year. Stay tuned to see how that turns out!
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Day 17: Company overload
I'm already feeling a bit of an information overload as various companies come to campus and conduct on-campus recruiting. While I've only attended a handful of presentations, I can already see why people get exhausted with this process.
With a large number of prospective employers coming onto campus to recruit, you really have to filter out the ones that you aren't interested in so as to prevent yourself "drowning" in the wave of presentations and information overload. That being said, if you don't really know much about a certain company/industry, a good way to get a feel for it is to at least attend the company presentation and see what they have to offer. Can't hurt right? With less than 10 months to make the transition back to the workplace, the clock is ticking ever louder.
You could say that attending some of these presentations in P1 is being a bit too keen but can you really ever be too keen with your own future at stake here? To a certain extent I guess you can especially if you soon become infamous for being too keen and constantly "hijacking" the sessions that are technically meant for the P4's (those graduating in <4 months) Maybe you'll land that dream job with the company that you want but surely part of being successful in the long run is being aware when you are stepping on other peoples' toes and ultimately creating a negative impression. No prizes for guessing that this is last paragraph is loosely based on something I've observed one of my classmates doing over the past few days.
After attending some of these presentations, I'm beginning to get the feeling that changing industries is a lot harder than it seems for anyone thinking of doing so after a 1 year program (especially if there isn't time to do an internship over the summer). I've spoken to the hiring managers at some of these presentations and they're clearly more keen to hire "more of the same" rather than "try something new". While many companies will say that they'll consider all candidates who are qualified for the position, I really can't find fault with them if they decide to give an interview to the candidate who has 4 years of experience in a related field rather than someone who may have more years of experience but in an unrelated field. At the end of the day, these are companies, not charities and they have to rationalise their decisions around hiring. If they can get someone who is able to add value from day 1 (or at least in the first month or so without having to invest too much in formal training), the better for the company. When speaking with the hiring manager of an MNC
I'm not saying that it's impossible to change industry (as there are numerous case studies of people who have done that) but it requires a concerted effort on your part and a clear vision of where you want to end up. That way you can really channel your time most importantly to getting your foot in the door. Various ways include participating in club events here in school, finding an independent study project that will allow you to learn more about the company/industry or just speaking to as many people as possible who've worked in that industry before.
The catch here of course is that you must know which industry you want to go to. What about those who still haven't made up your mind? (like myself!) Hmmm...
With a large number of prospective employers coming onto campus to recruit, you really have to filter out the ones that you aren't interested in so as to prevent yourself "drowning" in the wave of presentations and information overload. That being said, if you don't really know much about a certain company/industry, a good way to get a feel for it is to at least attend the company presentation and see what they have to offer. Can't hurt right? With less than 10 months to make the transition back to the workplace, the clock is ticking ever louder.
You could say that attending some of these presentations in P1 is being a bit too keen but can you really ever be too keen with your own future at stake here? To a certain extent I guess you can especially if you soon become infamous for being too keen and constantly "hijacking" the sessions that are technically meant for the P4's (those graduating in <4 months) Maybe you'll land that dream job with the company that you want but surely part of being successful in the long run is being aware when you are stepping on other peoples' toes and ultimately creating a negative impression. No prizes for guessing that this is last paragraph is loosely based on something I've observed one of my classmates doing over the past few days.
After attending some of these presentations, I'm beginning to get the feeling that changing industries is a lot harder than it seems for anyone thinking of doing so after a 1 year program (especially if there isn't time to do an internship over the summer). I've spoken to the hiring managers at some of these presentations and they're clearly more keen to hire "more of the same" rather than "try something new". While many companies will say that they'll consider all candidates who are qualified for the position, I really can't find fault with them if they decide to give an interview to the candidate who has 4 years of experience in a related field rather than someone who may have more years of experience but in an unrelated field. At the end of the day, these are companies, not charities and they have to rationalise their decisions around hiring. If they can get someone who is able to add value from day 1 (or at least in the first month or so without having to invest too much in formal training), the better for the company. When speaking with the hiring manager of an MNC
I'm not saying that it's impossible to change industry (as there are numerous case studies of people who have done that) but it requires a concerted effort on your part and a clear vision of where you want to end up. That way you can really channel your time most importantly to getting your foot in the door. Various ways include participating in club events here in school, finding an independent study project that will allow you to learn more about the company/industry or just speaking to as many people as possible who've worked in that industry before.
The catch here of course is that you must know which industry you want to go to. What about those who still haven't made up your mind? (like myself!) Hmmm...
Monday, 13 September 2010
Day 15: Say what???
2nd week of school has started and thankfully no classes before 9am for me today. This weeks see's a whole slew of companies coming on campus on give their presentations, aimed mainly at the P4's but also very useful for the P1's to get to know these companies a little bit better. As I see it, I might as well understand as much as I can about prospective employers while I have the time/opportunity rather than wait till the last minute.
Last Friday was a pretty funny day by all accounts. For starters, it was technically a public holiday although we weren't given one. The rest of the island was in a holiday mood while I trudged to school for my 10.15am lecture. It did mean that the public transport was a lot less crowded though which I guess was the nice part. However, no shuttle bus from the MRT station. =(
Ended up having 3 lectures that day and by far the most entertaining was my finance lecture. Not because of the content itself (which is pretty technical and you really have to be a finance/math geek to get excited about it), but rather because the professor was full of quotable quotes that day. I guess that's what happens when are in charge of the last lecture of the week, you have to drop bombshells to keep people awake/interested.
(Trying to settle the class down before starting)
"Please settle down... I'm losing my voice. A professor without a voice is about as useful as a gigolo without stamina"
(Referring to our weekend plans)
"After Statistics, Accounting and Finance, I'm sure all you want to do now is get drunk"
(Who knows where he got this reference from?!?!?!)
"With leverage you have ups and downs... it's just like coke!"
O_O!!!
I'm not quite sure what he was on to help him get through the class but it certainly made our last lecture of the day a lot less painful and if that meant that more information was absorbed, then I guess he's done a good job.
Club activities are slowly beginning to kick off here. Looking forward to the various club activities I've signed up for although I'm sure I've signed up for way too many and at some point I'll have to rationalise my time among them. Already missed the first football session yesterday but my legs were crying out for mercy after the half-marathon in the morning.
Nominations for our section representatives are due today. Pretty important if you want to maintain a fun atmosphere within the section. Our stats professor has already got our champagne fun kick-started but now it's up to us to bring it to the next level. I've been hearing talk about "fines" for being late or having your cellphone go off during a lecture. That should definitely keep things interesting over the next couple of weeks. Elections are this week so we'll see!
Last Friday was a pretty funny day by all accounts. For starters, it was technically a public holiday although we weren't given one. The rest of the island was in a holiday mood while I trudged to school for my 10.15am lecture. It did mean that the public transport was a lot less crowded though which I guess was the nice part. However, no shuttle bus from the MRT station. =(
Ended up having 3 lectures that day and by far the most entertaining was my finance lecture. Not because of the content itself (which is pretty technical and you really have to be a finance/math geek to get excited about it), but rather because the professor was full of quotable quotes that day. I guess that's what happens when are in charge of the last lecture of the week, you have to drop bombshells to keep people awake/interested.
(Trying to settle the class down before starting)
"Please settle down... I'm losing my voice. A professor without a voice is about as useful as a gigolo without stamina"
(Referring to our weekend plans)
"After Statistics, Accounting and Finance, I'm sure all you want to do now is get drunk"
(Who knows where he got this reference from?!?!?!)
"With leverage you have ups and downs... it's just like coke!"
O_O!!!
I'm not quite sure what he was on to help him get through the class but it certainly made our last lecture of the day a lot less painful and if that meant that more information was absorbed, then I guess he's done a good job.
Club activities are slowly beginning to kick off here. Looking forward to the various club activities I've signed up for although I'm sure I've signed up for way too many and at some point I'll have to rationalise my time among them. Already missed the first football session yesterday but my legs were crying out for mercy after the half-marathon in the morning.
Nominations for our section representatives are due today. Pretty important if you want to maintain a fun atmosphere within the section. Our stats professor has already got our champagne fun kick-started but now it's up to us to bring it to the next level. I've been hearing talk about "fines" for being late or having your cellphone go off during a lecture. That should definitely keep things interesting over the next couple of weeks. Elections are this week so we'll see!
Friday, 10 September 2010
Day 12: No public holiday for us
While the rest of the island celebrates Hari Raya, our class is stuck in school for classes today. Some of us were joking that we should complain to MCYS (or whoever it is that promotes Racial Harmony Day)
The first week here has really flown by though. Haven't had the time to update because so much is either happening or I'm in transit from home-school or school-home. I'm a little annoyed that the commute is an hour one way each day but I guess it's all about the tradeoff between time and money. More importantly, I feel like I'm missing out on opportunities to interact with other people in my class. I guess that comes with studying in your home country. You inevitably feel torn between spending time with the friends you've made before school and meeting all these new people. If I had started in France, I'm pretty sure there'd be much less of an internal conflict.
Classes have been pretty interesting so far. While the first 2 periods are described as B-school bootcamp, I'm thankful for the study/work experience I bring with me that has given me a good foundation for what I'm being exposed to now. As much as I dislike accounting, I'm appreciating the opportunity to at least understand it better. If you want to work as a manager in the modern economy, I don't think you can run away from something like that. I also like the balance between hard skills and soft skills classes. Coming from an undergraduate engineering background, I never had the chance to spend any significant amount discussing/debating/learning about organisational behaviour or business ethics. I enjoy the intellectual discussion and practical learning that takes place in these classes as it forces you to step back and examine interactions and situations you often take for granted, or in the case of business ethics, challenge your beliefs and your point of view while discovering that there are a lot of potentially murky situations out there.
The first weekend trip has been planned and the destination is Bintan. I can't make it because of the Sheares Bridge Run on Sunday and I guess it's not really my idea of an exciting weekend destination but it's close by and logistics are easier to manage. Wherever these guys go, I'm sure they'll bring the party as was the case for Wednesday night drinks. If not for us, the bar would have been pretty empty!
Apparently there are traditions for Monday/Wednesday night drinks here on the Singapore campus. The unspoken norm is that there are Friday night drinks too of course but albeit less formal. As my ex-colleague put so nicely, these are of course opportunities to "network" and get to know each other better. Good thing then that working in London increased my tolerance to alcohol. ;)
The first week here has really flown by though. Haven't had the time to update because so much is either happening or I'm in transit from home-school or school-home. I'm a little annoyed that the commute is an hour one way each day but I guess it's all about the tradeoff between time and money. More importantly, I feel like I'm missing out on opportunities to interact with other people in my class. I guess that comes with studying in your home country. You inevitably feel torn between spending time with the friends you've made before school and meeting all these new people. If I had started in France, I'm pretty sure there'd be much less of an internal conflict.
Classes have been pretty interesting so far. While the first 2 periods are described as B-school bootcamp, I'm thankful for the study/work experience I bring with me that has given me a good foundation for what I'm being exposed to now. As much as I dislike accounting, I'm appreciating the opportunity to at least understand it better. If you want to work as a manager in the modern economy, I don't think you can run away from something like that. I also like the balance between hard skills and soft skills classes. Coming from an undergraduate engineering background, I never had the chance to spend any significant amount discussing/debating/learning about organisational behaviour or business ethics. I enjoy the intellectual discussion and practical learning that takes place in these classes as it forces you to step back and examine interactions and situations you often take for granted, or in the case of business ethics, challenge your beliefs and your point of view while discovering that there are a lot of potentially murky situations out there.
The first weekend trip has been planned and the destination is Bintan. I can't make it because of the Sheares Bridge Run on Sunday and I guess it's not really my idea of an exciting weekend destination but it's close by and logistics are easier to manage. Wherever these guys go, I'm sure they'll bring the party as was the case for Wednesday night drinks. If not for us, the bar would have been pretty empty!
Apparently there are traditions for Monday/Wednesday night drinks here on the Singapore campus. The unspoken norm is that there are Friday night drinks too of course but albeit less formal. As my ex-colleague put so nicely, these are of course opportunities to "network" and get to know each other better. Good thing then that working in London increased my tolerance to alcohol. ;)
Monday, 6 September 2010
Day 8: The "real" first day?
I guess you could argue that today is the REAL first day of the program. The welcome and the orientation are over and this is where the real meat and potatoes of the program begin.
Thankfully my first class was at 10.15am which gave me just a wee bit more time to sleep in. I'm already sensing that sleep will be a precious commodity in the coming year.
Walking into your first class, you never know what quite to expect. I knew it was a stats class but I certainly didn't expect the professor to start off with a coin toss bet with actual money changing hands in class. I guess gambling is a great way to bring stats to life and to explain probability. Guessing that this hands on approach to learning is going to make these classes that little bit more interesting even if you choose to not get involved in the betting. (The rules are: 1. You don't have to bet if you don't feel comfortable winning/losing money 2. If you lose, you MUST pay up).
In another bet, she bet that out of the ~65 people in the room, at least 2 people would share the same birthday (ignoring the year). On paper, the rewards were actually pretty good with $200 won if there weren't 2 people with the same birthday but only $50 payout if there were. A couple of people were certainly tempted by the potential financial rewards but they ultimately ended up contributing to our class "champagne fund". ;)
Hint: Take a look at your Facebook, have you noticed that usually 2 or more of your friends share the same birthday?
Glad I managed to place out of Prices and Markets (Microeconomics). Feedback from the class is that it's very dry material. *phew* This really brings me back to the point about the exemption exams. I'm sure a lot of my peers could have placed out of it too but not many of them bothered to take the exemption exam and are now "stuck" in the class. Perhaps some of them are kicking themselves now. I'm probably just going to try to take the exemption exams for next period just for the heck of it again. Afterall I have nothing to lose.
Thankfully my first class was at 10.15am which gave me just a wee bit more time to sleep in. I'm already sensing that sleep will be a precious commodity in the coming year.
Walking into your first class, you never know what quite to expect. I knew it was a stats class but I certainly didn't expect the professor to start off with a coin toss bet with actual money changing hands in class. I guess gambling is a great way to bring stats to life and to explain probability. Guessing that this hands on approach to learning is going to make these classes that little bit more interesting even if you choose to not get involved in the betting. (The rules are: 1. You don't have to bet if you don't feel comfortable winning/losing money 2. If you lose, you MUST pay up).
In another bet, she bet that out of the ~65 people in the room, at least 2 people would share the same birthday (ignoring the year). On paper, the rewards were actually pretty good with $200 won if there weren't 2 people with the same birthday but only $50 payout if there were. A couple of people were certainly tempted by the potential financial rewards but they ultimately ended up contributing to our class "champagne fund". ;)
Hint: Take a look at your Facebook, have you noticed that usually 2 or more of your friends share the same birthday?
Glad I managed to place out of Prices and Markets (Microeconomics). Feedback from the class is that it's very dry material. *phew* This really brings me back to the point about the exemption exams. I'm sure a lot of my peers could have placed out of it too but not many of them bothered to take the exemption exam and are now "stuck" in the class. Perhaps some of them are kicking themselves now. I'm probably just going to try to take the exemption exams for next period just for the heck of it again. Afterall I have nothing to lose.
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Day 7: The first weekend
The past 3 days have just been an absolute whirlwind of activity. Most of my section mates came in on Friday complaining about aching muscles they never even knew they had due the physical exertions of OBS the day before.
Friday was a slightly later start for us, which proved to be a lifesaver later as the Bain sponsored welcome week party was that evening. Needless to say, it was a the most eagerly awaited event of the entire orientation program (yes, even more than the 9-6pm introduction to general management the following day - SATURDAY!!!)
I thought that having Business Ethics as our first class was a timely reminder to all of us of our moral obligation to "do good". Given the financial scandals of the past decade ranging from the collapses of Enron, WorldCom, Lehman Brothers to the fraud practiced by individuals such as Madoff and Stanford. An interesting comment from the Dean at the very start was:
"While I blame the CEOs of these organisations for their wayward leadership, the rest of the management are guilty as well, guilty of failing to speak out about these questionable practices. Some of those managers must have known and yet they all quietly marched on."
The number of real life examples brought up in class highlighting various mistruths and lies from peoples' own experiences really reminded me that it's a minefield out there. You really have to be careful and you have to watch that you don't fall down the slippery slope yourself.
As for the Friday evening party? Let's just say that having a poolside beach party with about 200-300 people and lots of alcohol is definitely going to be a very wet affair. As far as I could tell, definitely marketing dollars well spent as a lot more people were talking about Bain and wanting to attend the presentations to learn more.
Saturday was just a very long and somewhat painful day, eased slightly by the fact that the Prof. was fantastic. Really high energy, really engaging. It's amazing he's that enthusiastic about the material given that it was the 3rd day in a row he was presenting the exact same thing. Mention the name "Erik Weytjens" and generations of INSEAD alum will give a knowing smile. Apparently the case that he discussed has been around for years and it's essentially a right of passage for incoming MBA students to go through this intense 1 day introduction. Interestingly enough, the protagonist is an INSEAD alum who used to be a consultant before moving to a line manager role. I found it to be a fascinating case study made all the more real with an accompanying video of the protagonist as he sets up the situations then explains what he did.
That evening I took the chance to invite out various members of the section for a seafood dinner at Jumbo Seafood. Judging from the messy table and the satisfied sounds coming from the people seated around the table, I'd say that they enjoyed their introduction to Chilli Crab and the accompanying seafood dinner. I personally find great satisfaction in sharing good food with other people. Sitting down to enjoy a good meal is something pretty universal. Hopefully there'll be other chances in the future.
As for Sunday? Let's just say I was really glad to be able to catch up on sleep. It's gonna be a really intense 10 months and I'll take whatever sleep I can get!
Friday was a slightly later start for us, which proved to be a lifesaver later as the Bain sponsored welcome week party was that evening. Needless to say, it was a the most eagerly awaited event of the entire orientation program (yes, even more than the 9-6pm introduction to general management the following day - SATURDAY!!!)
I thought that having Business Ethics as our first class was a timely reminder to all of us of our moral obligation to "do good". Given the financial scandals of the past decade ranging from the collapses of Enron, WorldCom, Lehman Brothers to the fraud practiced by individuals such as Madoff and Stanford. An interesting comment from the Dean at the very start was:
"While I blame the CEOs of these organisations for their wayward leadership, the rest of the management are guilty as well, guilty of failing to speak out about these questionable practices. Some of those managers must have known and yet they all quietly marched on."
The number of real life examples brought up in class highlighting various mistruths and lies from peoples' own experiences really reminded me that it's a minefield out there. You really have to be careful and you have to watch that you don't fall down the slippery slope yourself.
As for the Friday evening party? Let's just say that having a poolside beach party with about 200-300 people and lots of alcohol is definitely going to be a very wet affair. As far as I could tell, definitely marketing dollars well spent as a lot more people were talking about Bain and wanting to attend the presentations to learn more.
Saturday was just a very long and somewhat painful day, eased slightly by the fact that the Prof. was fantastic. Really high energy, really engaging. It's amazing he's that enthusiastic about the material given that it was the 3rd day in a row he was presenting the exact same thing. Mention the name "Erik Weytjens" and generations of INSEAD alum will give a knowing smile. Apparently the case that he discussed has been around for years and it's essentially a right of passage for incoming MBA students to go through this intense 1 day introduction. Interestingly enough, the protagonist is an INSEAD alum who used to be a consultant before moving to a line manager role. I found it to be a fascinating case study made all the more real with an accompanying video of the protagonist as he sets up the situations then explains what he did.
That evening I took the chance to invite out various members of the section for a seafood dinner at Jumbo Seafood. Judging from the messy table and the satisfied sounds coming from the people seated around the table, I'd say that they enjoyed their introduction to Chilli Crab and the accompanying seafood dinner. I personally find great satisfaction in sharing good food with other people. Sitting down to enjoy a good meal is something pretty universal. Hopefully there'll be other chances in the future.
As for Sunday? Let's just say I was really glad to be able to catch up on sleep. It's gonna be a really intense 10 months and I'll take whatever sleep I can get!
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Day 4: OBS
Want to get to know your team mates better? Want to understand a better understanding of team dynamics?
There's probably no better place to do this than at Outward Bound Singapore. As part of the INSEAD orientation program, we participated in an action packed 1 day course to help us get to know our work group better.
The work group is a vital component of the first 2 periods as it's these very same people who you will sit next to in class and complete group assignments with. They are fixed whether you like them or not (the closest you'll get to INSEAD 'relatives').
I've always wondered how they group us. I know they're probably trying to create a diverse melting pot of backgrounds and experiences with each group. Does some complex algorithm do it for them or do they just draw names out of a hat?
Today was the first time I met my group and first impressions are looking positive given the way in which we successfully overcame each challenge that came our way. Hopefully we will continue to grow from strength to strength from this solid foundation we've built for ourselves. Beyond that, it was fascinating to get to know them a bit better and to dig into their backgrounds. Some of them are pretty amazing in their respective fields (ranging from Hospitality to Finance to Telecoms) and I'm looking forward to learning even more about them.
Activities today included:
There's probably no better place to do this than at Outward Bound Singapore. As part of the INSEAD orientation program, we participated in an action packed 1 day course to help us get to know our work group better.
The work group is a vital component of the first 2 periods as it's these very same people who you will sit next to in class and complete group assignments with. They are fixed whether you like them or not (the closest you'll get to INSEAD 'relatives').
I've always wondered how they group us. I know they're probably trying to create a diverse melting pot of backgrounds and experiences with each group. Does some complex algorithm do it for them or do they just draw names out of a hat?
Today was the first time I met my group and first impressions are looking positive given the way in which we successfully overcame each challenge that came our way. Hopefully we will continue to grow from strength to strength from this solid foundation we've built for ourselves. Beyond that, it was fascinating to get to know them a bit better and to dig into their backgrounds. Some of them are pretty amazing in their respective fields (ranging from Hospitality to Finance to Telecoms) and I'm looking forward to learning even more about them.
Activities today included:
- "Find a tree" - The team tries to walk blindfolded back and forth between 2 trees ~15m apart after planning the route
- "Alpine Rescue" - Team tries to transport a "casualty" from point A to B by balancing on logs
- "Disc Push" - Team has to 'count down' by tapping various discs with letters/numbers/equations in descending order as quickly as possible
- "DDD aka the Nutcracker" - Team tries to climb up a ladder made of logs with rungs ~1.2-1.6m apart
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Day 3: PSA, exemptions and quizzes galore
Public Service Announcement: Always remember to log off! Your classmates have a very wicked sense of humour and aren't afraid to use it.
Our first class wide email from a computer that was not logged out properly went round today. It claimed that this person was the P1 representative of the G&L community known as OUTSEAD and encouraged others to get in touch with him about joining the club. The poor guy who's account it was had a good sense of humour though and took it all in his stride while calling out his error. "Kisses" =P
Given how packed the first period looks, it's no wonder that people are trying to get exemptions from either a course (such as Accounting or Prices and Markets) or crossing off that language requirement to free up some time to hopefully give themselves more balance in the sacred MBA triangle matrix*. What is this sacred triangle matrix you ask?
It's essentially a triangle with Work, Social and Sleep as its 3 points. The key here is to find that delicate balance between the 3 that works for you. Needless to say, concentrating on just 2 of the 3 dimensions leaves you in poor shape on that last one you've neglected.
Still, I was slightly surprised that not many bothered to show up for the exemption exams for the core courses. Perhaps people have already decided that their fate is sealed either way (or perhaps are genuinely new to this material). I still haven't acquired basic knowledge of a 3rd language yet so the language exam was out for me. I figured I had nothing to lose by attempting an exemption exam for a core course. The worse that could happen would be that I would look at the questions and realise I really didn't know shit and have to take the class. Right where I am now anyway.
The first one was exactly the nightmare I just described and a complete write off. The second one however was a fair bit better. We'll see how it all goes.
Since attempting 2 exemption exams clearly wasn't enough, I subjected myself to the quiz night at Rochester Park (Krish). Couldn't be worse than this afternoon right? We had some inspired moments but unfortunately we changed our correct answers to incorrect ones too many times at the last minute. Still, it was a fun way to unwind with some random trivia.
e.g. "Which is the ONLY Disney 'princess' to NOT get her man at the end?" (Answers on a postcard!)
We can only get better... I hope! We'll probably be back again if our schedules allow.
*I'm still recovering from being a consultant in a previous life ;)
Our first class wide email from a computer that was not logged out properly went round today. It claimed that this person was the P1 representative of the G&L community known as OUTSEAD and encouraged others to get in touch with him about joining the club. The poor guy who's account it was had a good sense of humour though and took it all in his stride while calling out his error. "Kisses" =P
Given how packed the first period looks, it's no wonder that people are trying to get exemptions from either a course (such as Accounting or Prices and Markets) or crossing off that language requirement to free up some time to hopefully give themselves more balance in the sacred MBA triangle matrix*. What is this sacred triangle matrix you ask?
It's essentially a triangle with Work, Social and Sleep as its 3 points. The key here is to find that delicate balance between the 3 that works for you. Needless to say, concentrating on just 2 of the 3 dimensions leaves you in poor shape on that last one you've neglected.
Still, I was slightly surprised that not many bothered to show up for the exemption exams for the core courses. Perhaps people have already decided that their fate is sealed either way (or perhaps are genuinely new to this material). I still haven't acquired basic knowledge of a 3rd language yet so the language exam was out for me. I figured I had nothing to lose by attempting an exemption exam for a core course. The worse that could happen would be that I would look at the questions and realise I really didn't know shit and have to take the class. Right where I am now anyway.
The first one was exactly the nightmare I just described and a complete write off. The second one however was a fair bit better. We'll see how it all goes.
Since attempting 2 exemption exams clearly wasn't enough, I subjected myself to the quiz night at Rochester Park (Krish). Couldn't be worse than this afternoon right? We had some inspired moments but unfortunately we changed our correct answers to incorrect ones too many times at the last minute. Still, it was a fun way to unwind with some random trivia.
e.g. "Which is the ONLY Disney 'princess' to NOT get her man at the end?" (Answers on a postcard!)
We can only get better... I hope! We'll probably be back again if our schedules allow.
*I'm still recovering from being a consultant in a previous life ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)