What now?

What now is exactly on my mind. If you come to Tsinghua SEM, you'll finished writing your thesis somewhere end-April, polish it up and it's due by the second week of May. Other than that, you don't really have much to do aside from looking for jobs. But if you start looking for jobs now, it's a little bit too late - most of the decent jobs have been pretty much taken and you are stuck looking for jobs that trickle through the Career Development Center (CDC).

If you're not too picky, a good place to start is on LinkedIn. Start applying for jobs through LinkedIn, I know classmates who seem to have had a pretty good hit rate on that; at least they're getting called for the first round interviews. But of course, some of the jobs seem pretty mediocre. I would seriously advise you to start looking for jobs sometime in August of your second year - at least prepare your cover letters and resumes and start networking. You can never start too early on that.

The other option is to look at NON-MBA jobs, such as jobs with IBM, P&G, and all the larger companies. You won't be able to join their specialized MBA programs/management programs, but you'll at least have some job of sorts. You won't earn a lot and you may not have the similar opportunities you would have had if you were on their programs. But that's a solid option to have.

So, what else is there to do? Well, you could explore Beijing especially if you like to take photos. Slightly before this time, it's a good 2 weeks of spring, where the weather is cool and not too hot, so go to places like 798, Nanlouguxiang or even Tianjin. Go with a partner, preferably one of the opposite sex, it's a lot more fun that way.

If you want to go to gym, there are 2 gyms located in Wudaokou, one at TUS Park and one at Lotus Center (I think it's Nirvana). Nirvana is the most expensive one and not as nice as the one at TUS Park. I think there's another gym at Wenjin International Hotel, but I'm not too sure about that. Choose TUS Park's gym at B1, it's pretty cheap and good. If you have decided to stay in Liudaokou, there's a Chinese gym at Jinma Dasha, where the Starbucks is. It's not too pricey and gets the job done.

If you like pool, there are several pool centers (I didn't know that they were pretty hard to find until I tried looking for them). The first one is around the corner from Ten Year Cafe. Walk from Ten Years Cafe towards Wudaokou in the small alley and on your left will be a hotel, the road will also split left at the hotel. Just walk down the left road until you come to a large building (it's literally 1 minute from the hotel, so it isn't that far). That's the first place, the second place is at thw Wudaokou Hotel (I think that's what it's called), where the cinema is (opposite Hualian). Next to the ICBC ATM's is the entrance, just go down to B1 again - this one is pretty nice, decent tables and cues, except it's way pricey, I think it's about RMB50 per hour. If you want to play 4-ball or Korean pool, there's one on the left side of the cinema called Dama Billards in the little alley (you have to enter a staircase and walk up 3 flights of stairs).

Alternatively, if you fancy playing computer games, just go to B1 of Huaqing, at the entrance next to the McDonald's in Wudaokou.

Come to think about it, there really isn't much to do in Wudakou.... you can always go to Propaganda/Solutions to pick up girls/boys. Any night will be a good night, just don't get drunk there, the dodgy alcohol they serve will make you sick, literally.

-----

Jaime said

"Thanks! I already read that book, it was really fun and interesting. Actually IB was not my first choice either. But, right now the construction industry situation is not that good, and I have experienced myself how architects are exploited for a misserable pay, so I thought that if I had to work that much I would better be payed well. Appart from these, I believe working in IB would be very challenging and would help me learn about how business are done. Sadly I don't really know how to break in... "


Hi Jaime... (thanks for being such a consistent reader, we should have coffee one day :) )

Well, truth be told, most jobs are somewhat horrible. To be honest though, I have rarely, if never, heard about architects going into investment banking. By and large, most non-finance people who go into finance tend to be engineers, physics, science etc. I may be wrong, but investment banking usually doesn't focus on hiring architects. If I'm not wrong, you once mentioned you're a PhD? I think it might be easier for you to transition into consulting instead of investment banking.

I know that you would like to be compensated as much as possible for your work done, we all do :) not that I'm trying to discourage you from going into investment banking, but you should consider other options and widen your focus a little bit.

1. The higher paying jobs are front office - sales, business development, client management - and not operational jobs. You need to keep this in mind when applying for jobs, while operations is a critical part of any business' success, operational people not only do not get paid that well, but also tend to have less recognition and career opportunities. Good operations people are hard to find, but employers tend to think that they are easily replaceable (perhaps when compared to a star busines developer/sales person etc)

2. Money can be made in any job, especially in niched industries - commodities, specialized manufacturing - you make more money when you're specialized in something and not just a generalist. However, having said that, it's interesting to note that the specialist that becomes a generalist makes even MORE money because they have technical skill (which is valuable) and are able to work across different roles (which is important), allowing them to transition to senior management.

3. Challenge has to be met by passion. If you want a challenging job, you need to be passionate about it, or you will never be able to take the stress, the challenges or even the hours that you need to put into it. While money is a strong motivator and people work for years in finance, most people in investment banking tend to move out after a couple of years, some go back to school, or go into a specialized finance job (PE/VF/HF is they're very good). Unless you're passionate about making money for the sake of money, you will be hard pressed to survive in any environment just because you want to make money.

To clarify, there is a difference between making money and making money for the sake of money. One wants to make money for material gain, the other just loves to make money for the fun of it.

4. The best way to learn how business is done is by doing a business, or working in a business where you are involved with the business. Not by doing an MBA or by working in an investment bank or by being a consultant. While you do learn about business in those three mentioned ways, you will only be able to see very focused areas, or have a very shallow exposure to actual business.

I would suggest (I might be wrong here), but if you wanted to learn about business, this is the route that you might consider doing. Given that you don't have a background in business, and you do need to learn the basics, consider the following.

i) Work in a commercial bank with their commercial loans department. Here, you will learn about the cash flow of the business and what goes in and out, more importantly you will have the opportunity to speak with 100s of CEOs and Finance managers about their financial requirements.

ii) I'm sure you've done this, but start reading blogs on entrepreneurship and business. There are plenty of them, do a quick search and subscribe to them. They will offer insight into different parts of business, sometimes, a very in-depth view as well.

iii) Do a business :)

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Clazzi - Love & Hate (Korean)

I'm told it sounds very 80's... but I think it's very nice.

On that note, you should watch the original Korean version of "My Sassy Girl".

SOE

So, for the past several days, I've been working with a Chinese SOE (state owned enterprise). Which has been pretty interesting in terms of getting the whole China exposure. There are a few highlights that I've had this week, mainly:

1. Free food

Yes, apparently Chinese companies especially SOEs give you free food. Usually it's all you can eat, which can be nice when there's something good on the menu. The food isn't bad, it's just normal. Unfortunately, in my excitement to eat "lion's head" meatballs today and to take extra, I was told "ONE MEATBALL PER PERSON ONLY" :( Made me feel very sad, because I really like those meatballs. You don't get much variety - noodles or rice, with 3 or 4 side dishes and bread and soup. But free food is free food right?

2. 8.30am - 5.00pm sharp.

Nobody does over time. They work exactly 7 hours, have lunch at 11.30am sharp (because if you're late or slow there's a long line for the food) and go home exactly at 5.00pm. They don't do over time, and take a nap during lunch break or play ping-pong. They looked at me weird when I asked them why are they going home so early? I opted to stay late and play a bit of poker online as I usually have a dinner appointment at 7.00pm and am not rushing to go anywhere.

3. Smoking Room

That's right! Every floor has a dedicated smoking room, how cool is that? You get to get your nicotine hit whenever you want without having to step outside the building.

4. English

Everybody here speaks Chinese (as expected) and is trying to learn English (as expected). They're happy that they can practise English with me and help me with my Chinese whenever possible. In fact, they're so dedicated to learning English that they set aside 1pm - 2pm every day to have time to speak in English. They take turns translating their conversations, or articles or something that they saw into English and correcting each other. I'm pretty awed by their determination and motivation.

And the last thing I would like to touch on is... work.

I have not seen anybody do any serious work. I don't know why, maybe this is their down time. I'm sure that they do work at some point, maybe it's because I'm sitting in the corner and I can't see them. But most people who I walk past don't seem to be doing work @.@

But, I have been... well, not a lot, just a little... but little by little adds up right?

-----

DJ Yanny presents Terraformer - Won't forget these days (DJ Digress remix)

Nightcore version (faster/sped up)

Can't remember if I've put it up. Sorry if I did....

Chicken soup for the soul

Aside from working on my thesis, I found I made a terrible mistake in my business plans - rendering the entire business un-doable. However, with enough amendments and pivoting, it can be adopted to a more realistic and achievable business.

Lessons I learnt:

1. If you're doing a business in China, for the Chinese - please get a local partner, or local friends who can advise you. It's very easy to assume what works abroad, or what sounds good to you (because of your mindset) would work in China. Sorry, it doesn't work like that; I learnt it the hard way.

2. LinkedIn is actually quite useful. Especially if you want to get connected - but like most networking, if you want to get introduced to someone, at least have a good relationship with the introducer. Not just a "Hi/Bye" relationship, but a relationship where you actually have had a meal with the person and talk to him on a regular basis.

3. Don't fall for the China is such a large market, 1% will be achievable and make me insanely rich. China has so many provinces, and each province is a market by itself. There are several provinces with roughly 100 million people each, it might be better and make more sense if you were just to target one province. Remember that Beijing alone has 19 million people (not including Tianjin which is another 12 million) putting in on par with small countries.

4. Communicate - which means, you need to be able to speak Chinese. And hopefully read and write. I'm at a huge disadvantage because I'm not extremely fluent in Chinese and reading/writing is hard for me. It really helps if you can find somebody who can help you understand what's going on. Get a good tutor, a good tutor isn't just somebody who can teach you the language well, but somebody who can teach you the culture as well and who you know as a person. Terribly important. Have a meal with your tutor. That helps.

5. Be flexible in your plans. I think I've learnt it's important to have a business idea/model that can be adapted easily if changes need to be made. For example, you would like to have a restaurant, and it's a hamburger restaurant. Be flexible enough that if you learn it doesn't work, you can pivot and change it and turn it into a hotdog stand, or a pizza parlor.

6. Have somebody with you. Not necessarily a girlfriend/boyfriend (you can't really trust them sometimes :P ) but a partner who you're able to bounce ideas with and discuss things. If anything, that person is sometimes able to provide you with a reality check on things. I think it works best if you're able to have somebody who has slightly different interests and a different area of focus. For example, you may be focused on the business aspect of things while your partner may be focused on operations and technology. It doesn't mean that you don't know operations and technology at all, but rather, it means that your partner pays extra attention to that area while you're able to think about the business.


-----


Theloneranger said

"Hi,
I came across your blog while looking for information for Tsinghua IMBA. I must that you put the B school into a different light than others (although to me it didnt seem negative).

I have actually applied for the class of 2014 and maybe i might get into it. so i thought i would tell u my plan. I want to study in tsinghua and then go for a dual degree (after the first year) or complete the MBA in tsinghua only and looks for jobs in Singapore and Malaysia. Do you think that looks possible? "


Hi!

TThanks for dropping by and reading. I'm glad you didn't think my blog doesn't put Tsinghua SEM's MBA program into too negative a light. I have other classmates who are more than happy to talk about the happy side of things, but I decided that I wanted to present a more realistic view - sort of to manage the expectations of people who read this blog and want to apply to the MBA program.

I do hope you get a chance to get admitted (if anything, it feels good to be admitted) and have the opportunity to discover Beijing the way I did. Just remember, that in China, a lot of what you think would be normal doesn't really apply here - quite a fair bit of things are exceptions simply because it's China.

Well, if you want to do a dual-degree then you're probably looking at HEC Paris? Or are you looking at the MIT Masters in Management? If you're looking at HEC Paris, then I think you would enjoy it, although I'm told that Paris is really expensive. Of the classmates that went there, one had a girlfriend in Paris and the other was a local Chinese who had always dreamt of going to Paris (he actually speaks fluent French as well). So I guess, perhaps you have your own reasons to doing it.

I do think that the job opportunities are better if you did the dual-degree. One of the classmates got into finance in London for an internship, so that's pretty good. Not bulge bracket, but a boutique, which might have a more relaxed pace.

Singapore is a pretty nice place to work and stay at, but you would need to earn between SGD6k to SGD8k to really be able to enjoy life there a little bit more. Things aren't cheap, and the weather is as bad as the weather in Malaysia - hot and humid. And it's really small :P but I like Singapore because, it's convenient and safe, and they have not one, but TWO casinos (although I'm told Resorts sucks and you're better off going to Marina Bay Sands).

As for Malaysia, it's the much poorer cousin of Singapore, rife with racism and corruption. I would only suggest going there if you are able to get an insanely good package, or you're from Malaysia and want to be near family. If not, they pay less than Singapore/Hong Kong, it's not safe and there is institutionalized racism that might affect your career.

It really depends on what kind of jobs you're looking at post-MBA. If you're looking for consulting or finance, or those really nice jobs, you would have to compete against graduates from INSEAD Singapore, as well as the whole bunch of Singaporeans that go to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton/Chicago/MIT/Kellogg and Columbia each year. So that might be tricky, but I think if you're looking for a "normal" job (something that isn't specifically an MBA position), it should be possible to get that.

Good luck, and let me know if you come to Tsinghua.

P/s Please, get a VPN from Astrill or Witopia before you come, especially if you would like to read blogs, Facebook and watch Youtube and read articles that put China in a bad light. :)

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Hitomi - Continued Story (Code Geass)

For a change, a non-hardcore song. But one of the nicest songs I've heard - although to fully appreciate it, you should watch the anime, Code Geass. :)

Over and Over

Hola, my handful of readers.

It's been pretty cold in Beijing with some slight snow fall, but nothing spectacular (thankfully). Perhaps that will come later in December or January.

Several months ago, I wrote a rather negative coverage on the MBA Career Development Center , and have been told that the Class of 2013 is also quite unhappy with them. However, I do need to admit and say that the CDC has improved quite a bit since last year - and if the uptrend continues, then the future classes of Tsinghua SEM will be in a much better position that my classmates and me.

What have they done? Well, before we get all excited, McKinsey and Goldman still don't recruit Tsinghua MBAs, average salary is still somewhat lackluster and terrible things still happen. But what have they done?

The Good

1. They've increased visibility with larger corporations that have in turn come to do MBA specific recruitment - BP, Nestle, and several Chinese banks as well as other corporations (I don't remember the exact names) have come on campus for MBA specific recruitment. That means, I don't have to sit around with 150 undergraduates listening to junior positions that are available and only to be told that they will consider MBA graduates but aren't really looking for any.

2. They've stepped up the resources - there is an additional person (Kathleen Zhang) on the CDC now who has a Canadian MBA who specializes in helping foreign MBA students. Well, I haven't gone to her for advice yet, and I probably will over the next month or so, but it's nice to know that there is a somebody specializing on foreign students.


The Bad

1. There was a huge fuss going around last week. A classmate of mine (who I personally know and worked with) was on the verge of getting a fulltime offer when somebody wrote a poison pen letter dissing him. Long story short, the firm withdrew the offer and told him no thanks. Unfortunately, the CDC says they can't do anything (or maybe, they're discussing it with the firm, but last I heard, nothing was done) and my classmate is basically screwed over.

Well, from what I heard, he could have possibly received a verbal offer, and while that is not binding, it shows very little class from the firm to rescind the offer based on a letter - I do hope that they had a stronger reason than that. Personally, I think my classmate is a great guy, smart, hardworking but a little shy with the ladies. But really, he's a good guy.


The Funny

1. In the past several company presentations I've attended, I can almost always count on a classmate to raise a hand and ask "So, when you talk about compensation, how much are you wiling to pay?" Or something to that effect. It's hilarious when you see the look on the recruiters' faces, a very wtf moment. I guess they never expected that they would be asked that upfront at a recruitment session - however, I think it puts everything into perspective, after all, students do want to know how much they're going to potentially earn and a decent firm should be able to give a range, unless they feel that they're going to pay very little and are too embarassed to say so.

But by and large, the recruiters will tend to hmm and uhmm. and say something to the effect of

i. You'll be getting a competitive package.
ii. It's a total compensation package, so look at the training and other "benefits and opportunities"
iii. And when finally pushed, they'll admit it's a local package.

But really, skip the bullshit. At this point, we've been to enough company presentations, talked to enough people and recruiters to know it's probably going to be a high end/hybrid local package. Why don't you just put the numbers on the table and talk instead of why it's still worth joining the firm?


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Dowster & Vagabond feat. Cat Knight & Dr. S - Over n Over

Classes, almost done.

With just about all the classes done, the next couple of months look pretty empty aside from

i) Job hunting
ii) Writing the thesis
iii) Learning Chinese
iv) Traveling

Most of my classmates are planning to head back home and probably stay there until they come back for thesis defense. Those that are planning to stay here have a similar plans, and of course, including getting a job in China.

But an interesting thing to note, is that there are a fair number of people who cannot simply stand being in Beijing (and perhaps China) any longer and are just dying to get out of China. Back to the states, or maybe even Hong Kong (although that's still part of China). But I think in general, the pollution, the attitude and even the facilities of Beijing have left a pretty bad impression on people.

As for myself, I still find a good deal of attraction of staying in China. Although, I have developed a love/hate relationship with winter in particular, I think I could be willing to survive that for the opportunity to be in Beijing. Perhaps coming from where I am, I'm a little bit more tolerant of Beijing's short comings and find them perhaps amusing, or I really haven't had the opportunity to experience Beijing at its worst.

I have come to realize though, that while most companies (banks/consulting/leadership programs) do start recruitment in October, quite a fair number of jobs that you would want require you to start within a month or two. So while it's good to apply for jobs in the mentioned areas, there are a lot more jobs that you can't apply for simply because of timing. Most companies would want you to start immediately because they are non-MBA specific jobs. They will value and take your MBA into consideration, but, the companies do not have MBA graduate programs. So keep this in mind when you start applying for jobs.


-----

Soon, everybody will be leaving and hopefully, getting the jobs that they want. It's been a good 1.5 years? Well, only about a year and 3 months. It's been a good ride. Make the best of your 1st year, it'll be intense but enjoyable. That's the time when you build the friendships.

Good luck and good bye friends....

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DJ Volume - Spirit of Yesterday (Nightcore)


I remember the days
I remember the place
'cause I wish you were mine
just a moment in time
say my name in the night
and to you it feels right
'cause into your arms I fall

You decided to leave
just as long as I breathe
it's my very last try
and you tell me "goodbye"
I remember the place
I remember the days
the best time of my life

Refrain:
I call
the spirit of yesterday
spirit of yesterday
I fall
into your arms again
into your arms one day

I call
the spirit of yesterday
spirit of yesterday
I fall
into your arms again
into your arms one day

Heading towards the promised land

As I mentioned earlier before, job applications are now well on their way. I guess it's during this time when you realize who your good friends are and who are just acquintances.

China is well known for being competitive, but when you have a group of classmates graduating at the same time, looking for the same jobs, the competition really gets a bit intense. By and large, unless you're applying for something totally different, people aren't going to sit down with you and help you. After all, if you get the job, it means that they don't get the job. It's a sad occurence, but a very realistic occurence. Remember when you were applying for a place on the MBA program? It's the same thing all over again - a spot given to somebody else means there's one less spot for you to get.

So, as a result, only your good friends are the ones who are willing to lend a helping hand to you - perhaps to look at your resume or help you with a cover letter, or even, write an introduction for you to a friend in a company they know.

----

How have I fared? Pretty badly so far. I've sent out perhaps 30 applications, and only received a solid response from one company. However, by and large, I've been courting this company for a while so the people I've been speaking to are somewhat familiar with me. Hopefully, within a month or two, I'll be able to lock it down.

The consensus is if you're coming to China now, you're a little late to the party. The fat cushy expat jobs are pretty much a thing of the past. Most companies now do local hiring, because the local Chinese are pretty much as good as the foreign expats in most areas, but much cheaper. I would think though, there are a few industries/roles where you can still get that fabled expat package - but you would need to have a lot of relevant work experience, and/or be in a technical role.

But, the party is still going on....

----

China is no place for the weak, unmotivated or for those that care. It's actually a pretty cruel and harsh environment to be in. One in a while, you can take a break, but usually, it's always on the go. Why do I say it's not a place for those that care? Well, sometimes, showing that you care is a weakness and most people wouldn't hesitate to explort it for their own benefit.

When you live in Beijing or Shanghai, it's easy to think that China is progressing faster and further than any other country you've been to. But you musn't forget that China still has a huge rural class, that for a majority of the people, what you spend in a day on food and entertainment would sustain them for a week, or not a month.

It's easy to see the decadence around you, whether at a restaurant, or a road or even in a club. Perhaps, it should be said, especially in a club. When people are popping bottles at RMB1.5k a bottle like they don't care, it's easy to figure that a night out with a group of friends would probably feed and educated a family for half a year.

Of course, most of the time you'll need to suppress that feeling to get on with life here as a foreigner. Possibly, the less introspection you do, the better a time you would have. Nobody really wants to sit down to discuss about what a decadent lifestyle they're having. This probably is true of every country has its poor.

----

So what happens now? Well, hopefully I get a job that lets me stay. Maybe then again, staying isn't a question - you could easily get a local friend's company to hire you so you could get the visa. So perhaps, it's more of, getting a job that I want to do that would afford me a decent life in China. After all, that's the China dream for most of us, and the reason why we came here. Because it was the promised land, except, we're just a little late now. But the lights aren't on yet. So party on.

----

An excellent article to read that puts into perspective how hard China was/and can be for people.

I fought for 18 years to have a cup of coffee with you.

----

Flyin's & Sparky feat. Marie Louise - Take My Breath Away

Job Applications

So right now, nothing's happening except job applications. The general consensus seems to be to lock down an MBA level job by January latest or you're chopped liver...

I guess that the stress level is slowly building but got to be strong, got to believe that I'm going to cross the desert and reach the promised land. What exactly is in the promised land? Nobody really knows, maybe it's just a dream that keeps us going on - but in times of doubt, what else can you wish for if not just hope? Hope is all we've got sometimes.

To talk about something depressing, here's a post I came across on ChinaHush.com. Makes you think and wonder and hope that it never happens to you.

Letter to Dad

In case you can't read it, here it is.

-----

A college graduate drifter’s confession letter to his peasant worker father

Dad, Yesterday you asked me how much money I have saved. I said I have saved a little over eight thousand. You seemed a little unhappy, said I already worked almost a year, three thousand and two hundred each month, I should have saved at lease fifteen hundred. I did not dare to make a sound. Dad, I really was afraid to tell you, actually there are not even five hundred in my bank card, and I have to pay the rent – three hundred in couple of days. There are several bags of ramen on the table, and the only money I spent was the comic book “I am Bai Gu Jin” (我是白骨精) I bought the day before yesterday. Dad, for sure you are going to yell at me for spending too much money, but you know, I love to draw since when I was little, I really could not help but to buy this comic book.

Dad, I am sorry, I should not have lied. Last time mom asked me on the phone how much money I make a month. I told her three thousand and two hundred, out of thin air, but I actually only make one thousand. And I don’t work for a law firm; I am just helping out, doing odd jobs at a company. Then mom told me that you felt monthly salary of three thousand and two hundred is too low, said your construction job pays over one hundred a day. A college graduate like me should make five to six thousand. Dad, I am really sorry, for disappointing you, after so much schooling, spending so much money on school and still not better than you working at construction. Dad, I will work harder.

Some time ago you always asked me if I am going home for Chinese new year, I always said that I don’t know yet, if I have to work over time during the Spring Festival. Actually, Dad, my company does not have work during the Spring Festival, I really just do not dare to go home. I calculated, when I get my pay at the end of the year and after my rent, the ticket for going home is over four hundred, then I probably don’t even have enough money to buy mom a sweater. Dad, your son does not have the face to go home!

Mom called me and said you are stingier as you get older, always blaming me for not calling you at home. My mom and I lied to you, said your cell phone has problems, always not getting through. Couple days ago you suddenly called me with your cell phone, and told me that you spent three hundred yuan and switched to a new cell phone, the call will go through from now on. Dad, I am sorry, son lied to you, I never called you, it’s not that I don’t miss you, and not that your son is not filial, but your son is afraid that you ask about my income, afraid that you talk about money. Dad, is it snowing at home? You have to wear more cloths. It is getting cold at the south also, your son really wants to go home, really wants to sit by the fire as a family, talk and laugh.

Last month you called and said the next door neighbor Dake which is one year younger than me is getting married this winter. He is building a new house in the village, and will move in soon. I held the phone and did not know how to answer, just laughed stupidly. You asked me to bring my girlfriend home to let you meet her, I agreed and also told you that I will send some money home when I am not so busy. You were happy when you heard that, said home is not short of money and told me not to spend money where I shouldn’t, and to save my money. Dad actually I have been lying to you, my girl friend was long gone, we broke up right after I graduated. And the money, I still have not sent, not that your son doesn’t want to, it’s that your son really doesn’t have money.

Dad, really sorry, almost worked for a year still haven’t bought you some good cigarettes.

Dad, I wrote so much, but still do not dare to show you, posting in online but you will not see it. But your son really did not lie on purpose.

It’s already 2010, I really hope to make these lies come true in front of you by the end of this year, and say it to you righteously: Dad, I am sending the money home tomorrow!

-----

Sarina Paris - Look at Us (Beam & Yanou remix)

Balling like a cog

What's an MBA internship like?

It really depends how you got the internship - did you get it through a connection or did you apply for it? But then again, how you got it doesn't translate into a good internship, although the chances are if you got it through a connection, it can be a pretty lousy experience - especially if the firm you're joining isn't used to taking MBA interns.

By and large, if you're in a structured environment, you'll probably learn a lot of new things, and have people treat you better. If you join a firm that doesn't usually take MBA interns, then you're probably just going to be a small intern cog that doesn't learn much, do much or talk much. Google chat and MSN are your best friends.

Since I did get the internship through a connection, let me run you through what I do.

7.15am Wake up
8.45am Get into office
9.00am Make coffee
9.15am Start up googlechat with my fellow cogs in other firms
10.30am Still on googlechat, and MSN now
11.30am Decide on what to have for lunch (usually nobody goes with me - maybe it's because I'm anti social
2.00pm Come back from lunch
2.15pm Back on googlechat
5.00pm Say goodbye to my cog friend that goes back early
5.30pm Go back home, or dally around the shopping complex waiting for dinner partners.
Midnight Head to bed

It can be a mind numbing experience, aside from Googlechat, you might want to look into books on Scribd.com, pretty decent selection there.

Sometimes, you get thrown a project, but usually you're thrown the project because nobody else wants to do it. In short, you're not important at all.

I hear if you join finance and consulting, the internship experience is much better - I think it's because those firms recruit MBAs, and have a structured internship in which they try to determine whether you're worth hiring. Also, they pay more, much more.

Of course, I have a baller cog friend who parties until 5am (you know who you are) and goes to work at 8.30. Pretty impressive, I wonder whether that friend actually was able to walk back home after work....

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Sometimes, when you tell me your stories, I cry a little inside for you.

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Fuquavision - Damn it Feels Good to be a Banker

Probably the oldest and still the best song about being a banker...

Tell me why you want to be a trader

I want to work at Goldman Sachs

So you want to go to business school

One month out

So it's been a month, and what did we learn?

1. CDC (Career development center) sucks. And when I mean sucks, it means that the CDC is the shits. Why? well, glad you asked. For starters, the CDC seems to be more interested in helping locals get jobs - which means, a bulk (85% or more) of their postings are intentionally in Chinese for the locals. Even when there are interesting jobs with Morgan Stanley etc.

Secondly, the school is geared towards ensuring that the best and brightest of the undergraduate class gets job. And honestly speaking, if you were in Tsinghua undergrad, you would be able to choose from quite a large range of jobs and companies that come on campus.

And lastly, the CDC does not communicate one a regular basis. Not only that, but they do not do anything to assure international students of a job.

2. Professors can be full of bullshit. The professors for the core classes seem pretty decent, and even helpful when you approach them. However, there are certain classes where the quality of education is just... shit. Was in a class where the "professor" kept repeating that he had been a successful businessman, was rolling in the benjamins and was looking to fund start up projects with his own money. I had the impression that he would fund, take a majority stake and kick you out once the project showed profit.

3. I also learnt that if you go out for 4-5 days in a row until 4am, there's a very high tendency of you getting sick especially when there's a flu bug going around....


I'm wondering whether it was really worth committing to two years here. Compared to actual top schools, Tsinghua is seriously lacking in the CDC and career options....

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Chwhynny - Till the day I die (Darwin & Entity Big Kick Mix)

Bored

Maybe it's just me, but I've been feeling bored at the program. Surprisingly with the exams, presentations and my own projects - including poker, I've found a way to actually get bored at here, in one of the most populated cities in the world.

I've been thinking about summer internships, and was wondering which organization and/or industry would allow me to combine my need to

i) create something new (as I have a short attention span)
ii) have a sense of achievement (I'm narcissistic)
iii) indulge in my risk taking (I have little sense)

Suggestions have been to go into sales. Which is pretty ok with me, considering how much I despised sales when I first started work. I've grown to like it quite a lot and have learnt that it doesn't always involve cold calling to sell credit cards.

But the question is, which company? which industry? And why am I doing an MBA if all I'm going to do is .. .sales... maybe at a more senior level I hope :)

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You must believe the fairytales I tell you
Love your princes, find your way
Do you guess it if you do?
My fairytales will help you through

You must believe the fairytales I tell you
Fight your dragon, find your way
Do you guess it? Yes it's true
My fairytales will always help you through

2 Brothers on the Dancefloor - Fairytales (No Velocity Happy Hardcore Edit)

Such a classic...