Years ago I read an economic theory which talked about growth in emerging markets. I dont remember much of it, but it went something like emerging markets, such as China, could trigger economic growth through policies and subsidies. But this growth could take the economy only so far. When its time for "gear shift", the government needs to inject capital by the truck loads and hope the shift happens. Like China's manufacturing prowess headed for stagnation and the government had to inject tons of capital in knowledge driven sector hoping it would take China to the next level.
For many, MBA is similar to this. You are doing well in your career/ life but you have that one dream and MBA for you is a major push which might help you realise your dream. It doesnt have to be a specific job in a specific location, rather it is the impact it has on your life. Some are trying to get over their past, some are trying to pursue a different life and some are just pushing for a prosperous future.
You dont know for sure if it will happen or not, but it is your dream and you had enough balls to go for it in the first place.
Screw sunk cost - Keep pushing!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
A drunk post!!
Ok...this had to be done, so here it is.
Its 4am in Sgp and am just back from a "happy drinking" session with my mates. And it was fuckin awesome.
If I take the capitalist view of my life, I am pretty fucked up. No job, and no sign of one in the near future, rapidly depreciating bank balance and soon to be kicked out of the safe world of INSEAD.
But you know what, I am fuckin happy with my life. First of all, I have these great bunch of friends that I have made. Once you leave undergrad its pretty hard to make friends for life. It is really rare and this MBA was a way to get out of the fuckin mundane life and get a big picture view of life. And I am pretty satisfied with it. On the career side, well its a looong fuckin story. But since I am pretty fuckin drunk, I think I am gonna spill it all out.
You see, I did very well in my pre-MBA career. I was making great money doing my entrepreneurial gig. What I did lack was self-confidence. I always thought that guys from Mck, KPMG or any bluechip ass are lot more intelligent than I am. This self-confidence in a way made me explore the MBA option and then I ended up at INSEAD. Today I am 6 weeks away from graduation and I have proudly accepted the fact that I am different and that there is nothing demented about it. There is nothing fuckin wrong with seeing the world in a different way, there is nothing fuckin wrong by not accepting the frameworks and there is absolutely nothing wrong by believing that blue ocean strategy is a fuckin scam. Yep, you heard it right...its a scam as far as I am concerned.
This is what I got out of INSEAD....the fuckin confidence. I always had a dream and while at INSEAD I got to live that dream. That David vs Goliath thing is in a way connected to my dream. Last night I had a major setback in that project but I am still optimistic and excited about things. Before INSEAD I had a dream, while at INSEAD I lived that dream and after INSEAD I will fuckin achieve that dream. Will it take time? Of course it will and rather it should....good things take time to come through right.
Recently I asked a dear friend of mine what he got out of INSEAD. And in his words, "I met a bunch of people who might be labelled as complete fuck ups in today's world, but rest assured these will be the guys who will do the most amazing things in this world during our lifetime. And knowing them was INSEAD for me". And it is so fuckin true. Its unbelievable.
Last week I met this guy who is doing the exact same thing that I want to do in my life. It was very surreal meeting him but it was also extremely reassuring as I know that I am not whistling daa dee daa out of my backside. I am targetting something real, something very much achievable. Of course it is a different story that very few of the people around give something like that a shot. After all, entrepreneurship is not about frameworks but more about balls ;)
Adios fuckers. Be proud!!
PS: Yes, I have foul language....so?
Its 4am in Sgp and am just back from a "happy drinking" session with my mates. And it was fuckin awesome.
If I take the capitalist view of my life, I am pretty fucked up. No job, and no sign of one in the near future, rapidly depreciating bank balance and soon to be kicked out of the safe world of INSEAD.
But you know what, I am fuckin happy with my life. First of all, I have these great bunch of friends that I have made. Once you leave undergrad its pretty hard to make friends for life. It is really rare and this MBA was a way to get out of the fuckin mundane life and get a big picture view of life. And I am pretty satisfied with it. On the career side, well its a looong fuckin story. But since I am pretty fuckin drunk, I think I am gonna spill it all out.
You see, I did very well in my pre-MBA career. I was making great money doing my entrepreneurial gig. What I did lack was self-confidence. I always thought that guys from Mck, KPMG or any bluechip ass are lot more intelligent than I am. This self-confidence in a way made me explore the MBA option and then I ended up at INSEAD. Today I am 6 weeks away from graduation and I have proudly accepted the fact that I am different and that there is nothing demented about it. There is nothing fuckin wrong with seeing the world in a different way, there is nothing fuckin wrong by not accepting the frameworks and there is absolutely nothing wrong by believing that blue ocean strategy is a fuckin scam. Yep, you heard it right...its a scam as far as I am concerned.
This is what I got out of INSEAD....the fuckin confidence. I always had a dream and while at INSEAD I got to live that dream. That David vs Goliath thing is in a way connected to my dream. Last night I had a major setback in that project but I am still optimistic and excited about things. Before INSEAD I had a dream, while at INSEAD I lived that dream and after INSEAD I will fuckin achieve that dream. Will it take time? Of course it will and rather it should....good things take time to come through right.
Recently I asked a dear friend of mine what he got out of INSEAD. And in his words, "I met a bunch of people who might be labelled as complete fuck ups in today's world, but rest assured these will be the guys who will do the most amazing things in this world during our lifetime. And knowing them was INSEAD for me". And it is so fuckin true. Its unbelievable.
Last week I met this guy who is doing the exact same thing that I want to do in my life. It was very surreal meeting him but it was also extremely reassuring as I know that I am not whistling daa dee daa out of my backside. I am targetting something real, something very much achievable. Of course it is a different story that very few of the people around give something like that a shot. After all, entrepreneurship is not about frameworks but more about balls ;)
Adios fuckers. Be proud!!
PS: Yes, I have foul language....so?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
P5 !
Now in P5, its really hard to accept that INSEAD will be over in under 6 weeks. Where did it go? And more than that, it wasnt supposed to end like this? :(
These are interesting times. Everyone is neck deep in job search and success is extremely fuckin hard to come by. In good times, firms look for potential and MBA recruitment does very well. But in bad times, firms look strictly for a profile fit and this is where all the dreams which MBA marketing dept. made you believe in doesnt stand strong.
Consulting recruitment has mostly been a function of your office selection. Middle East, London, A few smaller European offices, Manila, Jakarta and Sgp have recruited. China is in the shittier end of the spectrum. Finance recruitment has been mostly through internships. And industry is going as slow as it possibly fuckin can.
I am focussed on industry and have nothing yet. From the looks of it, I dont think it will be realistic to expect an offer before graduation. The David vs Goliath is still on but it is such a fuckin long drawn process with so many variables that it questions the effort I have put in.
I knew INSEAD would be intense and quick. And officially, I am emotionally exhausted. My body can still keep up but mentally I am done. Only if I had a job, I could go back home and sleep for a week.
There will be a day when we all will look back and smile.
WTF...when will that day come!
These are interesting times. Everyone is neck deep in job search and success is extremely fuckin hard to come by. In good times, firms look for potential and MBA recruitment does very well. But in bad times, firms look strictly for a profile fit and this is where all the dreams which MBA marketing dept. made you believe in doesnt stand strong.
Consulting recruitment has mostly been a function of your office selection. Middle East, London, A few smaller European offices, Manila, Jakarta and Sgp have recruited. China is in the shittier end of the spectrum. Finance recruitment has been mostly through internships. And industry is going as slow as it possibly fuckin can.
I am focussed on industry and have nothing yet. From the looks of it, I dont think it will be realistic to expect an offer before graduation. The David vs Goliath is still on but it is such a fuckin long drawn process with so many variables that it questions the effort I have put in.
I knew INSEAD would be intense and quick. And officially, I am emotionally exhausted. My body can still keep up but mentally I am done. Only if I had a job, I could go back home and sleep for a week.
There will be a day when we all will look back and smile.
WTF...when will that day come!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
News Flash !!
David vs Goliath just got real !! We are going live peeps...going fuckin live!
And in other news, I am being dinged around by every living soul who has the authority to ding me. But fuck them. I aint gonna give up so easy.
Will be back with more news guys. Hang on tight to you knickers.
And in other news, I am being dinged around by every living soul who has the authority to ding me. But fuck them. I aint gonna give up so easy.
Will be back with more news guys. Hang on tight to you knickers.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Anxious moments !
Am getting a bit nervous now. As P4, the honeymoon is over. Now its time to wake up and get the honeymoon suite organised before checking out. Next two terms would be all about jobs and career decisions. And I have no fuckin idea where I will end up.
When I came to INSEAD, my target was Consulting in China. Pre-MBA I was in China in industry and earlier in my career I was in Consulting so I knew I could connect the dots. But throughout INSEAD, everyone told me that consulting is not for me. I am more of a doer, a hands on person which is not the case with consulting. I agreed but then again, I knew consulting would open a number of doors for me which would take me where I eventually want to be.
Then came the surprise summer internship in healthcare. It changed a few things in my life. For one, I dont want to be in consulting anymore. I love the challenge of managing teams, managing deliverables and driving real businesses. I like working with people instead of MS Powerpoint. Second, the internship re-confirmed my passion for my long term goal. The only question is how the fuck to reach there.
Well, it will be long and tough. There will be celebrations and breakdowns. A year to challenge yourself....fuck...its true. I might make it through or I might not. By December I will either have a job or I will be on a one way ticket to home. Ya...I will go home and sleep like a baby for a few days before thinking of jobs again.
Right now I dont know where I will be in 6 months from now. I am shit scared but at the same time I am anxious to see how things shape up. INSEAD changed my life irrespetive of where I end up. I became a better person for my partner, I realised my real interests and priorities in life and I blew up everything I earned over the past 5 years. Boy it felt good. I met some amazing people here, made some truly good friends and the memories will last forever.
Huh...fuck. Right now it feels like sitting in a roller coaster in the front seat. The security lock has kicked in and the ride is about to start. I am scared, I know I could potentially shit in my trousers, I know there will be an embarassing picture taken half way through the ride, but I also know that when this ride stops, I will be thrilled and be glad that I took this ride.
Guys, I am still on with the David vs Goliath thing. Its getting serious now and please pray for me. I want this thing to work. I know I am way out of my depth on this but fuck me, good things are supposed to happen once in a while right.
YouTube of the day (poor video quality though!)
When I came to INSEAD, my target was Consulting in China. Pre-MBA I was in China in industry and earlier in my career I was in Consulting so I knew I could connect the dots. But throughout INSEAD, everyone told me that consulting is not for me. I am more of a doer, a hands on person which is not the case with consulting. I agreed but then again, I knew consulting would open a number of doors for me which would take me where I eventually want to be.
Then came the surprise summer internship in healthcare. It changed a few things in my life. For one, I dont want to be in consulting anymore. I love the challenge of managing teams, managing deliverables and driving real businesses. I like working with people instead of MS Powerpoint. Second, the internship re-confirmed my passion for my long term goal. The only question is how the fuck to reach there.
Well, it will be long and tough. There will be celebrations and breakdowns. A year to challenge yourself....fuck...its true. I might make it through or I might not. By December I will either have a job or I will be on a one way ticket to home. Ya...I will go home and sleep like a baby for a few days before thinking of jobs again.
Right now I dont know where I will be in 6 months from now. I am shit scared but at the same time I am anxious to see how things shape up. INSEAD changed my life irrespetive of where I end up. I became a better person for my partner, I realised my real interests and priorities in life and I blew up everything I earned over the past 5 years. Boy it felt good. I met some amazing people here, made some truly good friends and the memories will last forever.
Huh...fuck. Right now it feels like sitting in a roller coaster in the front seat. The security lock has kicked in and the ride is about to start. I am scared, I know I could potentially shit in my trousers, I know there will be an embarassing picture taken half way through the ride, but I also know that when this ride stops, I will be thrilled and be glad that I took this ride.
Guys, I am still on with the David vs Goliath thing. Its getting serious now and please pray for me. I want this thing to work. I know I am way out of my depth on this but fuck me, good things are supposed to happen once in a while right.
YouTube of the day (poor video quality though!)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Update from Sgp !!
Guys,
Time for update from my side.
I moved back to Singapore campus and its great to be back. Having lived across the campuses, I think now I am in a position to compare:
- If you are looking for relaxed, good times, go to Singapore.
- If you want to study hard and learn a lot of models and frameworks, go to Fonty.
- If you want the career services to kick ass, then go to Fonty.
- If you want to be in Europe post MBA, go to Fonty. If you want to be in Asia post MBA, go to Singapore.
- If you enjoy looking at trees all day long, go to Fonty.
- If you can either cook your own meal or can survive on donner kebabs then go to Fonty.
- If party for you is about seeing the same people every night out, then go to Fonty.
- If you want to try your luck with new non-MBA women, then go to Singapore.
- If you want to increase your chances of getting laid, go to Fonty.
Yep, that sums it all. Singapore is my favorite campus. This place ROCKS! The atmosphere is lot more relaxed, intimate and there is a positive vibe about this place which is missed big time in Fonty.
On other news, I had my first interview and got dinged. Well I kind of fucked up the interview. Important tip - dont drink too many espressos before an interview. It takes you to turbo boost mode which does not go down well with the interviewers always.
The whole gang of consulting firms is coming on campus next month. Although coming to campus and making offers are two different things. Banks are absent all together. Its no more sexy to say you are from IB.
In terms of job search, its not very promising but lets see what comes out of it. Recruitment freeze is still around in most companies and it sucks to compare the list of companies visiting Fonty vs Singapore. Fonty wins. Singapore career services needs more local folks with years of Asia experience and network.
And finally, an update for David vs Goliath. Its not over yet. I am still in with a chance. I always knew it will be tough but am glad I survived this far. I should have another update on this within 3-4 weeks. I will let you guys know what it was even if I fail. And no, its nothing to do with jobs or women. Although I could potentially get women and jobs if I am successful ;)
And YouTube of the day !
Time for update from my side.
I moved back to Singapore campus and its great to be back. Having lived across the campuses, I think now I am in a position to compare:
- If you are looking for relaxed, good times, go to Singapore.
- If you want to study hard and learn a lot of models and frameworks, go to Fonty.
- If you want the career services to kick ass, then go to Fonty.
- If you want to be in Europe post MBA, go to Fonty. If you want to be in Asia post MBA, go to Singapore.
- If you enjoy looking at trees all day long, go to Fonty.
- If you can either cook your own meal or can survive on donner kebabs then go to Fonty.
- If party for you is about seeing the same people every night out, then go to Fonty.
- If you want to try your luck with new non-MBA women, then go to Singapore.
- If you want to increase your chances of getting laid, go to Fonty.
Yep, that sums it all. Singapore is my favorite campus. This place ROCKS! The atmosphere is lot more relaxed, intimate and there is a positive vibe about this place which is missed big time in Fonty.
On other news, I had my first interview and got dinged. Well I kind of fucked up the interview. Important tip - dont drink too many espressos before an interview. It takes you to turbo boost mode which does not go down well with the interviewers always.
The whole gang of consulting firms is coming on campus next month. Although coming to campus and making offers are two different things. Banks are absent all together. Its no more sexy to say you are from IB.
In terms of job search, its not very promising but lets see what comes out of it. Recruitment freeze is still around in most companies and it sucks to compare the list of companies visiting Fonty vs Singapore. Fonty wins. Singapore career services needs more local folks with years of Asia experience and network.
And finally, an update for David vs Goliath. Its not over yet. I am still in with a chance. I always knew it will be tough but am glad I survived this far. I should have another update on this within 3-4 weeks. I will let you guys know what it was even if I fail. And no, its nothing to do with jobs or women. Although I could potentially get women and jobs if I am successful ;)
And YouTube of the day !
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
David vs Goliath??
Have you ever been in a situation where you follow your instincts and end up against a Goliath? A situation where you know that most likely things wont work out but even then you want to give it a shot?
Well I am in such a situation right now. I know its a fight which most likely I will lose but I dont want to give up till am defeated. I firmly believe in what I am doing and if I fail it would only be because I was pitched against a very tough opposition.
Aarrgghh...its driving me nuts. I kind of fucked up 30 mins ago but so far I have not been kicked out of the game. And that is good news.
No, this is not about a job interview.
I will reveal all once this is over. If I fail, then this could be over anytime from now and if I succeed then it should be some 6-8 months from now.
Finger's crossed.
Well I am in such a situation right now. I know its a fight which most likely I will lose but I dont want to give up till am defeated. I firmly believe in what I am doing and if I fail it would only be because I was pitched against a very tough opposition.
Aarrgghh...its driving me nuts. I kind of fucked up 30 mins ago but so far I have not been kicked out of the game. And that is good news.
No, this is not about a job interview.
I will reveal all once this is over. If I fail, then this could be over anytime from now and if I succeed then it should be some 6-8 months from now.
Finger's crossed.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
INSEAD & Break-ups !
Two of my good friends are on the rocks with their partners. This happens to a lot of people during their INSEAD year. On the flip side, it also means a lot of hook-ups!
Why break-ups?
Well I am not your usual agony aunt but I think I have something to say here. INSEAD is an adrenaline injected, super-charged life where you feel like the king of the world. Life here is full of excitement and possibilities. The school admin on their part tell you that the world is your oyester. You can become that snooty rich PE guy or the entrepreneur who can create the next big thing in renewables. With all this madness around, you are hard pressed for time.
And then you get a call from your partner who is miles away and is mad about the little dent on her car. She starts the story about how she left home in the morning for work, how she had tons of things on her mind and before she could finish, you interrupt, "Cut the crap, a dent is no big deal. Dont worry about it. I gotta go now".
You change as a person. Your partner not being at INSEAD means that she has no clue of whats going on in your life. You forget the person you were when you left your partner behind for this MBA. And instead of getting your head out of your ass and think about it, you complain that your partner does not understand you well, is not practical enough etc. But you dont remember that in the months preceding MBA, your partner was there with you, listening to all your gibberish about how badly you need this admit, how your job sucks and you want to do so much more in life. You were shitting yourself about this MBA, finances etc. and your partner was there supporting you all throughout. Perhaps, you are here because your partner encouraged you since that very first moment when you thought of getting an MBA.
My only advice is that dont forget who you are. Dont forget your priorities because all being great about INSEAD, sadly it has to end in 11 months. When you talk to your partner, be the same person you were before INSEAD. Invest in your relationship because that is more valuable than another weekend getting sloshed.
(I told you I suck at this agony aunt gig!!)
Signing off with one of my favourite tunes.
Why break-ups?
Well I am not your usual agony aunt but I think I have something to say here. INSEAD is an adrenaline injected, super-charged life where you feel like the king of the world. Life here is full of excitement and possibilities. The school admin on their part tell you that the world is your oyester. You can become that snooty rich PE guy or the entrepreneur who can create the next big thing in renewables. With all this madness around, you are hard pressed for time.
And then you get a call from your partner who is miles away and is mad about the little dent on her car. She starts the story about how she left home in the morning for work, how she had tons of things on her mind and before she could finish, you interrupt, "Cut the crap, a dent is no big deal. Dont worry about it. I gotta go now".
You change as a person. Your partner not being at INSEAD means that she has no clue of whats going on in your life. You forget the person you were when you left your partner behind for this MBA. And instead of getting your head out of your ass and think about it, you complain that your partner does not understand you well, is not practical enough etc. But you dont remember that in the months preceding MBA, your partner was there with you, listening to all your gibberish about how badly you need this admit, how your job sucks and you want to do so much more in life. You were shitting yourself about this MBA, finances etc. and your partner was there supporting you all throughout. Perhaps, you are here because your partner encouraged you since that very first moment when you thought of getting an MBA.
My only advice is that dont forget who you are. Dont forget your priorities because all being great about INSEAD, sadly it has to end in 11 months. When you talk to your partner, be the same person you were before INSEAD. Invest in your relationship because that is more valuable than another weekend getting sloshed.
(I told you I suck at this agony aunt gig!!)
Signing off with one of my favourite tunes.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Temptations !
After more than a year of self restrain, today I gave in to my temptations. I know it wasnt the smartest thing to do but sometimes its good to have some fun just for the heck of it.
I bought myself an iPhone 3GS, 32 GB. And I fuckin love it. It has to be the coolest thing since Google. You can waste hours after hours on this little work of art despite knowing that you are being stupid. I think this is a serious fun phone. The apps are super cool and it delivers a serious "convenience" punch to your life. Like, I just discovered that there is a fuckin Mexican joint near my flat.
Over the years I have used all sorts of phone. I preferred the Windows mobile over Blackberry because it had pull email instead of push. You see I am a lazy person and I cant be arsed into reading emails at odd hours of the night. But despite all that I have experienced in the world of mobile phones, there remains a winner. And sadly that is a Nokia basic brick phone. You might wonder why. Well because that little pc of shit can wake me up every morning without fail. Windows phone on the other hand used to ring once and then leave a reminder. Now you tell me, what fuckin good it is to wake up at 10 and see a reminder "Alarm 7am" on your phone. The other thing which I like about the brick phone is that because it is so cheap that everything in it is basic. There is not a drop of sophistication in it. So the speakers are basic and therefore noisy. The vibrator is also basic and hence fuckin efficient. I can keep that phone under a pillow and it will still make itself audible while vibrating my whole damn bed. And thats why, despite all the iPhone, Crackberry and the flip phones, my preffered choice in times of peril will be Nokia basic brick phone.
Now phones aside, I am also doing other meaningful stuff these days. Like experiencing Parisian life, meeting new random people and also an internship.
It is hard to believe but my MBA is more than half way through. I have two more terms to go and since it will be recruitment season, it will be over before I know it.
During the next few weeks I will blog a bit more than I usually do. I want to blog about Fonty vs Sgp, the impact of INSEAD MBA and of course the fucked up job market. Today someone asked me where I want to be after MBA. And I had no answer. I have never been this lost in my life ever. I was the one who always had plans. But now I dont know squat about where I want to be.
But you know what, I am konfused and extremely excited about life at this stage !
I bought myself an iPhone 3GS, 32 GB. And I fuckin love it. It has to be the coolest thing since Google. You can waste hours after hours on this little work of art despite knowing that you are being stupid. I think this is a serious fun phone. The apps are super cool and it delivers a serious "convenience" punch to your life. Like, I just discovered that there is a fuckin Mexican joint near my flat.
Over the years I have used all sorts of phone. I preferred the Windows mobile over Blackberry because it had pull email instead of push. You see I am a lazy person and I cant be arsed into reading emails at odd hours of the night. But despite all that I have experienced in the world of mobile phones, there remains a winner. And sadly that is a Nokia basic brick phone. You might wonder why. Well because that little pc of shit can wake me up every morning without fail. Windows phone on the other hand used to ring once and then leave a reminder. Now you tell me, what fuckin good it is to wake up at 10 and see a reminder "Alarm 7am" on your phone. The other thing which I like about the brick phone is that because it is so cheap that everything in it is basic. There is not a drop of sophistication in it. So the speakers are basic and therefore noisy. The vibrator is also basic and hence fuckin efficient. I can keep that phone under a pillow and it will still make itself audible while vibrating my whole damn bed. And thats why, despite all the iPhone, Crackberry and the flip phones, my preffered choice in times of peril will be Nokia basic brick phone.
Now phones aside, I am also doing other meaningful stuff these days. Like experiencing Parisian life, meeting new random people and also an internship.
It is hard to believe but my MBA is more than half way through. I have two more terms to go and since it will be recruitment season, it will be over before I know it.
During the next few weeks I will blog a bit more than I usually do. I want to blog about Fonty vs Sgp, the impact of INSEAD MBA and of course the fucked up job market. Today someone asked me where I want to be after MBA. And I had no answer. I have never been this lost in my life ever. I was the one who always had plans. But now I dont know squat about where I want to be.
But you know what, I am konfused and extremely excited about life at this stage !
Monday, June 22, 2009
IN-SANE
Things, as always, are getting fuckin insane. It happened end of P1, P2 and now again in P3. I always had plans of being better organised but fuck me. Its not gonna happen..not in this life time.
My things to do for now:
- Prepare a presentation for t'row (just found out that the guy I was supposed to work with is out of country...so its only me on this)
- Reaction notes based on some 100 pages of boring pre-reading material
- Poll...just finished this one. Did not bother to read the case, just went online and started bullshitting. In the world of business education, you must be able to play with words like sustainability, stakeholders, streamlining, strategy, leverage....
- Book my tickets
- Find a place in Paris for the summer
- Review and submit 2 assignments
And if possible study for the fuckin exams. Oh..INSEAD...I will miss this action when I graduate !
My things to do for now:
- Prepare a presentation for t'row (just found out that the guy I was supposed to work with is out of country...so its only me on this)
- Reaction notes based on some 100 pages of boring pre-reading material
- Poll...just finished this one. Did not bother to read the case, just went online and started bullshitting. In the world of business education, you must be able to play with words like sustainability, stakeholders, streamlining, strategy, leverage....
- Book my tickets
- Find a place in Paris for the summer
- Review and submit 2 assignments
And if possible study for the fuckin exams. Oh..INSEAD...I will miss this action when I graduate !
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Dingfest
There is some serious dingfest going on out here. And I am getting enough of personal action too.
I applied to a handful of internship opportunities where I thought I really had a fit but I got dinged left, right and center. Some after an interview and some without the interview. I always knew it will be tough, but man...this shit is messy. I just wonder what P4/5 will be like. Royal fuck up I guess.
Here's an interesting one. We had this career fair in Singapore. Country manager of a top Pharmaceutical company was there. Since I could not see him at the fair, I later sent him an email showing my interest and stuff. I got a reply saying the HR is scanning the opportunities available and should get back in 2 weeks. 4 weeks later no news so I sent a reminder.
Lo and behold.....the HR replied today saying..."Thank you for sending your CV. We were highly fuckin impressed and shit. But unfortunately yada yada. None the less, we will retain your super kick ass CV on our system and have also forwarded it to other regional offices. We wish you the best of fuckin luck."
But...a big fuckin but here....I NEVER sent my fuckin CV to this company !!
I always had a certain hatred for HR people. Let me give you another example. 2 years back I applied to a consulting firm and was rejected straight away. A while later, I was headhunted for the same company, for the same fuckin job. How does that work then?
Fuck it. I am not looking for internship any more. I will take the summer off, improve my Mandarin and scope out certain markets and business interests I have. Instead of getting dinged for jobs which wont take me anywhere, I might as well spend the summer and figure out where I want to be. So thats the fuckin plan.
Interestingly, 5 years ago when I was going through a similar dingfest, my life took an interesting turn and I came out on tops. Will it happen again? Fuck yeah !
I applied to a handful of internship opportunities where I thought I really had a fit but I got dinged left, right and center. Some after an interview and some without the interview. I always knew it will be tough, but man...this shit is messy. I just wonder what P4/5 will be like. Royal fuck up I guess.
Here's an interesting one. We had this career fair in Singapore. Country manager of a top Pharmaceutical company was there. Since I could not see him at the fair, I later sent him an email showing my interest and stuff. I got a reply saying the HR is scanning the opportunities available and should get back in 2 weeks. 4 weeks later no news so I sent a reminder.
Lo and behold.....the HR replied today saying..."Thank you for sending your CV. We were highly fuckin impressed and shit. But unfortunately yada yada. None the less, we will retain your super kick ass CV on our system and have also forwarded it to other regional offices. We wish you the best of fuckin luck."
But...a big fuckin but here....I NEVER sent my fuckin CV to this company !!
I always had a certain hatred for HR people. Let me give you another example. 2 years back I applied to a consulting firm and was rejected straight away. A while later, I was headhunted for the same company, for the same fuckin job. How does that work then?
Fuck it. I am not looking for internship any more. I will take the summer off, improve my Mandarin and scope out certain markets and business interests I have. Instead of getting dinged for jobs which wont take me anywhere, I might as well spend the summer and figure out where I want to be. So thats the fuckin plan.
Interestingly, 5 years ago when I was going through a similar dingfest, my life took an interesting turn and I came out on tops. Will it happen again? Fuck yeah !
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Gentle Reminder
Last night I was walking back from a party, drunk, tired and everything else. It was 2am and a bit cold and then it started raining. I got completely drenched and instead of running for cover, I stood in the middle of the road with open arms and enjoyed the rain.
You see I love getting wet in rains. Its such a refreshing experience but I cant remember when I did it last. I guess it must have been almost 3-4 years since I got completely wet in the rain - intentionally.
Last night reminded that life is not all about MBA, financial models, internship, jobs bla bla. There are a number of trivial things which bring joy and happiness in my life and perhaps they wont change ever. I still enjoy the rains, I love a decent home cooked meal, I love watching movies etc. But over the past years, I was running around like a headless chicken, pursuing things which would bring me happiness and recognition from a social perspective. Of course its important to have a job and stuff but its not everything. And I am glad I got caught in the rain. I am glad I was made aware of simple things which I still enjoy and which I almost forgot about.
On a different note, I met mbamrs. She is such an interesting person. I have been following her blog for a long time and it was great to finally meet her. Someone with a clear sense of things, well composed and willing to explore.
So how is Fonty? This place rocks (so does sgp but at a different level). I dont think I have been this relaxed in such a long time. I love this small town, love the campus and just getting adjusted to the house party concept. The two campuses are definitely different and I will soon do a post about the differences.
Note: mbamrs pointed out that my blog contains a lot of foul language and hence to prove that I can survive otherwise, this post contains no foul langauge.
You see I love getting wet in rains. Its such a refreshing experience but I cant remember when I did it last. I guess it must have been almost 3-4 years since I got completely wet in the rain - intentionally.
Last night reminded that life is not all about MBA, financial models, internship, jobs bla bla. There are a number of trivial things which bring joy and happiness in my life and perhaps they wont change ever. I still enjoy the rains, I love a decent home cooked meal, I love watching movies etc. But over the past years, I was running around like a headless chicken, pursuing things which would bring me happiness and recognition from a social perspective. Of course its important to have a job and stuff but its not everything. And I am glad I got caught in the rain. I am glad I was made aware of simple things which I still enjoy and which I almost forgot about.
On a different note, I met mbamrs. She is such an interesting person. I have been following her blog for a long time and it was great to finally meet her. Someone with a clear sense of things, well composed and willing to explore.
So how is Fonty? This place rocks (so does sgp but at a different level). I dont think I have been this relaxed in such a long time. I love this small town, love the campus and just getting adjusted to the house party concept. The two campuses are definitely different and I will soon do a post about the differences.
Note: mbamrs pointed out that my blog contains a lot of foul language and hence to prove that I can survive otherwise, this post contains no foul langauge.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Moi...Fonty...Génial
I am here boys...Fonty.
Arrived last evening in what seemed to be an endless drive through French countryside. Was tired and eager. I booked myself a small studio in Fonty city centre and I was kind of sure it would be a complete dump.
Boy I was wrong. The studio I got is a loft converted into a living space and its cute. Yep...you heard it right..me saying "cute". Its small, its beautifully done and just perfect. Since my childhood I wanted to live in a loft. And finally I am here. There is only one problem though...I am kind of tall for this loft. But who cares....I love it !
Fontainebleau campus is huge. I have been on campus for about 4 hours now but still dont know my way around. Open spaces, gardens....its the complete package. Food is much better here than Fonty. You might struggle for Asian food but I personally dig sandwiches, smoothies etc. and Fonty is waaaayy better than Singapore. Infrastructure is great but then again Fonty has 3 times more people than Singapore.
Classes start from t'row. Today I have to organise tons of stuff...bank account, paper work bla bla.
By the way, just heard that MBA applications are up by 500%. Thats going to be one hell of a competitive process. Good luck to those who are applying.
The first 2 terms were all about MBA business - you know getting back to school, coursework, assignments etc. The next 3 terms will be about the individual participants. You choose the electives, decide your workload etc. For me, P3 is going to set the tone for P4-P5. I need to prepare myself for the job search battle for the second half of the year. And what better place to do that than the beautiful lawns at Fonty. Job situation for July 09 is really bad. Its much worse than December 08 class. So you see, I really need to get my act together if I dont want to shit myself during P4-P5.
But for now, its me, my cute little studio and the beautiful lawns at Fonty.
Miss you H...Wish you were here... :(
Arrived last evening in what seemed to be an endless drive through French countryside. Was tired and eager. I booked myself a small studio in Fonty city centre and I was kind of sure it would be a complete dump.
Boy I was wrong. The studio I got is a loft converted into a living space and its cute. Yep...you heard it right..me saying "cute". Its small, its beautifully done and just perfect. Since my childhood I wanted to live in a loft. And finally I am here. There is only one problem though...I am kind of tall for this loft. But who cares....I love it !
Fontainebleau campus is huge. I have been on campus for about 4 hours now but still dont know my way around. Open spaces, gardens....its the complete package. Food is much better here than Fonty. You might struggle for Asian food but I personally dig sandwiches, smoothies etc. and Fonty is waaaayy better than Singapore. Infrastructure is great but then again Fonty has 3 times more people than Singapore.
Classes start from t'row. Today I have to organise tons of stuff...bank account, paper work bla bla.
By the way, just heard that MBA applications are up by 500%. Thats going to be one hell of a competitive process. Good luck to those who are applying.
The first 2 terms were all about MBA business - you know getting back to school, coursework, assignments etc. The next 3 terms will be about the individual participants. You choose the electives, decide your workload etc. For me, P3 is going to set the tone for P4-P5. I need to prepare myself for the job search battle for the second half of the year. And what better place to do that than the beautiful lawns at Fonty. Job situation for July 09 is really bad. Its much worse than December 08 class. So you see, I really need to get my act together if I dont want to shit myself during P4-P5.
But for now, its me, my cute little studio and the beautiful lawns at Fonty.
Miss you H...Wish you were here... :(
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
End of P2
P2 is almost over. One more paper to go and then I will be off to Fonty for P3.
INSEAD is really intense and unbelievably fast. Before coming here I used to completely disregard this notion of intensity at INSEAD, but believe me...I was so wrong. This place is crazy. You go days without sleep and you always have a million things to take care of. Fuck...this shit is unreal.
Anyways...so now I am off to P3. This campus switch is great because how more international could an MBA be - two continents in one year. But at the same time this system has a serious drawback. You can switch at the end of P2, which is like 4 months into the program, but it usually is in P2 that you make good friends....people you will stay in touch and meet in your post-MBA life. And because of this switch, chances are that you wont meet some of them again in rest of the MBA. Sucks....
Fuck it.
So how was P2? Shit...absolute shit. We had Marketing which was the most frustrating experience ever...the other courses were way too fast and only finance was brilliant. But brilliant with a twist. Brilliant because you learn the smart things...you know the ones you could talk about in a social set up and impress people...and twisted because it made your life miserable. It was painful but exciting. Everyone at INSEAD was motivated by the challenge of the subject. We all worked hard. We knew its beyond us but that very fact made us work. For me...I went down...went down fighting.
On career front nothing much is going on. I applied to only those places where I saw a fit. I applied to 1 consulting firm for China office and got dinged. Before coming to INSEAD, I was targeting China for post MBA career but in the current difficult environment, firms are taking only native Chinese so I am screwed. I speak the language, I understand China and know how to deliver results but still things are not happening for me on that front.
I have once again come to hate the HRs. They are so full of it. You get called from random places but rejected from the right ones. And some rejections are just lame. I got rejected from one place and they said my level of education does not match their expectation. Are you fuckin kidding me? Of course it was a standard rejection but I think firms should consider the kind of message they want to send out. But right now its a buyers market so who am I to complain.
Alright...I better go and start preparing for operations exam for t'row. After the exam we have a bad ass 6 hour champagne party. Cant wait !!
INSEAD is really intense and unbelievably fast. Before coming here I used to completely disregard this notion of intensity at INSEAD, but believe me...I was so wrong. This place is crazy. You go days without sleep and you always have a million things to take care of. Fuck...this shit is unreal.
Anyways...so now I am off to P3. This campus switch is great because how more international could an MBA be - two continents in one year. But at the same time this system has a serious drawback. You can switch at the end of P2, which is like 4 months into the program, but it usually is in P2 that you make good friends....people you will stay in touch and meet in your post-MBA life. And because of this switch, chances are that you wont meet some of them again in rest of the MBA. Sucks....
Fuck it.
So how was P2? Shit...absolute shit. We had Marketing which was the most frustrating experience ever...the other courses were way too fast and only finance was brilliant. But brilliant with a twist. Brilliant because you learn the smart things...you know the ones you could talk about in a social set up and impress people...and twisted because it made your life miserable. It was painful but exciting. Everyone at INSEAD was motivated by the challenge of the subject. We all worked hard. We knew its beyond us but that very fact made us work. For me...I went down...went down fighting.
On career front nothing much is going on. I applied to only those places where I saw a fit. I applied to 1 consulting firm for China office and got dinged. Before coming to INSEAD, I was targeting China for post MBA career but in the current difficult environment, firms are taking only native Chinese so I am screwed. I speak the language, I understand China and know how to deliver results but still things are not happening for me on that front.
I have once again come to hate the HRs. They are so full of it. You get called from random places but rejected from the right ones. And some rejections are just lame. I got rejected from one place and they said my level of education does not match their expectation. Are you fuckin kidding me? Of course it was a standard rejection but I think firms should consider the kind of message they want to send out. But right now its a buyers market so who am I to complain.
Alright...I better go and start preparing for operations exam for t'row. After the exam we have a bad ass 6 hour champagne party. Cant wait !!
Friday, April 3, 2009
P2...
Ok...am back from another hiatus.
We are now in P2 and life is mad. The workload is high, quite a few are worried about internships, most are going nuts with elective bidding for P3 and some of us have to move to France in 3 weeks.
Got the results from P1 and I bombed...thats bombed with a capital B. I was shocked. This Z curve thing is a bit tricky. Although it saved my ass in subjects which I found really difficult, it sank me in subjects which were easy. Because, when its easy getting a 80% score is as good as flunking the subject. And my grades got screwed.
P2 is much different from P1. In the first term it was whoa ! after whoa ! for each prof while in P2 its WTF mostly. Marketing prof is the worst one. Marketing is supposed to be fun but the prof makes it even worse than statistics.
On internships roughly about 40 opportunities exist out there and firms are being very very picky. I applied to 3 firms and got the royal up yours reply. Doesnt matter...just another reason to get shit faced.
I will be moving to Fonty for P3 and then back to Singapore for P4/P5. I want to work in Asia so I reckon being in Singapore would help.
I gotta go. As some of you might have guessed, am in the marketing class updating this blog !!
Peace !!
We are now in P2 and life is mad. The workload is high, quite a few are worried about internships, most are going nuts with elective bidding for P3 and some of us have to move to France in 3 weeks.
Got the results from P1 and I bombed...thats bombed with a capital B. I was shocked. This Z curve thing is a bit tricky. Although it saved my ass in subjects which I found really difficult, it sank me in subjects which were easy. Because, when its easy getting a 80% score is as good as flunking the subject. And my grades got screwed.
P2 is much different from P1. In the first term it was whoa ! after whoa ! for each prof while in P2 its WTF mostly. Marketing prof is the worst one. Marketing is supposed to be fun but the prof makes it even worse than statistics.
On internships roughly about 40 opportunities exist out there and firms are being very very picky. I applied to 3 firms and got the royal up yours reply. Doesnt matter...just another reason to get shit faced.
I will be moving to Fonty for P3 and then back to Singapore for P4/P5. I want to work in Asia so I reckon being in Singapore would help.
I gotta go. As some of you might have guessed, am in the marketing class updating this blog !!
Peace !!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The story so far....
Hey People,
Sorry for such low post rate. Been really busy with course work :(
Ok. So here is the deal. In about 12 days, P1 will be over. Yes, it will be fuckin over. Its been awesome so far and I am now going to share my experience with you.
What is P1 all about?
There are two ways to look at it. Either you focus on the course work or you focus on meeting interesting people. As far as course work is concerned its mostly finance related. If you have a background in Finance then you will sail through P1. If not then it will need some work but not too much, unless you want to be on the Dean's list. For me, I dont want to be on the Dean's List because honestly I know what I want to learn at INSEAD and am focussed only on that.
As far as meeting inteteresting people is concerned, let me tell you that it is really important. You meet tons of people here and some of them tend to become your good friends. But then again, most of them will move on to Fonty and wont return. (This is for you V, mate come back to Sing Sing....). For me meeting these new people has been the high point because there is so much to learn from them. For example I know now that consulting sucks as far I as I am concerned. I know a lot more about PE than ever. And above all, I can run a fuckin spreadsheet on Excel like a breeze which I couldnt do before INSEAD. It is important and I suggest it be your priority too.
As far as grade performances are concerned, there are two grades at INSEAD - Dean's List and Non Dean's List. Dean's list is usually abour GPA 3.25 and it doesnt matter how close or far you were, you belong to the second category. If you my reader are into Dean's list and all, work your ass off son. If not then use this time to do things you have never done in your life before. For me, I did two things in P1 which I never did in my past 27 years. And hopefully I will add one more thing to that list by next weekend.
P1 and P2 is all about group work. I will let you discover that by yourself.
Now for jobs. Its all screwed up. So if any of you could link me up with a potential opportunity, I will give you my first month's salary. Number for D08 is around 65% with about 35% returning to their old jobs. J09 is now up for job search and we'll soon find out what the market is like. But I have been doing my snooping around and it honestly doesnt look good.
As far as internships are concerned, there are enough opportunities provided you are competitive enough. ML, GS, Citi etc. have been recruiting in banking. The numbers are very small like 1 or 2 and my personal opinion is that its only because they want to maintain the relationship with INSEAD.
Anything else you want to know??? Ping me and I will reply.
Take it easy guys. The world is all messed up but like the good old saying:
"In the end, everything is good. If its not good yet, then perhaps this is not the end."
Ciao
K
Sorry for such low post rate. Been really busy with course work :(
Ok. So here is the deal. In about 12 days, P1 will be over. Yes, it will be fuckin over. Its been awesome so far and I am now going to share my experience with you.
What is P1 all about?
There are two ways to look at it. Either you focus on the course work or you focus on meeting interesting people. As far as course work is concerned its mostly finance related. If you have a background in Finance then you will sail through P1. If not then it will need some work but not too much, unless you want to be on the Dean's list. For me, I dont want to be on the Dean's List because honestly I know what I want to learn at INSEAD and am focussed only on that.
As far as meeting inteteresting people is concerned, let me tell you that it is really important. You meet tons of people here and some of them tend to become your good friends. But then again, most of them will move on to Fonty and wont return. (This is for you V, mate come back to Sing Sing....). For me meeting these new people has been the high point because there is so much to learn from them. For example I know now that consulting sucks as far I as I am concerned. I know a lot more about PE than ever. And above all, I can run a fuckin spreadsheet on Excel like a breeze which I couldnt do before INSEAD. It is important and I suggest it be your priority too.
As far as grade performances are concerned, there are two grades at INSEAD - Dean's List and Non Dean's List. Dean's list is usually abour GPA 3.25 and it doesnt matter how close or far you were, you belong to the second category. If you my reader are into Dean's list and all, work your ass off son. If not then use this time to do things you have never done in your life before. For me, I did two things in P1 which I never did in my past 27 years. And hopefully I will add one more thing to that list by next weekend.
P1 and P2 is all about group work. I will let you discover that by yourself.
Now for jobs. Its all screwed up. So if any of you could link me up with a potential opportunity, I will give you my first month's salary. Number for D08 is around 65% with about 35% returning to their old jobs. J09 is now up for job search and we'll soon find out what the market is like. But I have been doing my snooping around and it honestly doesnt look good.
As far as internships are concerned, there are enough opportunities provided you are competitive enough. ML, GS, Citi etc. have been recruiting in banking. The numbers are very small like 1 or 2 and my personal opinion is that its only because they want to maintain the relationship with INSEAD.
Anything else you want to know??? Ping me and I will reply.
Take it easy guys. The world is all messed up but like the good old saying:
"In the end, everything is good. If its not good yet, then perhaps this is not the end."
Ciao
K
Friday, January 16, 2009
P1 @ Singapore
Sorry guys, I know its been ages since I blogged. I was traveling in December and landed at INSEAD Sgp on 3rd Jan and its been crazy ever since. But I do intend to improve my blog rate and give you the real scoop about life at INSEAD.
Right...so where should I start from???
Intense - You all must have heard intense and INSEAD in the same sentence a million times already. I personally thought it was an exaggeration but let me be honest here, this place is fuckin intense. 24 hrs is just not enough. It is a fact that you will be sleep deprived, knee deep in course backlog and still find a reason to party till the wee hours. And somewhere in the middle of all that, you also need to figure out your career. This place is not for the weak hearted. You need to be able to prioritise, perform under pressure and be ready to sleep 6+ hours only once a week.
But, this is an awesome school. I cant tell you how glad I am for having chosen this school.
Course - So far the course content has really impressed me. P1 is mostly about finance aka. corporate finance, accounting, prices etc. The profs are super cool (on this note of cool...I think it reflects in everything INSEAD. Profs, food court, admin staff etc.). I dont have a background in finance so am kind of struggling but the trick is to make sure you do the pre-readings and you should be fine.
Party Scene - In the first ten days I was sober only one evening. From the welcome cocktail to the Bain party to your section parties. Its hard not to get trashed or being in the mix without being a party animal. Its an awesome break. I guess everyone realises this and makes sure to make the most out of it.
Jobs - This is the tricky one. And am sure quite a few of you want to know whats the reality of the day. Well, its fucked. Plain and simple. From the class of December 2008 only about 65% got jobs and of that about 50% went back to their pre-MBA employers. There still are a couple of IBs scouting for talent but the volumes are definitely low. Consulting is steady (oh...and by the way this really is a fuckin Consultant's school. Every other person is McBain Consulting and out here on a study leave. They are sponsored too and hence they account for most of the party animals) and industry is also ok. 2009 does not look any better at this point in time and my guess is that jobs will be hard to come by. By March I should have better numbers as internship recruitment will be on full swing.
Alright fellas....I need to sleep tonight. T'row evening we have another party and I plan to get absolutely loooooosee !!
To life...!
Right...so where should I start from???
Intense - You all must have heard intense and INSEAD in the same sentence a million times already. I personally thought it was an exaggeration but let me be honest here, this place is fuckin intense. 24 hrs is just not enough. It is a fact that you will be sleep deprived, knee deep in course backlog and still find a reason to party till the wee hours. And somewhere in the middle of all that, you also need to figure out your career. This place is not for the weak hearted. You need to be able to prioritise, perform under pressure and be ready to sleep 6+ hours only once a week.
But, this is an awesome school. I cant tell you how glad I am for having chosen this school.
Course - So far the course content has really impressed me. P1 is mostly about finance aka. corporate finance, accounting, prices etc. The profs are super cool (on this note of cool...I think it reflects in everything INSEAD. Profs, food court, admin staff etc.). I dont have a background in finance so am kind of struggling but the trick is to make sure you do the pre-readings and you should be fine.
Party Scene - In the first ten days I was sober only one evening. From the welcome cocktail to the Bain party to your section parties. Its hard not to get trashed or being in the mix without being a party animal. Its an awesome break. I guess everyone realises this and makes sure to make the most out of it.
Jobs - This is the tricky one. And am sure quite a few of you want to know whats the reality of the day. Well, its fucked. Plain and simple. From the class of December 2008 only about 65% got jobs and of that about 50% went back to their pre-MBA employers. There still are a couple of IBs scouting for talent but the volumes are definitely low. Consulting is steady (oh...and by the way this really is a fuckin Consultant's school. Every other person is McBain Consulting and out here on a study leave. They are sponsored too and hence they account for most of the party animals) and industry is also ok. 2009 does not look any better at this point in time and my guess is that jobs will be hard to come by. By March I should have better numbers as internship recruitment will be on full swing.
Alright fellas....I need to sleep tonight. T'row evening we have another party and I plan to get absolutely loooooosee !!
To life...!
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