GIC Hunt For Malaysian Scholars
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GIC has been busy going hunting for potential scholars in Malaysia. Several Malaysian bloggers recounted their experiences at the GIC Scholarship Interview conducted in Malacca and KL.
http://weiwenconcerto.blogspot.com/2009/08/gic-scholarship-interview-round-1.html
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
GIC Scholarship Interview, Round 1
Date: 19th August 2009 (Wednesday)
Time: 9am till 4pm plus
Venue: Sunway Resort, Bandar Sunway
Yes, another scholarship interview. Another chance and another opportunity to gain financial support for my education. It feels like March repeating itself.
GIC was quite similar to SC's interview, except this time, there's no quotas or whatsover. If you're good, you're in.
Fun facts about GIC:
-Did you know that GIC only invest GLOBALLY?!? And they have branches in New York, San Francisco (USA), London (UK), Seoul (korea), Tokyo (Japan), Shanghai, Beijing (China) and other places that I've forgotten.
-GIC stands for Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pt. Ltd. (Finally! I know what it stands for)
-Founding chairman is Lee Kuan Yew
-Requires scholars to train during summer breaks
-Has only one client, which is singapore government. It's a buy-side company.
-It's manages the government's fund, but it's a private company.
7.30am plus
Was running late today, so had to 'fei che' to make sure my sis's not late. Went to Shyu Fei's place to pick her up, and I've discovered a FANTASTIC parking spot that doesn't require the daily RM4!!! Just park near Shyu Fei's neighborhood!!! There were a couple of students who did that, and I've just bought my pas bulanan!!! Damn.
Anyway, saw Eng Wee on the way, then off we go! To Sunway Resort. Tried to show off my navigation skill by using the different route to Sunway, instead of the usual U-turn way, went pass Monash and Sunway Uni. My passengers were awed by the really big campus.
"Sunway so big, Taylors so small. And yet, we're paying so much more!" lol.. Quote, wee wee.
9.00am
Reached the room quite early. Sunway Resort has really friendly services, and all of them smile and lend a hand!!! So, as a satisfied consumer, I compliment and praise Sunway for their wonderful performance in their job. =)
No one was there. Bumped into someone I've met in the US Application Workshop, Ken Ji and Kwang Hui. They were in the "Su Ann's group" and most of the applicants were from HELP Uni. Only like 5 from Taylors.
9.15am
It started with a presentation by the GIC HR department. Ms Ka Yee explained the first part on the company's history and how it's formed and what it does. Then, Ms Lily explained on the GIC scholarship and the conditions. Repayment period is 6 years, for US/UK and less than 6 years for Germany/Japan. Don't offer the top salary, but very competitive paychecks.
During Q&A session, I've asked how did GIC manage to weather the economic crisis. Trying to be singka and all... lol
"Er, actually, the Q&A is about the scholarship." Opps...
"Anyway, just to answer your question, our prospects on our long term investment is looking really good." Something like that. Mr. Tan, the HR department head answered it.
Then one parent said, "Just now the lady say about the scholarships given out, I would like to know what's the quota or any limit to the no. of scholars a year?"
"Ok, first, my name is Ms Lily, (lol... it sounds similar to lady anyway) and no, we don't have specific quota. It depends on the pool of talent we have."
"Don't you have like a budget?" asked another parent.
"Well, it's actually a form of investment. We're investing Sing dollar 250k to 350k in each scholars, we make sure we evaluate well to ensure that our investment has good returns, (also meaning make GIC more prosperous by gathering the creme De la creme)"
"I wanna know, how flexible is GIC in terms of the repayment period?" an applicant asked.
"Wao, haven't even get the scholarship already ask bout this. But, it's a fair question, as this scholarship is a form of contract. Legally, we couldn't say anything, but we'll be a little disappointed. In fact, we have a scholar who's in his 30's and currently in a senior position and doing really really well. He really has shown a great example for everyone, and I hope future scholars would remain and grow with us in a long term."
"I'm sorry, but what I mean is do we have to immediately work right after graduation?"
"Oh yes, of course."
10.15am
FOOD!!! They had like tiramisu, sandwich, and loads of really top notch tea-break food. Mingled around with the other applicants.
10.30am
So, now the tests and interview begin. We were divided into like a few groups. There were 3 tests to be done.
1) Numerical test
No calculator was allowed!!! YES!!! It was really like back to basics for mathematics, have to do multiplication through the primary way. Forgotten how to like times 1.6 with 2000, and so many zeros, need to write so many zero's.
It wasn't easy. 33 Questions in 30 minutes. And most of the questions were like related to what potential investor should know. Related to profits, returns and banyak banyak benda la.
2) Verbal test
This english verbal test is way easier compared to the Sime Darby's one. The text are like easier to understand, and at least it's not all about scientific terms. So, based on the passage, we were given sentences, and we have to identify whether it's true, false or can't tell (cause info in passage not enough)
3) Abstract test
This part of the test was quite fun, it's sorta like an IQ test, where we match the patterns with the group it belongs. It's not very hard, but not easy either. It's manageable la~
12pm
LUNCH AT SUN AND SURF CAFE!!!! Absolutely wonderful!!!
As a regular (does 2 times count as a regular) of the cafe, they have the ultimate RAW OYSTERS! Delicious. Had like sashimi, oysters, sushi,marshmallow with chocolate fondue and ice cream on self-made ais kacang. Our lunch partner was like, "Wao, you really know how to feast."
Both me and Shyu Fei were like hogs, but Eng Wee had no appetite
initially, he mostly went for the desert!!! Looks like gender had
switched between me and man man. I become a man when I eat, really, see
me at Madam Joyce, my veggies and meat cover my tiny portion of rice.
3pm plus
Both Eng Wee and Shyu Fei went in first for the interview before me. Then, when it was my turn, she was like, "Wao, you really have waited for a really long time. I already saw you sitting down waiting since just now. Well, at least you had a good chat with other applicants."
"*laughs the tinkling laugh, dunno whether it turned out right* It's ok, managed to have a good chat with Janice (HELP girl)."
Enter this really big room, with one round table in the middle.
"So, why thumbelina? On your e mail address?"
"(Was a little taken aback) Haha.. Cause thumbelina is like a really small person in the cartoon, so since I'm a relatively small sized too, that's why I've picked thumbelina."
"Oh. Why not like the Wendy's pixie from peter pan? (LOL. I've just realised it's tinker bell, not wendy pixie)"
"Er. Cause it also rhymes with my name, you know, THUM, thumbelina...?"
"Oh ok. You have quite an interesting background. It's quite rare for teenagers to like making money at such a young age. So why is it so for your case?"
"Er..??? I love money generally? (Really didn't know what to say) First, it was The Apprentice that instigated the spark in me to work in a corporate world. Then, I've joined clubs like Young Enterprise Program, which helps me further understanding bout how a company runs. bla bla bla..."
Then, she asked about sports, what schools I plan to go and why should I be chosen for the scholarship.
"So, can I ask what are your plans after graduation?"
"Haha.. Er, currently my plan is after graduation, I plan to work for a few years. And if I've gained enough experience on managing a company, I plan to set up my own company and retire young and rich." Omigosh, that was like my form 4 dream. Dunno what else to say.
"Haha, that's not a bad dream. In fact, it's quite a good dream." Alright. =D
So, after like conversing and Q&A session, oh, I asked whether GIC has ever considered venturing into the Islamic banking sector.
"Yes, we've considered, but we don't venture, because we do not lend money out. We only manage it. And the Islamic sector is a retail business, and we're not into that." Ohhh....
Then, we shook hands and bid farewell. Well let us know the result in like 2 weeks.
All in all, it was another good experience obtained. Hopefully this time, the multiple rejections from other scholarships leads up and benefits me in getting this one.
Sadhu sadhu sadhu... (Yes, I'm a Buddhist, FYI) =)__________________
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http://singaporenewsalternative.blogspot.com
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http:/twitter.com/snablog -
http://winsonleaps.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/gic-scholarship-interview-2009/
GIC Scholarship Interview 2009
March 4, 2009 ·
Venue: Holiday Inn, Malacca
Date: 4th March 2009
It has been long since I blogged in detail about my interview experience i.e Jardine and Oxford interview. Today, I am very glad to share about my adventure in Malacca.
Basic Essentials
GIC stands for Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pt Ltd. Historically, GIC was set up to manage Singapore’s national reserve right after its separation from Malaysia in the 60s. GIC started with a mere SGD 2 billion in the 60s, and now it is managing in excess of SGD100 billion, in only 28 years of existence.
To put it short: GIC has money, and loads of it; this is what makes the GIC Scholarship so prestigious. I am not going to elaborate about GIC further because all these can be obtained through their corporate website at www.gic.com.sg .
Interview Experience
0900 hours Short Talk about GIC
The interview started with a short talk about GIC and its history in fund management. Surprisingly, the one who made GIC what it is today is a MALAYSIAN. Malaysians rock!
After the short talk by Mr Chan, the Group’s Recruitment Director I believe, there was a short Q &A session with the floor.
Tea Break 1000 hours
Then, we stopped for a short tea break at 1015 hours. This was when we get to mingle around with the other GIC hopefuls. I was surprised at how small the world is.
I met Jason, who is from the same church as Jonathan Mah Koon Chung besides knowing Aaron Baskaran Nair in Catholic High School, and Kien Keong, who is a friend of Jorrel Too. (Jonathan Mah, Aaron Nair, and Jorrel Too are my IB coursemates.)
Then I met Au Yong who lives in BK5 which is 5 minutes away from my house. It was just amazing and we clicked really quickly.
Met Mitchell (a guy by the way) who is doing IB in Penang Uplands International and was shortlisted for Sri KDU IB Scholarship. It was fun meeting a fellow IBian.
I also met a couple of applicants who is completing/has finished their A-levels. Hats off to Jean Yip, the only girl I knew in the whole GIC episode, because I was really shy and busy talking with the other guys.
One-on-One Interview 1015 hours
I was called in for interview with Mr Chan. The interview was rather informal, but I tried to be as formal as possible. I was asked the generic question i.e tell us about yourself.
I felt that that was a good chance for me to sell myself. So I talked about myself, my family, my activities in school, and my interest in finance. To those of you who didn’t know I am very much interested in finnce, now you know. I am Chinese. $$$
Then, the interview headed towards my political views. I spoke at length of the local political scene (not sure that was the best thing to say; I thought talking about world politics would be better) and how frustrated Malaysians like me are with our local politicians.
Next, he asked me about my economic viewpoint. I didn’t take economics and therefore, I thought that I responded to this question rather weakly. Anyhow, I spoke about Obama’s stimulus plan and how the recession could have been avoided if credit card laws were tightened. I also did mentioned that I believe that the recession crisis will recover somehow.
After that, I was given the chance to ask about GIC. I asked some personal questions, but I can say that GIC also offers language classes to all their employees i.e Japanese, German during their careers.
Interview: Pass.
Writing, Verbal, Numerical, and Abstract Test
Okay, so now it comes to the not-so-fun part. All applicants must take these tests so that GIC is able to measure the aptitude skills of all applicants. For someone who hates test, I think I did rather badly.
The writing was rather random and quick. We were given a prompt about “It is a mistake to look too far ahead.” I just blurted out whatever I had in mind, but I guess it should be okay. You have 5 minutes to respond in less than 100 words.
Next, I took the Abstract test. It was abstract literally. Generally, it is a test to see whether you can spot differences and similarities in different patterns. Some of my answers were abstract and I didn’t know what I was doing. Anyhow, you have 30 minutes to complete 115 questions. Tough, you bet.
Following was the Verbal Test. It is something like SAT Critical Reading, but on a milder note. I think I did okay on this, but I can’t finish the last 4 questions. So, I kinda just took 4 wild guesses. You have 30 minutes.
Then, we stopped for lunch. *Relieved.*
Lunch 1215 hours
During lunch, the most dominant topic is our conversation was about our tests and interview. Apparently, some went for interview first while some did the these first. Some also had their interview sandwiched between the tests. I am glad that everyone found the tests to be hard. =)
One of the things that Mr Chan look for in a GIC scholar is that the scholar must be HUMAN. Yeah, you read that right, YOU MUST BE A HUMAN. Being human generally means you can relate with people and have a balanced perspective on life. He is not looking for Olympiad Gold Medallists, but for people with a balanced study and play portfolio. I think I can offer my extra-curricular portfolio to them, but I am not so sure about my academic prowess. IB 42 points don’t say a single thing about intelligence, but only persistence!
Back to the lunch, I had a 5-star buffet. Although all the food I had was so bad for my blood pressure and cholestrol, I decided that the food was irresistable. I didn’t behave like a glutton which I did on many buffets in the past, so I took lamb chop, sweet and sour chicken, pasta, salad, chocolate cake, blueberry cake, melons, and water in a balanced proportion.
Numerical Test Continued 1315 hours
Back to taking test. I am a person who can’t think when I have a full stomach. Anyhow, Lord Jesus, grant me wisdom and strength! Right, so the test was basically a maths test.
There weren’t any calculus, vector, or trigonometric questions. In fact, the questions were so easy that you would find them hard! They were simple questions in layman terms, but you would need some time to dissect what they want. I think I did quite badly in this test. The thing was, there were 16 answer options for each question. I was required to answer 33 questions in 30 minutes! Go figure how can you get that done.
I thought I was disadvantaged because I left my maths for three months already, and my brain now is not fit to crunch on numbers like it used to be. Well, commit it to the Lord and hopefully that His favour will be on me. =)
So, there you go, GIC Scholarship Interview 2009!__________________
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http://ourcoffeestops.com/2008/03/gic-scholarship-interview/
GIC Scholarship Interview
CoffeeSnoops — By Christopher on March 8, 2008 at 12:08 AM
A day after my first round of interview in Malacca, I got a call from a private number. The caller on the other side of the phone informed me that I have been shortlisted for the final round of the interviews! The person on the phone asked me whether I was excited to be shortlisted. I replied with a “Yes”. Again, the question was repeated as I did not produce a convincing “Yes”. Might be because I sound as though I am half asleep on the phone.
Bird’s eye view of Singapore
The final interview was held on a Thursday and Friday at their headquarters in Singapore. That means that I had to skip two days of college! Imagine the work pileup! Prepared my certificates and documents before hand. Time flew and soon it was time for me to fly to Singapore! All expenses paid by GIC! My gratitude! My mom accompanied me to Singapore. We were placed at the Amara Hotel by our hosts. It was comfortable and the bathroom was just amazing!
My fellow friends
Mr. Chang was kind enough to have a workshop for all of us on the first day. He taught us proper techniques on how to present our achievements and thoughts. Definitely a good speaker, drawing our attention for the whole 2 hours or so. It was an interactive session and I certainly learned a lot. Of course, photography is in my blood – didn’t miss the opportunity to take some pictures after the workshop. We returned to Amara Hotel in the evening for a buffet dinner sponsored by GIC! Great food, great ambiance and great bill! After the scrumptious dinner, we went back to our own rooms at 9.00 PM – to prepare ourselves mentally for the onslaught the next day.
Lunch time
Rise and shine! D-day is today! Woke up 7 AM in the morning and prepared myself. We met at the hotel lobby after breakfast before making our way to GIC. First for the day was a short tour around the Heritage Centre where we learned more about the obstacles and challenges faced by GIC in the past and present. The first round of interviews started right after the tour and ended just in time for lunch. We were treated to a Japanese lunch at their office cafeteria.
Eight of us
The second interview was much more challenging. Instead of one interviewer, there were two. Nothing much to add, just that I did my best that day! I was quite satisfied with my performance although I missed out on some minor details. The interviews ended at 5.00 PM or so. We took a group picture with our hosts before parting our ways, returning to Malaysia.
Thank you GIC
The experience acquired from this trip definitely benefited me greatly. I would personally like to thank GIC for being such a great host and teacher as well. Thank you! I hope that we will cross each other’s paths once again in the future! Cheers! -
Locals are never good enough for the sickening ruling party.
It is sad that we have a govt who is for foreigners. Perhaps they should change name to Foreigners Action Party
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they are trying to get foreigners as foreigners got no emotion attach to singaporeans, therefore when this foreigners become leader or MD, they can execute their order without any regard for Singaporeans
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Dont worry, we will replace ur current ruler to rule yous all instead. =D~~
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can also replace the citizen here too, if you like it
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This is rather a big news considering the fact in my mind, only locals can join the GIC which is so secretive about revealing its financial statement to the public.
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Interesting news.
Brings to mind a lot of questions but like they say it may be of public interest, but they won't reveal it to the general public.
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Would it be a surprise to anybody that all the young Malaysian candidates are ethnic Chinese - most of whom are left out of the loop by the ethnic politics in Malaysia ?
GIC is throwing a life-line to these young and eager candidates, whom GIC believe will be more grateful then young Singaporeans - who will resent the bonds that are imposed with the scholarships and are more likely to break the bond.
Somehow, GIC feel that they get better mileage from these young Malaysian Chinese who will fit into the Singapore Life as future Citizens - as Malaysian Chinese are no different from Singaporean Chinese.
Seriously, amongst all the foreigners to be given the opportunity to be a Citizen of Singapore, I would prefer to have a Malaysian than anyone from Australia, China, Europe, India, New Zealand, Taiwan, UK or USA.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
they are trying to get foreigners as foreigners got no emotion attach to singaporeans, therefore when this foreigners become leader or MD, they can execute their order without any regard for Singaporeans
it is happening -
Alot to think about....
An Eventual Gatica. Would this be an earlier stage of Human Trade Exchanged. Citizens or no citizens.
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The GIC approach taken is "Thinking out of the Little Red Box".
Anyway, they need all the talent that they can find to recover the US$100 Billion losses since the financial meltdown in Year 2008.