10 Ways to Network Better

May 22, 2016 hmteam

It’s now more obvious than ever that you can’t get anywhere without networking. And it isn’t just about networking when you need a job or new business, but more about making networking a daily activity. Be it online or one-to-one, you need to be prepared.

Here are some valuable tips to get you geared up.

1. Keep Business Cards Ready

This is a rule that applies to all situations – whether you’re headed to the grocery store or an important meeting, you need to have your business cards with you. You never know whom you’ll bump into. If you are self-employed and have the chance to get your own cards made, make sure that your card has a neat design and isn’t cluttered with information. The basics such as name, email address, designation and phone number should be good enough. Use your creative side to make one that stands out without looking like a silly attempt at art.

2. Remember Names and Faces

Sure it’s hard to remember every name and face that you come across, but a few tricks could prevent trouble. Jot down names and some physical characteristics that you could use to identify the individuals at a later date. If you forget even before you get a hold of your address book, employ another approach such as linking a famous person with the same name with them. Imagine meeting somebody who could be your ticket to a new job or internship and not recalling his/her name. Ouch!

3. Be Active on Social Media

Create accounts on as many social media websites as you can manage to update regularly. If you think you can cut out time for just two, do that. There’s no point having an account but hardly logging on or contributing to the discussion. Post frequently and interact with others in the industry.

4. Don’t be Picky

Some people make the mistake of ignoring junior executives and classmates, as they seem rather unimpressive. Don’t make that mistake. You never know where a person can go and how they can help you. For example, you could be looking for a new job two years later and one of these seemingly useless people could be already working there and would be nice enough to put in a word for you.

5. Attend Events

Building relationships while you are at work every day doesn’t end the networking process. You also need to get out there and meet people beyond work. Sign up for industry events and see if you can get into conferences. In college and B-school, join special interest groups and participate in activities that are conducted through the year. These are places where you can benefit from lots of advice and feedback on your ideas. Check out what kind of events you’ll get to attend at NBS here: http://www.nbs.ntu.edu.sg/News_Events/Events/Pages/Events.aspx

6. Adopt a New Mindset

Don’t start all conversations thinking about what you can get. You need to think about giving as well. Relationships should be mutually beneficial. Plus, giving will get you good karma in the form of referrals. Be confident, helpful and open with your peers, colleagues and even people you’ve just met.

7. Communicate Well

You are not a salesman. Of course you’re selling your skills and educational background when you network, but you need to learn how to hold a conversation that has a light, informal tone. The key is to let the other person know that you are willing to give the time to get to know them before talking about what exactly you want. That doesn’t mean that you should skip your pitch; just warm up first.

8. Listen More

Give the other person a chance to talk. Don’t keep on talking without waiting for answers. Ask questions as well. In fact, have a mental list of questions ready for all times and all kinds of people but don’t jump at them. Demonstrate interest with your facial and body language.

9. Always Follow Up

The first face-to-face meeting isn’t the end of networking. Keep their cards in a special place. Add them to your LinkedIn contacts and other social media lists. Call or send an email a week later, after you figure out what you can connect about. Staying in touch on a regular basis is important, so don’t let it seem like you only make the effort to communicate when you really need something.

10. Don’t Neglect Your Current Network

Never take anybody for granted. That applies to your career path just as much as to your personal life. Keep in touch with the people who’ve brought you closer to your goals already like high school teachers, college professors, internship supervisors and so on. Let them know that you appreciate what they’ve done for you. You could meet them once in a while and keep them updated on your progress. Introduce them to each other or to others they could form working relationships with. Who knows? Maybe one of these older acquaintances could connect you to somebody helpful in the future.

It isn’t difficult to master the art of networking if you keep these tips in mind. You’ll have to network effectively as you continue your career path, so why not start now?

Campus Living, Clubs, Happenings, Life at Nanyang

Final Student EXCO & Club Co-Chairs Lunch at Botanical Garden

May 19, 2016 Laura Melina Loeven

After a successful series of events, celebrations, competitions, trips and presentations, Student ExCo members & Club Co-Chairs of the Nanyang MBA Cohort 2015-16 came together to celebrate a great performance round the year!

On the bright noon of 18^th May’16, in the last week of MBA for the Class of 2016, a bunch of student leaders met for lunch at the “Food for thought” restaurant in Singapore´s Botanical Garden.

The past year was certainly a roller coaster ride for all MBA students and the efforts put in by elected members of the student council deserved a grand celebration. Having successfully organised and hosted multiple school-internal and interscholastic events, the idea was to come together and appreciate each other as a team for one last time. The class mates celebrated their success and recalled beautiful memories that all individuals weaved during 2015-2016 MBA life.

Veronica (VP Finance, and full-time MBA student) brought all student leaders together and invited the group to Food For Thought, one of the best guarded secrets when it comes to restaurants in Singapore. After a splendid lunch, Veronica surprised all graduates with her artistic skills and presented beautifully designed “Thank You Note Cards”, on which the ExCo members could leave a message for their fellow students. When writing farewell notes, circulating the individual´s cards across the table, and conveying our appreciation and well wishes for future, the formerly excited crowd realized that the MBA journey was coming to an end – and a wave of nostalgia hit the group.

Post hogging on desserts, we all conveyed our regards and thank you to Veronica for making this team lunch such a memorable experience! Thereafter, Mr. President, Deep (Full-time MBA student in the Strategy & Innovation Track) and Vice President Aditya (Full-time MBA student in the Banking and Finance Track) gave touching speeches, thanking all the ExCo members of team for performing well and working beyond boundaries to deliver a great show throughout the year.

The lunch ended with a crazy picture of an amazing student council that has transformed into a group of close friends over the year. Now we are not just the Nanyang MBA cohort, of 2015-16 we are Nanyang MBA Family for ever!

The Student Executive Council and Club Co-Chairs of the Nanyang MBA 2015-16

Blog

Crafting a Perfect Resume

May 19, 2016 hmteam

Most of you would have dedicated valuable hours to the GMAT on your quest for the perfect score. You’ve probably also rehearsed replies to all kinds of possible interview questions. But have you put enough effort into your resume? You definitely should, because a resume written for an MBA admissions committee isn’t the same thing as one that you send to prospective employers. In other words, a bit of tweaking here and there won’t work.

This is what you need to do:

Quantify Your Achievements:

Talking about your professional achievements in terms of words or self-praise is a no-no. Your resume needs to include quantifiable data to set the context of your accomplishments. So be honest and write the figures to show what kind of a difference you made. For example, instead of saying that you were a part of a well-known marketing programme, include the percentage of new customers you helped the organisation acquire. Another example: Led a team of four people to increase downloads of app X, resulting in a 12% increase in downloads that quarter.

Keep it Brief:

The Nanyang MBA’s admission guidelines tell you that they don’t expect more than a three-page resume. So do the admissions committee a favour by keeping it concise and professional. Use to-the-point headline-style writing. Do not try to pack in excessive information by using a small font size – size 10 to 12 is the norm. If you find it overflowing, delete the unnecessary points. Remember that a long, cluttered resume can give people the idea that you cannot communicate well.

Exclude What Isn’t Needed:

When you are applying to the Nanyang MBA, you are introducing yourself to admissions officials who want to know if you have the leadership ability. Some applicants make the mistake of including information that isn’t required. A photograph, and your height and weight, are not a part of your resume. If you have lots of technical knowledge on a subject, the resume is not the place to write paragraphs on it. Personal interests should be included only if they make you stand out as a candidate. That means that reading science fiction or working out doesn’t make the cut. But more significant events like a published book or a charitable fundraiser where you created a big impact should be present.

Keep the Education Details Brief:

The education section of your resume should contain your educational history in chronological order. You need to mention the areas of study and any significant achievements such as making it to the Dean’s List or achieving a top rank in class. Make it easy to scan so that the reader can quickly identify the schools and years to arrive at a sense of where your background.

Run a Final Check:

Is every point on your resume important? Have you missed out on any position or activity that could showcase a particular skill set that you have? Can anybody reading your resume detect your career path? Does it support your career development goals? And have you started each point with a strong action verb like ‘generated’, ‘maximised’ or ‘spearheaded’?

The Nanyang Business School MBA programme is on the lookout for individuals who will be successful as leaders and in highly collaborative work environments. You need to show them that you have the skills that can lead to success. Keep the above pointers in mind and share your MBA relevant skills such as teamwork, collaboration, innovation, etc. with them.

Here’s more about the application process: http://www.nanyangmba.ntu.edu.sg/admissions/

Good luck!

Blog

Working With Cross Cultural Teams

May 16, 2016 hmteam

A good manager has to have the key skills required to manage teams in every country where the company operates in. With the globalised industry expanding, to take advantage of cost-effective technical expertise and other benefits that may not be present in the home location, cross cultural team management is more vital than ever before. Whether you’re sitting in a foreign office or holding a meeting via video chat, you need to understand, respect, and integrate each culture and its people into your system.

Here’s how you can do it:

Focus on daily communication:

Communication is the major chunk of effective team management. When you’re interacting with individuals from a culture that isn’t your own, you need to keep cultural norms and habits in mind. For example, many eastern cultures are fairly rigid regarding the hierarchies in the office. That means that they won’t be used to open discussions where subordinates speak their minds too. And bringing up certain topics may be a taboo because good workers aren’t expected to speak about or report such things. Some managers think that merely asking everybody to speak up does the job, but it doesn’t. Changing beliefs and long-term patterns is never easy. So take the time out to encourage each person in the team to talk to you on a one-on-one basis too. Work out a process that can give you accurate information about how the project is going without seeming like you are being insensitive to their ways. At NBS, you’ll get expert training on this in the comprehensive Leading People Globally module. Also take a look at the programme structure to understand how you can become a well-rounded MBA graduate:

Build an awareness of the differences:

Cultural differences stand out even as you travel from one state of a country to another. Like in India where you have hundreds of languages and enough cuisines to make you wonder if you have entered a new country each time you visit a new state. Difference should never be seen as a detractor because it can actually bring more skills and knowledge to the table. Successful managers do their research and don’t just notice the differences and ignore them. Building trust is impossible without understanding. As you continue to identify differences in the way things are said, done or perceived, find out where the differences are coming from. For instance, is something that they’re doing stemming from a religious belief? In fact, during the Nanyang MBA programme, you will get a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture.

Keep your language positive:

Always keep negatives out of your conversations. That includes the use of negative language, negative tone, and negative body language. So you and other team members who are new to the culture will not frown and raise eyebrows or roll their eyes if you don’t understand or agree with a point. Also avoid saying ‘I disagree’ or ‘You can’t be serious?’ Instead, you can say ‘I do not quite understand what you are saying’ or ‘Can you please elaborate this for us?’ If there is a language barrier and you work heavily with that team, why not attempt to learn the language? Ideas and communication might flow better then.

Working with teams from different cultural backgrounds is challenging. But good management can prevent the risks that can occur from a lack of understanding and contrasting values and attitudes since all of these factors affect how work is done.

Be flexible. Be ready to learn!

Career, Life at Nanyang, Networking, Programme, Student Leader

Analytics Workshop by E-Commerce Expert from Lazada

May 15, 2016 Laura Melina Loeven

A NBS alumni working for Lazada, South-East Asia´s number one e-commerce player, was invited to give a workshop on business analytics and advanced excel to the current batch of MBA students.

Sunny Jain (NBS MBA Class of 2013) has over 6 years of experience of working for technology companies as well as financial institutions. Over the last 2 years he has been working as a pricing manager with Lazada, who recently made it into news with regards to its acquisition by Alibaba.

Sunny provided thought-provoking insight into the ways of working of e-commerce firms, especially with regards to the key performance indicators and the challenges that various firms face to remain competitive. In the second half of the course, he offered an excel learning session wherein he gave sample case questions based on data populated in an excel file.

The current MBA students who signed up for the workshop learnt to build pivot tables and simple statistical data models that allowed them to understand e-commerce dynamics and generated insights pertaining to an annual sales report of a hypothetical company. The speaker proved that Excel is indeed a powerful tool and stated that learning to build complex data models catering to various business challenges is indispensable to be well prepared for the corporate world.

The 3-hours sharing session was very insightful and after multiple “aha”-moments, the participating students left the room with many valuable takeaways from the workshop. Eventually, the lecturer closed the day with the recommendation to spend 5% of earnings every year to upgrade one´s skills – an interesting tip that the MBA students, who are to graduate soon, will certainly take to heart!

Happenings, Life at Nanyang, Programme, Student Leader

Learning about Financial Derivatives and Risk Management

May 14, 2016 Laura Melina Loeven

“Do good work and enjoy the work that you do. Money will follow. Make sure that you don’t work for money alone (As the sole aim!).”

With these words, Professor Tan signed off the Derivatives and Risk Management course, the last elective module for the MBA students of 2016 who chose the Banking and Finance Track. Derivatives, much hyped and complex financial instruments, were created with the aim of risk management in finance. However, they are predominantly used for speculation and trading. Hence, Prof Tan asked the class to always wear two hats while analysing derivatives: Are you going to manage risk? Or are you going to trade?

The Derivatives classes were exclusively scheduled on weekends, but as the class size was small and the topic was interesting indeed, all sessions were quite engaging and nobody minded weekend work. The class participants discussed a wide variety of topics ranging from the creation of structure products, various risk mitigation strategies used by corporations, the fall of Lehman brothers and many more, and learnt from a variety of case studies discussed during lectures.

After the last class session, Prof Tan invited his students to a celebratory meal to Spruce at Bukit Timah, which was a fire station prior to it being renovated to a modern day bar/bistro. The trip to Spruce marked the closure of elective classes for the MBA class of 2015/16 and Spruce´s location in beautiful greenery, overlooking a mountain, served to be the ideal getaway to clear the mind after a whole day class . Tower beers were being emptied and a lively discussion on topics such as cultural diversity, returns of VC firms and even the Chinese preference of Tibetan Mastiff dogs ensued. It was time to celebrate.

Before leaving the event, all students cheered Prof Tan for his upcoming Gobi Desert Challenge wherein he and his EMBA team will represent the Nanyang Business School in a daunting desert challenge over the course of 4 days, and everyone promised to take the message from Professor Tan to heart: Make sure to give back to society.

Derivatives class — The Derivatives Class Participants celebrate the completion of course work

The NANYANG MBA

Walking You Through The MBA Application Process

May 13, 2016 hmteam

So you’ve made up your mind and the Nanyang MBA programme looks like a great fit for you. First make sure that you’ve cleared the initial checklist; do you have a bachelor’s degree and at least two years of work experience? Is your GMAT score above 600 or do you have its equivalent in the GRE test? If you checked everything off, you’re ready. Take it step by step to avoid unnecessary stress. Here’s how:

Get Online:

Do not go to any external agents or education firms for the application – it’s available online for your convenience. Once you register on the application portal and start filling out the application, you’ll find clear instructions leading you till the very end. The admission committee will be keen to know as much as possible about your interests, intellectual capability, achievements and leadership skills, so be prepared to answer questions that will pertain to these. Sit down with a clear head and with lots of time on hand.

Answer the Essay Questions:

The application will contain some essay questions for you. You should answer them all. Be honest and stick to the prescribed word limit. Don’t try to give an inflated impression of yourself because the people reading your application are great at spotting such candidates. And of course, pay attention to grammar and typos and stay away from clichés. Most importantly, click on the Save button as you go along.

Apply for Scholarships:

The scholarship application process is easy. There are no separate forms to apply. All you have to do is tick on the boxes next to the scholarships that will be mentioned in the online application. NBS offers several scholarships for meritorious candidates who display promise as future leaders.

Pay the Application Fee

Your application won’t be considered without the application fee. Once you click on the Submit button after you’ve completed every field, you’ll be given multiple payment methods to choose from. So you can pay by cheque or bank draft, or by Visa or Mastercard. Remember that the fee is non-refundable.

Put Together the Supporting Documents:

In our online application system, you have to upload important supporting documents such as your resume or CV, a recent passport size photograph, and your GMAT or GRE score report. The GRE DI code is 3802. For those of you whose language of instruction at the bachelor’s level wasn’t English, do arrange to take the English Language Testing System (ELTS) test or the Pearson Test of English Academic test (PTE). The NBS MBA programme requires a good command of English with proficiency in reading, writing and speaking.

Request Referee Reports:

Unlike the other supporting documents, your referee reports or recommendation letters cannot be uploaded. Instead, you need to download the form and send it to two referees and ask them to send the completed reports to us by email at mba.admissions@ntu.edu.sg. Remind them to include their designation and contact details and official email address. People get busy, so don’t hesitate to follow up with them and see if they’ve sent in the forms.

Applicants to the part-time programme have to download the Company Approval Form and get it filled out by their work supervisor.

Provide Certificates and Legal Documents

Get your degree scrolls, certificates and official transcripts of academic records ready from every institution that you have attended. If a document isn’t in English, you must arrange to have a translated version sent to us. If you have any professional membership certificates, send in those too. Applicants should also provide proof of identity and nationality and residency status. Without these, your application will not be complete.

Interview Time

The NBS MBA programme has three rounds of application deadlines. You’ll find them here: http://www.nanyangmba.ntu.edu.sg/admissions/admission-deadlines/

If you have been shortlisted for an interview, NBS will let you know within 4 to 6 weeks after the deadline of the round you applied to. If you are shortlisted, look out for an email since interviews are by invitation only. After the interview is over, the committee will decide if you’ve made it to their list.

Then it’s time to breathe. You’ve worked hard on your application. Successful applicants will get the good news by email. Avoid calling or sending follow-up emails to the admissions office to find out the status of your application. The online system lets you check on the status.

Good luck!

Blog

Boost Your Career With A Global MBA Programme

May 10, 2016 hmteam

Top MBA programmes are intensive and global. They want you to be ready to face the world and not just the industries in your geography. The Nanyang MBA is one such programme that is designed to make you a global leader within 12 life-changing months. Whether you are trying to figure out where to take your career next, or you’re considering a change of field, a global MBA is your passport to growth and success.

Here’s why people like you should apply for the NBS MBA programme.

International Exposure

Singapore is a diverse city with international corporations and citizens making up a large part of the industry. Still, further exposure to other locations and their business practices go a long way in shaping your MBA experience. That’s why the Nanyang MBA offers additional opportunities that can really put you out there. The most popular of these is the Overseas Business Study Mission or BSM, which involves travelling to a location that is relevant to your MBA courses. You get one week to apply your newly learnt theories and practices to a real setting. Once you’re done, you will find yourself with lots of knowledge regarding the business environment of your host country. In addition, you get to build a great network.

More Overseas Opportunities

Even after you are done with the Nanyang MBA programme, you can extend your business education by taking part in an exchange programme, which lasts between three to four months. NBS has close associations with academic institutions around the world and encourage students to take advantage of the collaborations. So why not choose a partner university from the list and acquire some fresh knowhow.

Global Faculty

All the classes conducted for the Nanyang MBA candidates are led by experts who are leaders in their industries or internationally qualified. From interactive learning, to industry talks and visits to companies, you’ll get the global edge even before you set out abroad. And just like your fellow students, your professors will come from diverse backgrounds and talents that will add more to your MBA experience.

Another Foreign Degree

For those of you who are extra ambitious, NBS’s MBA programme allows you to work toward a double MBA or a second master’s degree. Our partner business schools include Waseda University in Japan, University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and ESSEC in France where you can devote extra months to your MBA time and gain another globally recognised degree – and of course, the chance to immerse yourself into another business destination. Here’s more about that: http://www.nanyangmba.ntu.edu.sg/why-nanyang-mba/double-mba-master-degrees/

We all know that an MBA is a big investment. Your money, time and hard work should be worth it. That’s why you need to select well from the large number of MBAs around you in order to get the personal and professional makeover that you want. When you go home with your degree, you should be able to adapt to leadership positions in any country with success.

Good luck!

Happenings, International Exposure, Networking, Sports, Travel

Nanyang MBA travels to a soccer tournament in Hong Kong

May 4, 2016 Laura Melina Loeven

From April 29 to May 3, a group of 17 full-time, part-time and exchange students of the MBA class of 2015/16 embarked on their last fun trip of their MBA journey. The trip´s destination could not have been more exciting, exuberant or exhilarating: Hong Kong. The MBA program of HKUST, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, invited the Nanyang MBA as well as 7 other teams from Singapore, China and Hong Kong to participate in a full day soccer tournament at their beautiful seaside soccer field.

The NBS soccer team had practiced hard and was well prepared and pumped when they boarded the flight to Hong Kong on a Friday afternoon. The players, who were supported by four dedicated cheerleaders from their MBA class, showed great excitement and enthusiasm for the tournament ahead and the class outing to Hong Kong started with great fun and laughter already on the flight to the venue.

Once arrived in the city of 7 million people, busy financial centers, super tall buildings and a seemingly endless skyline, the players and their supporting team took of to find a good place for the last supper before the big game. Well fed, the group made an excursions to Hong Kong´s ferry terminal, the best viewing spot to take impressive photographs of the city´s skyline, but returned to their accommodation early to rest well for the match day.

20160429_225716 — Students from the MBA Class of 2015/16 in Hong Kong

On Saturday morning, the HKUST representatives fetched a joyful yet exhausted NBS group to shuttle them to the soccer field on the HKUST campus. As the program is coming to an end, many final project are due soon, and the weeks before the trip had been tough so that the bus ride to the tournament venue was much less agitated than the flight on the day before. Travelling to HK, and the excitement of the vibrant city, had exhausted the players who now had to focus on the matches ahead of them.

The tournament started off with an intensive game against an MBA team from Hong Kong, followed by an encounter with the HKUST international alumni. When the NBS players finally met with a Chinese team, exchange student Patrick scored the first goal for NBS, and great cheering started from the side slide. Unfortunately, the NBS team was eliminated from the tournament after the first group stage, but thoroughly enjoyed the day, the amazing venue as well as the hospitality of HKUST, and left the field and without any injuries – a great success in itself!

During the following three days after the tournament, the class ventured out into the city in small groups and explored the streets of Hong Kong, visited breath-taking view points and embarked on jaw-dropping tours across the island. After cable-car rides to Big Buddha, double decker bus tours along the shore of Hong Kong, a short visit to the HSBC headquarters including a tour through the historic building, and finger-licking good meals at Hong Kong´s local restaurants, a happy but tired MBA cohort returned to Singapore with bags full of good memories, thousand of pictures, and an enormous sleep deficit. What a great trip!