The Nanyang MBA Series - 4 (Placements)

Ok, this is the one about the placements...I have received loads of emails and calls from prospective students querying about the same and hence decided to blog about it for general information for all interested.
Right, yes everyone in the batch is placed, employed, working for money etc. Our batch (total fulltime strength: 65) had representation from around seventeen countries, the largest contingents being from China, India, Germany, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. The rest of the countries were represented by only one or two participants. As far a I know, the Chinese have all gone back to China with lucrative offers. Only one or two are working here in Singapore. This is out of choice. Most Chinese students were never even looking to work in Singapore as the NTU name is apparently big in their neck of the woods and hence they enjoy a real premium once they head back there. A couple of the Germans are working in Singapore while the rest have headed back to Europe. Most other students from the other countries are based here.
Now the 'desi' junta, we numbered 24. All the boys have found suitable employment. 21 of us are here in Singapore, while 3 students have headed back to India to take up their dream jobs.

The companies that the MBA batch of 2004-06 are working for are listed as follows, according to specialization:

Banking and Finance:

1. Standard & Poors, Singapore
2. DBS, Singapore
3. UOB, Singapore
4. HSBC, Singapore
5. Citibank, Japan
6. AurionPro Solutions, Singapore
7. HP Asia-Pac, Singapore
8. Raffles Consulting Pte. Ltd., Singapore
9. PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Singapore
10. Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore
11. ABN AMRO, Singapore
12. Keppel Land, Singapore
13. Morgan Stanley, Singapore

Marketing:

1. Colgate Palmolive, Singapore
2. AC Nielson, Singapore
3. Cushman & Wakefield, Bangalore
4. Unilever, Malaysia
5. WTO, Singapore
6. Roche Pharmaceuticals, Indonesia

IT/Technology

1. Frost & Sullivan, Singapore
2. HCL Technologies, Chennai
3. Wipro Technologies, Bangalore

Strategy

1. Seagate Technologies, Singapore
2. Inductis India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
3. Accenture, Singapore
4. Proudfoot Consulting, London

The above list is not exhaustive as I am unaware of the companies that most of the China based students are working in.

Let me add in a word about the internship scenario as well. Everyone in the batch got internships. The companies that hired for internships were HSBC Singapore, PwC Singapore, Singapore Technologies, HCL Singapore, DBS, Frost & Sullivan, AC Nielson Singapore, Carlson Marketing Singapore, HP Asia-Pac Singapore, Cisco Systems Singapore, British Petroleum Singapore, Citibank NA Singapore, Collin Ng & Partners, Accenture Singapore etc.
The average salary for fulltime offers of the batch would be around SGD 60,000 pa. For the internships, average stipends were in the range of SGD 1000-2000 pm.

So there. It was a good year in all for our batch. The junior batch is all set to outdo us with some of them securing full time offers already apart from internships. Way to go guys! Keep the flag flying...

Hope this helps.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

To the hustings...

Election time has arrived again in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Its highly unlikely that the CPM will be replaced in Bengal, mainly due to the new found corporate ratification that Buddha babu has received. In Chennai of course, it could be a close one, though one feels Amma might prevail again. It has been unfortunate that I haven't kept up with the political scenario in Chennai after I left the place long ago and moved to Kolkata...but here's a surprise. An email from a friend in Chennai was a revelation of sorts. The Lok Paritran party in Chennai is contesting the assembly polls. Set up by IIT ians, this is truly a party with a difference. Most of the candidates contesting seem to be well educated and seem to have a proven track record of public service. This is not propaganda for them or anything (when people come to power all the good intentions seem to take a back seat) and when you cast your vote make sure you do your due diligence on the candidates, but atleast now you might be saved from thinking, 'oh who do I vote for, they are all crooks!'. Take a look at the profiles of some of their candidates.

Mylapore - Santhanagopal Vasdev (28), M.A Economics from New York University

Chepauk - P. Elanthirumaran (38), Project Manager/Software Consultant

Thousand Lights - Ishrayel Maheswar (32), MBA, M.Phil

Egmore - Prashant Sharma (48), Marketing Professional

T. Nagar - Arvind Tiruvaiyar (32) - Marketing/Social Worker

Annanagar - Rajamani (56), A senior consulting engineer, worked abroad for 25 years

Saidapet - Hariharan (28), Software Engineer

Park Town - Rabindara Ganesh (61), Social worker

Atleast now the picture is more representative. With the rise of the middle class, it would be nice to have some candidates with whom this huge section of people can identify with. Its also heartening to see the educated, middle class taking the step to join politics and trying their bit to effect change for the better. Regardless of how they perform at the hustings, one has to hand it them for atleast trying.

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Time for a BBQ!

After much ado, Aroon, Ashok and Raju's BBQ finally happened last week. Mandarin Gardens (Aroon's place), was the venue for this funfilled evening. Much meat was roasted, lots of alcohol was drunk (too much actually, but whats new), MBA days relived and generally lots of good cheer was spread. I also managed to meet a school mate from Kolkata, who was in our MBA program two years ago. Small world this is... (this week I also managed to get in touch with my school friends from way back in school - St.Xaviers '96 ICSE...apparently there was a yahoo groups thingy I was completely unaware of...there are already 20 odd members...it was great to know all the guys are doing really well for themselves and are going places...apart from one little fellow who's in jail!...but hey it takes all kinds...sorry...back to the BBQ!). As the evening wore on, the conversations got really interesting...I think at one point I was discussing the way people burp and generally distributing pearls of complete nonsense. I beg forgiveness of the poor unsuspecting girl who was actually listening to me...my apologies... The day was good friday and hence Aroon couldn't touch alcohol. Poor chap...but well done lad...it takes fight to pull through an evening like that...Apart from an unfortunate incident involving a bladder malfunction and a brief period when I disappeared into the bushes (don't even ask how), it was a very enjoyable evening. Thanks Aroon, Ashok and Raju. In other news, I got my teeth cleaned, so I'm sporting a set of pearly whites...and I'm smiling a lot!

Kamal in the food and beverage area...a fine cuisine
The gang at the BBQ!
My disappearance in the bushes...I can't believe someone actually clicked this!
Kamal, Ruchi and Rishi (recently married) and moi

The gang again!

Cheers!
Abhishek.

Songs of a lifetime - 6

The weekends here again and what would be a better time to raise a toast to a constant friend...alcohol! No song says it better than this one by Brad Paisley. One doesn't realise it, but most of us have done some darned crazy things under its influence. Strange as it may sound, some of the funniest, weirdest and most fun moments in life have been thanks to the magic stuff...I'm not advocating drinking here...but its true...hear it straight from the horse's mouth!


I can make anybody pretty
I can make you believe any lie
I can make you pick a fight with somebody twice your size
Well, I've been known to cause a few break-ups
An' I've been known to cause a few births
Well, I can make you new friends, or get you fired from work.

And since the day I left Milwaukee, Lynchburg an' Bordeaux, France
Been making the bars lots of big money
An' helpin' white people dance
I got you in trouble in High School
But College, now that was a ball
You had some of the best times you'll never remember with me
Alcohol, Alcohol.

I got blamed at your wedding reception
For your best man's embarrassing speech
And also for those naked pictures of you at the beach
I've influenced Kings and world leaders
I helped Hemingway write like he did
And I'll bet you a drink or two, that I can make you put that lampshade on your head.

Cause since the day I left Milwaukee,Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France
I been making a fool out of folks just like you
An' helping white people dance
I am medicine and I am poison
I can help you up or make you fall
You had some of the best times you'll never remember with me
Alcohol, Alcohol.

Cheers!
Abhishek.