Christmas Cocktail @ EY

It was an eventful pre-view of the life that I will be embarking on in half a year time. The building was professionally done up with the upscale glass windows and a MRT-lookalike gantry acting as security barrier. The cocktail was held at the 18th floor. The reception area overlooked the marina bay with a fantastic sea-view.

It was raining heavily and everything just fuzzled out.

The neighbouring buildings are the famous "The Sails" condomium and the Marina Bay Integrated Resorts. The new EY will be suitated right at the smack of the new Central Business District, come the year 2009.

The WIP construction are "The Sails" and just a little further behind into the background, will be the new IR.

Then there was a tour with the aim of inducting us to the new environment. Everything is new and elegant. The lighting was right. The space was ample. There was enough COFFEE to go around. Got showers, KTV, lounge and a tit-bits vending machine. Speaking of which, I was impressed (so superficial of me) by the pantries. They look more like Sakae Sushi table seats.

Its pantry lor, we are not at Sakae Sushi. Look at the office behind the area

Bah....hai~~afterall, an office still look like an office.....

Eventful の Interviews

While others were busying struggling to finish up the AA306 paper, I was busy worrying about the outcome of the shortlisted candidates for the interviews with the Big 4. The hour hand rested on the 9 o'clock. My tummy went weak, I knew it the time of the release of the shortlisted candidates. I was worried that I may not be shortlisted for any of the interviews.

Soon after the completion of the exam, I rushed, ran and rattled my way to the Free Access Lab. I switched on the computer with fear. Trembling with anxiety, I read through the list. Phew~~~I was shortlisted for Deloitte and Ernst & Young. It was a few days later before KPMG released its shortlisted candidates name-roll and I was also selected.

Now the next part of the battle is the interviews. It was the time that I needed to really go forth and "sell" myself....**sobz**....???????.....

04/12/2006

My first interview was with Ernst & Young (EY). It was at Ocean Building. And I had to be there before 9 a.m.
I reached at 8.30 a.m. I was really nervous and adrenaline was surging within me. I sat there like a little mouse. The HR people are really nice. They gave me drinks, made me felt comfortable and reassured me that it was nothing that formal (or so I thought). EY even have their permanent stuff to come and talk to us. They were like our friends. Really. They crapped and they really tried to make the frosty environment warm. I was even more impressed when the Managing Director (the toukay of EY) Mr Ong Yew Huat (somehow, from the Big 4 networking night, I wanted to shout "Huat Ar!", everytime I see him) came down personally and talked to us.

{BTW, poor Kenneth has been waiting for a long long long long long long time hor. Came at 8.30 am, original slot is 9 am, 9.30 am still see no interviewer, while others already finished le.}

Mr Ong was very sincere and encouraging. He explained a lot of things to us. One memorable one was that at this younger stage of our life, we are learning the theories; the next stage of life, ie the employment, we will be doing practical stuff; finally at towards the third stage of life, things have to go back to basics and hence go back to theory. Hmmm, it sounds sophisticated, yet, it sounds logical.

{BTW, poor Kenneth has been waiting for a long long long long long long time hor. Came at 8.30 am, original slot is 9 am, 9.30 am still see no interviewer, while others already finished le.}

He showed us the design to the new layout of the new building. Woah, I am impressed. Got one machiam like Sakae Sushi counter bar. Still got the office, looks so cool. Maybe for once, I want to go to a place where everything is new (Rarely happens in my life. My primary, secondary and junior college all went through rebuilts AFTER I LEFT!).

{BTW, poor Kenneth has been waiting for a long long long long long long time hor. Came at 8.30 am, original slot is 9 am, 9.30 am still see no interviewer, while others already finished le.}

After sometime, it was my turn for the interview.

The first bludder of my career life. The wrong interview. Originally, I wanted to go to General Audit, but my interviewers were from Gobal Finance Service. Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot Dot........
I went through the interview, none-the-less.

But I felt queasy. Why? GFS is really hard to get in. So after meeting Derrick at the Coffee Club below Ocean Building, I decided to request for another interview with the General Audit. Therefore.................POOR KENNETH REACHED EY AT 8.30AM AND LEFT EY AT 1PM!!!!!!!!!

The rest of the day was spent waiting for the HR department to call me. It was terrible. The wait was a torment. I went weak in my knees. Seriously, I wanted to go into EY. But by late evening, the hope was barely flickering.

At around 9pm, Derrick told me to stand by my phone. He just received the call from the HR department.

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At 11pm, I gave up. The wait was futile. I was soooooo sad. But none-the-less, I still have two more hopes......Deloitte and KPMG.

05/12/2006

The next morning, I went over to Deloitte first. The reception area was really Zen. The soft mellow light with the few bamboos decoration will put anyone into a relaxed state of mind. And the TOILET was very very very nice. It was one-person toilet. It was large and comfort. I was a fool not to leave my mark behind.......

I was interviewed by an Audit Manager, Junne Lim. She is very nice and friendly. It was NOT an interview, more like a chat between long lost friends. Originally, she wanted to ask me the 4 standard Deloitte interview questions, but I think I somehow answered all of them during our chit-chat. It went very well and she sent me off to the lift. I knew I would get the offer from Deloitte when she patted my shoulder and reassured me, "Don't worry."

KPMG was a short distance away and I had sometime on my hand to rot. I slacked away at Burger King reading the newspaper.

KPMG was very much different from what I thought. At first, I thought of it as cold and stony. Yet, the reception area was very much more professional and up-scale. There was a little writing test before I was led to meet my interviewer, Sze Leng. She was the cover girl for KPMG and was one of the fastest to reach Partnership in KPMG. A living legend I suppose.

She was candid and sincere. She geninnely wanted to interact with me and there was a frank exchange between us. I gave her my point of view and she presented her own opinions. This was the kind of conversation which I really enjoyed. Sze Leng has really opened my mind on the Audit line.

In fact, I was ready to choose KPMG. Just give me the contract!!! (I was so sore over EY's rejection!)

Later that day, I met up with Derrick and we go K-box to hit out on Jay Chou's song.

Then, nearer to the later evening, Deloitte called and offered me a position!! Whoppie!!! At least, I have an offer. Can sleep in bliss.

06/12/2006

Basically I was only waiting for KPMG's call. Was praying very hard for it. I really wanted to go to KPMG's financial audit department. Then around late afternoon, my handphone finally rang. I picked up and was very sure it was from KPMG. There was no surprise, when suddenly the person spoke, "Hi, I am Sarah from Ernst and Young." I fainted........

EY has decided to offer me a position!!!!!!!!!

Instanteously, my mood swung upwards.

YEY.....finally gotten what I wanted.

Then KPMG called and offered me too. However, I will be signing with EY.

After a long long way, it was over. It was tiring, none-the-less, was fulfiling and I had the contract. Hopefully I will pass all my modules!

Eventful の Pre-interview Days

It will be a long post because I have got a lot of things to say. Eventful is the word. In many aspects, this week is a life-altering one. I have made one of my first major decision, other than picking what degree I am taking and what lap-tops I will be getting. Seriously, I shuddered at the thought of the making the decision.

The decision isssssssssssss..........my first career!

Did I ever think that I will become an auditor? Frankly, nope. Ask me what an Auditor is a few years back, I'll just give you a blank stare.

I have accepted Ernst and Young's offer. Yippee! But the journey was a long and tough one.

It all started two months back. The hype and hussles of the Recruitment were played up, starting with the Big 4 Networking Nite. It was the first of such networking that I have went to in NTU. It was professionally done, with the Partners, Managers and HR people trying to brainwash and psycho us to join their firm. There are 4 firms and competition for talents is sure to be tight. On another note, it is interesting for me to take note of such competition. Reason being, it will be hard to find such a thing in the other industry, like the manufacturing or banking industry. Maybe there is, but certainly not to such a degree.

During that night, impressions were formed, opinions being made and choices evaluated. On my part, I was thankful if any of the firm will accept me. I did not go, like some of my friends, "Don't know choose which firm." But I was really comprehensive, I was not sure if any would accept me. Although, there were people saying that the Big 4 sure will take almost 90% of NTU people. I was worried I was the 10%.


The Office of Profession Attachment (OPA) sent out an email informing us that the Big 4 Joint-Recruitment web-site is ready. I accessed it and started preparing my resumes and application forms. The dateline was 31/10/2006 and I sent my stuff to OPA on the friday.

Seriously, I felt that I was being spoon-fed. It was a great collabration between the school and the CPA firms, making the mundane task of job application a breeze. Nonetheless, it did not feel like the real thing.

Well a new chapter of my life has commenced. But the interviews were nightmares too............next blog..........