On the way home from pp’s church (I go because of the cheap and delish food at the market opposite) bopping to nth repeat of Teenage Dream, I realised that Decisions in Life can be boiled down to two questions:
1. Are you enjoying the journey?
2. If no, do the ends justify the means?
If yes, do the ends also justify the means?
When I first heard it was going to be a group interview, I freaked out a bit and immediately googled the hell out of it.
I went through mine with no expectations, neutral motivation and a lot of passive observing, afterall, I wanted to use this opportunity as a learning ground.
What I learnt:
- Come prepared with a list of interesting questions. (Tip: Check BCG’s FAQs) If not, ask the interviewer the same questions he asked the group. (I did that)
- Bring a small notebook. Note the names of the participants and background.
- There are 4 things you can do in a group setting.
——- Dominate the discussion (should not do as this is the interviewer’s position)
——- Influence the people (do it if the job is of a leadership position)
——- Engage/create conversations (definitely!)
——- Summarise/review what has been said (only if you can add a closing point, else its just boring and unnecessary).
- Engage/Create Conversations By:
——- Bringing up somebody’s (by using their names. That’s where recording names of participants in notebook comes in useful) good point and add to it.
——- Add to it by giving context or seeing it from another point person’s pov
- Give realistic solutions to problems. OR Give an out of the box solution: Saying NO solution.
——— No solution: phrase it as “sometimes, you need to pick your battles to win the war. Come back when the situation has improved”
——— If no solution is not an option, reframe the case. Put it in a another context, another industry or at another time.
Know thy strengths:
- I am resourceful. I know the ground. I am and my experience has always been focused on the bottom line.
I am ready to take on my next group interview seriously.
I often wondered why I study so slow. This morning, I woke up and decided to keep jot down what activity I do at what time.
Behold:
0800: Wake ups, check twitter, reply work emails
0845: SMS pp
0900: Think of getting up to study
1000: Feel sleepy after coffee
1030: Cannot sleep because feel very guilty and stressed about not studying
1031: Study
1115: Think what time I should pick up photocopies… watched 1 epi of flashpoint
1245: Get lunch
1330: Study
1500: watch flashpoint
1600: Leave house
1730: Arrive house
1800: Blog
1830: Blogging about where all the time went…..
Actual study time: 45mins + 90mins = less than 3 hours!!!!!!!! O.o
NOWONDER I AM GOING SO BLARDY SLOWLY!
Now, how to stay on track…. Ah! Gotta write another post about it.
Daddy Treitel 12th edition
- NUS $84.90
- SIM na
- Clementi na
- Pirated dunno
Baby Treitel
- didn’t see it anywhere except school library.
- Photocopy $17.15
Ansons
- NUS $54.90
Cases by BFF
- NUS $86
- Pirated $45.90
Management Accounting Colin Drury (stupid brit, dunno what is puncuation)
- SIM $66.30
- Clementi $67.20
- Bras Basah Popular $79.08!!!
- 2nd hand on HWZ forum: $40
Fundamentals of Corp Finance BMM
- SIM $51.70
- Clementi $55.60
- Bras $69.50
PoA Peter Atril (the stupid cliff notes version)
- SIM $47.90
- Clementi $43.80
- 2nd hand on HWZ forum $35 - $30.
PoA Peter Atril (the non cliff notes version)
- Photocopy: $28.85
On this note: Pls note that Atril, Harvey and Jenkins is not the same as Atril, Harvey, Jenkins, Malla.
Peter Atril workbook
- SIM $55.80 (SO EXPENSIVE!, and the paper and printing not even classy. I guess the value lies in the worked solutions)
- When the auntie ask “same size”? Say YES.
because it means that they will shrink, expand the book to fit A4 and not that they will print it on paper the same size of the book.
I said no, and now my pirated books have weird edges and copies from the other page…. anal me don’t like. *very sad face* I have a bit of OCD to things like this.
- When parking car illegally at Mt Sophia, park the car on the route coming down the hill.
So you are nearish Peace Center and have time to spare before parking mary scoots her way up (hot illegal park zone) and down to mua car.
- The auntie gave me 10% discount. Dunno why. Maybe she felt bad tt I had to carry 3 tomes plus 3 tomes of photocopies…. which brings me to the next point…
- I almost had an anerysm carrying the fucking anvils up the fucking hill moving so fucking quickly because I saw the fucking parking mary on the way into the building. I am so fucking unfit. But I did it and I got no ticket. I am so badass.
Anyhoos, I got content for 3 books for $91 + $1 ERP. New books would cost me $140.
** I wonder if I am being pennywise pound foolish. I hate to be my mother, but I think I am growing into her.
The way the textbooks are written are strangely similar to how we stereotype the Amellicans, the Ozzies and the Brits.
The American Textbook
- is very detailed, in that it describes everything in minute detail, the authors say everything that is in their head.
- the good thing is that it uses short, clear sentences; they are succinct.
- uses real world examples which really helps, but they tend to like to toot their own horn.
- more often than not, the examples would be oil, automobile or wheat related. haha!
The Australian Textbook
- provides good overview…. but only that.
- Not detailed if you are looking to self study and dig right into the “working”.
- The writing and examples feel a bit wanting, and the authors are a bit slack.
- often feels like a cliff notes version of the real deal.
The British Textbook
- Oh heavens! shut it already, you fool. They go on and on and on and on… and are often very stingy with punctuation.
- the examples are so archaic!!!!
- most problems are served with a cup of solutions. splendid!
All in all:
- the British textbooks are MORE expensive than the American ones (exchange rate?); and the Australian ones feel like you are not getting your money’s worth.
- From my limited experience with textbooks, I find myself liking texts written by Americans, simply because they are succinct and I relate to the examples easily. But I hate that almost ALL American textbooks DO NOT GIVE SOLUTIONS.. and force you to buy a “Student companion”.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of legwork weighing the pros and cons of buying new editions textbooks versus photocopying versus buying 2nd hand texts.
This is what I have found:
New Edition Textbooks
- There are three places to get cheap books: Clementi bookshop, SIM bookshop and NUS Coop. I have not looked at NTU bookshop bcos its just too darn far.
- Clementi bookshop
This is the most expensive of the cheap. But all their books come with a plastic cover if you feel its seals the deal.
Clementi bookshop has the best range and open till evenings on weekdays and open on Sat. This means that access is the best.
Parking, is not free though.
Strangely, the range of law books are very pathetic.
- SIM bookshop
This is the cheapest of all the accounting, finance and law books and has the best opening hours 9am to 7pm and the best parking rates - free!
But their books are limited to what the schools recommend, which sometimes are not the most suitable for my style.
Beware the parking though free, red lots are not for visitors and the white lots are rarer than the white tiger… and I have personally seen The Clamp being enforced.
- NUS Coop
The opening times are THE WORST 9am to 3pm and parking not free (although it is not much cheaper than the HDB ones at Clementi Bookshop).
But they have the widest variety of books. Note, if you looking for law books, ONLY the law fac bookshop has them. If you look for archi, only the archi bookshop has them.
AND, there is a student price and a price for the rest of the mofos. So, dress like a student.
- If the book you buy is popular (i.e. finance and accounting related), the chances of selling it off later is high. So buy eet!
- And if you win a book prize, the cost of the texts are defrayed. haha!
- Law books are certainly more expensive costing average $80 per book, while $60 for an accounting/finance textbook is considered expensive.
Buy a new textbook AFTER you have used it and liked it for two chapters.
2nd Hand Textbooks
- Buy from forums:
Popular textbooks like Accounting & finance textbooks can usually be bought 2nd hand from forums. They are often sold at max 30% off published rates IF they are current editions. If you get lucky (by trawling 30 pages into the marketplace forum), you may get lucky with one selling at 50% off… or use the search function. Unfortunately most forum searches are not too intelligent and don’t often give you what you want.
If not for the fact that I am not taking exams for FM this year, I would have followed through on my successfully negotiated price of $25 for a $55 FM book by BMM.
- Most guys don’t accept negotiations… unless they are desperate.
- Desperate people are people who bump and upz their ads daily.
- Some books are used by UOL and RMIT students, and so go to other threads to find desperate people.
- You must confirm that what you are going to buy is a pirated copy (photocopy) or an original textbook. Some mofos sell their pirated copy at full photocopy price.
- The most prolific places to buy/sell books is
1. HWZ textbook garage
2. Cozycot
There are other places like Spug forums and sgforums but these places are usually over-run by mofos selling ipods and handphones.
- Sometimes, if the edition you hold is STILL the current edition, you can sell it “2nd” hand… and recoup your mooneh.
- I don’t know which public accessible forum Law students buy/sell their 2nd hand books. I suspect they sell it through their NUS virtual learning forums or something, but I am not an NUS student so its not an option for me.
- A recently graduated lawyer told me that law students generally don’t sell their books cos they always need to refer.
- Textbook Exchange Portals
There are online textbook exchange websites that purportedly say they are a portal for 2nd hand books like
1. http://www.secondhandbooks.com.sg/
2. http://www.bookfishing.com.sg/
3. Lawskool.com.sg
All pale in comparison to the buy/sell exchanges on the forums. The price is not very much cheaper too. I suspect the “movement” of the books are not as fast and furious as the marketplace forums.
- Bras Basah
Oh PLEASE! Don’t get me started. The people who suggest you go there to buy 2nd hand textbooks are probably people that blindly repeat information and have never gone there to actually buy one.
The textbooks available are often two or more editions back - and who would wanna get these? AND the prices are shockingly close to what is offered on the forums for current editions.
But it IS a good place to get ACCA, CFA study guides as I saw loads of current editions but I wonder why people would wanna get them as the guides are all included in the professional certification fees.
It is also a good place to get secondary/pri sch assessment books though I suspect they are not of the latest syllabus too.
Photocopy Books
There are a few places mentioned that reportedly have cheap (3 cents and below) photocopying:
- Peace center
- Fortune center
- Sunshine Plaza
- Coronation Plaza
- Queensway Shopping Centre
- Katong Plaza or mall
I have only been to Peace center and I found that the shops offer between 3.5 cents to 4 cents. I have yet to find one that offered 3cents. And the stupid signs offering 2cents are misleading as they all mean “loose sheets, auto feed into machine”. I hate creative marketing.
The deal sealer is in the waiting time. I found a great shop that can collect 3 x 1000 page books the next day.
Oh, plastic binding costs $3.50… so its cheaper to ownself bind in office. HAHA!
Note: Print a textbook only if the original is of good quality, i.e. NO HIGHLIGHTING marks, and print if its only not more than 3.5 cents.
Textbooks & Solutions Manuals
All textbooks never give all the solutions. Some textbooks give most of the solutions, and all textbooks never give all the MOST ESSENTIAL (i.e. exam-standard questions) solutions. Solutions are usually provided for lame basic questions.
Plan to buy the workbook (or solutions manual or cleverly titled “instructors’ guidebook or students handbook blabla) rather than the textbook.
Most people don’t buy solutions manuals (how do they practise?) so its most likely you have to get it new.
Trying Life on for Size
It occurred to me today that I have tried the three major erm, majors - Science, Arts, Math: engineering, communications and accounting/finance for size.
Engineering - No aptitude, no interest. No love.
Communications - Got aptitude, apathetic interest (oxymoron!), destined for success.
Accounting/Finance - No aptitude, got interest, determined to succeed.
Interesting, my life is.
I asked for a $4000 sponsorship to pursue a one year course in an area of direct relevance to my work.
My employer proposed a bond of 2 years, from the date of completion.
I was aghast; but was also curious to know the other side of the story. Maybe there was something I did not consider.
My employer’s rationale for the 24month co-relation to the cash sponsorship? He licked his index finger and raised his arm and wet finger to the air. “Just like this.”,he replied.
THIS, I certainly did not expect.
So much has happened since June:
Survived two big huge bangwanger work related crisis.
I learnt that:
1. An omission is not a lie; a truth may not be the whole truth.
2. I am not versed in the art of obfuscation.
3. Integrity or being true to thyself is the source of satisfaction.
Muddydonkey never changed/learned one bit.
I have. I have now learnt how to:
1. Slap him without rising to his taunts.
2. Laugh.
His emails to me now make me laugh uncontrollably; his emails to OTHER people (surreptitiously passed to me) makes me cackle with delight. The best way to bond is to point at the village idiot.
3. Move On.
Integrity is important. Although it is sometimes unclear, it is more important to do what is required than to do what is expected of.
1. When I do what is required, I decide what I will do/am doing. I take responsibility for my actions.
2. When I do what is expected of me, I am an unwilling participant.
Time spent being frustrated with expectations not met is time wasted.
1. Accept it, and find another way through/over/under.
I can say No.
1. No, to something I do not take responsibility for.
2. No, to something that I would not do myself.
3. And no, to blackmail.
… is that I always get what I wished for, though sometimes not in the manner I thought it would be.
It came to me yesterday, during a bath (I seem to eureka there and then more often than anywhere else) that the elusive E that I’ve been trying to find meaning to refers to EXCEPTIONAL.
This morning somebody posted a WTS on a trainer with good resale value. Been thinking about it for a long time, badgering the P to lent me hers. Although it was about $50 higher than I was prepared to pay for, I am sure I could sell it off with no loss when I was done with it.
It also came to me that I didn’t need to choose where I wanna do the postgrad. If I was willing to spend XXX, I could do it anywhere. And so, I listed six places I may apply to. :)
I officially crossed the half year mark in my “glamorous” role of Assistant General Manager. on June 2.
What happened?
- I experienced my first board meeting as a GM. I was plucked, roasted and grilled like a thanksgiving turkey. It was a good roast and I certainly learned a lot.
- I am still unable to get Muddydonkey’s full cooperation. Things deteriorated after I stopped making excuses for our poor relationship and start to demand better of him. I stood my ground with well chosen words, carefully scripted power play and returned hypocrisy with the ugly truth. It is frustrating to argue with the ignorant.
- A white horse is waiting in the wings. This means that while I still have my job, I have lost my bargaining power.
- While my abilities and contribution to the company played a part, I was fast-tracked because there was a gap in management when my direct superior left suddenly. Throughout the six months, I realised that I was a GM only in name. This is especially so when I had no deciding powers when it came to matters of importance - like Muddydonkey who undermined my authority.
- I have been made a paper tiger.
- In more positive news, I spoke and reacted more authoritatively with my business partners. I furthered many plans. Disregarding the internal strife, this part, I was very successful at.
- I learned how to make snap decisions. It is like the 80/20 rule - spend 20% of time making 80% of decisions. How to decide so fast? Gut feel. Tipping point. LOL. The decisions have turned out right, most of the time.
- While having a glamorous job title has it perks, it also has a downside. I no longer feel uncomfortable accepting the perks, and feel less shocked at the liabilities (of which some are criminal) a person of my position must face.
- I am now a more precise person. I speak in short clear sentences. I no longer feel the need to impress people with effusive language. In fact, I no longer feel the need to impress. I just do the things the way I think they should be done. If I do it wrong, then I correct it. I no longer obsesses over what could have been.
- I have built up a good network of work friends, colleagues and business partners. I have recently learned how to use them. There is no shame in seeking (and sharing) advice. I have benefited from these exchanges more often than before.
How did I do?
While I still don’t see the job getting any easier, it has certainly made me more contemplative. I have also become a more steady person.
I am successful “outside”. But within the company, I am still struggling to gain a foothold. No thanks to Hairy Ears’ indecision to draw the lines clearly. Perhaps, I should push him to make it clear to all; or at least to me. Before I can be fully successful, I need to understand why I am not assertive within the company.
My values used to be Double A.C.E. Lately I think it should be F.A.C.E instead.
F for fearless.
I find that if I leave my (and other peoples’) neurosis behind, I can do many things. This stupid fear has stopped me from doing many things - saying what I truly feel, running in the day, making cold calls and even talking to ignorant fools in the workplace. I know I am better than them, but I still fear repercussions. I guess, this is something that was beaten into me when I was young. Gotta beat this fear out of me.
My coach said this:
“ … the biggest thing is fear,” she says. “Fear that they won’t succeed, fear people will laugh at them, fear things won’t go as planned. However, trying to deny your passions will just hollow you out on the inside … Whatever your concerns may be, deal with them through a proper plan, rather than avoid them altogether. Avoidance doesn’t solve anything, but action does. Ultimately, it is through pursuing our passions that we live our best life.”
A.C.E remains the same. Authenticity (strangely the most difficult to live true to ), Clarity (Strangely the easiest) and Excellence (I still don’t really know what to do with this).
I am an A.C.E at every purposeful, non wasteful moment. PTL!
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