Recruiting Period

I want to dedicate a post to our Career Management Services. I cannot say anything about what is happening in Fontainebleau right now but hats off to the Singapore CMS team. They are being extremely helpful. Most of the time, faculty members, alumni or INSEAD management team hold the most precious contacts, but CMS is instrumental in distributing requests, matching the right people. They are very active in organizing preparation for job interviews, case studies, CV, motivation letters, career counseling, salary negotiations. They are all over the place when companies come to present on campus. They are extremely hands-on, focused and comprehensive in their coverage of the main issues.

At this stage, the recruitment process is very similar in Fontaineblau and Singapore. The companies that are globally organized for recruitment can send local people to both campuses. Most of the big investments, banks and consulting firms will come to campus. Their positions are open on a worldwide basis. Paradoxically, it might be easier to get a job in Europe or in the US from Singapore than the other way around if you have a Western history. It is difficult for someone sitting outside of Asia and with no previous network or knowledge to understand the market dynamics here.
Globally organized industrial companies are also planning on coming but most of them have no standard process for MBA recruitment and will wait to hear from student through independent applications. Most of their positions will be handled locally.

Alumni are being super helpful. It takes me on average one or two phone calls to get a list of 5 names in any given country and in any given industry. Information overflow is the main risk that I have identified based on the past few weeks.

Most people continue to come to campus in shorts and sandals but have a suit ready for a quick change toward the end of the day now. I had to start wearing business attire myself last week. It felt a little strange to put on the shell of the person I was before, yet without being able to completely relate to this person.

In any case, good luck to everyone on your job search.

(I noted an increase in activity from the applicant pool - mainly through e-mail. There is a deadline coming up for admissions. So good luck to all applicants as well)