Answer This Question Before An Informational Interview

1. Do Your Research

Find out what are the biggest challenges for the person’s job, company, or industry. Use social media to see what they are saying about their work, talk with others who know them, look at financials for their company.

2. Do Some Of Their Work For Them

Once you know what possible problems they are struggling with, ask yourself how you can contribute to the solution. Do you have insights they might need? Know of a resource you can put them in touch with? Put together a proposal that will make it worth their while.

3. Show Them Your Value Before Your Meeting

Before you even ask for a meeting, if possible. When you find information online that would be useful to your contact, forward it their way. Introduce them to contacts they would benefit from knowing. Invite them to networking events they would enjoy.

4. Leave Your Resume At Home

Remember, in an informational interview, the objective is for you to get information. Give a little and you will get a little. Ask for too much (like an opinion on your resume, or for an actual job at their company) and you will get nothing. So, leave your resume at home, and bite your tongue when you’re tempted to ask for an employment interview. Respect that things need to progress naturally first.

By asking the question “What’s in it for them?” you will get a professional fan-base that will eagerly return the favor and forward you opportunities as they arise. Or, refer you to friends who can help you. These relationships take time to build, but they are worth the wait for your career.

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Reference: www.careerealism.com/informational-interview-avoid-question/

BestTop Career Sharing Session 5 – CV & Cover Letter Writing – 03 AUG 2013

A new cohort of participants have joined BestTop Career Sharing Session from the first weekend of August. On a sunny Saturday morning, six students and recent grads came together to embark on a fruitful learning journey with BestTop (click to view what they have said about BestTop).

Based on the feedback from our first batch participants, BestTop strives to provide the most practical career preparation session for our valued participants. In this session, BestTop's "REST" technique is illustrated to help participants to write their resume and cover letter in a more effective manner. With the implementation of "REST" technique, participants have been well acquainted with the key steps to build outstanding job-hunting documents.

Registration for BestTop Career Workshop - Job Hunting in Graduate Trainee Programs is open! 

If you are based in Singapore and in the midst of searching for jobs and internships, please RSVP our group sharing session or one-to-one session via careerconsulting.sg(at)gmail.com or call us directly at (+65) 8226  8045.

Graduate Program (Accountant) - Accounting – Singapore Airlines (posted on 06 Sep 2013)

Company	Singapore Airlines
Industry	Aerospace / Airlines
Location	Singapore
Position Type	Graduate Program
Post Date	06 September 2013
Closing Date	n.a.

Employer Description

Singapore Airlines is engaged in air transportation and related businesses. We operate worldwide as the flag carrier of the Republic of Singapore, aiming to provide services of the highest quality at reasonable prices for customers and a profit for the Company.

Today, Singapore Airlines operates a fleet of over 100 aircraft and employs a 13,000 strong work force. Our route network spans six continents, linking up more than 60 destinations in more than 30 countries. Within Asia, passengers can connect to over 30 cities served by SilkAir, our regional wing.

To maintain our position as a leading global corporation, Singapore Airlines is committed to recruiting and nurturing bright and dynamic individuals to meet our manpower needs. Throughout their careers, employees will be given opportunities for development and training to enhance their professional as well as personal competencies.

Responsibilities

You will be handling aspects of the Company’s accounting and internal control functions such as budgetary control, payments, payrolls, capital expenditure accounting, general ledger accounting, consolidation, management accounts, financial analysis, sales accounting, work with stations and audit vendors to ensure timely audit and revenue recoveries of passenger ticket sales. In addition, you may be involved in the review and implementation of accounting systems or perform relief duties when the station accounting heads are away from office.

Qualifications

You should possess a good university degree, preferably with Honours in Accounting or an equivalent professional qualification recognised by ICPAS. Knowledge of SAP FICO or SAP HR/Payrolls systems will be an advantage.

Application link

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Graduate Program – Information Technology Group – Bank of America Merrill Lynch (posted on 04 SEPT 2013)

Company	Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Industry	Banking and Finance
Location	Singapore
Position Type	Graduate Program
Post Date	04 September 2013
Closing Date	10 November 2013

Employer Description

Bank of America's Information Technology group couples technological expertise with the bank's strategic vision to keep Bank of America at the forefront of the world's financial markets. Delivering market-leading technology drives our business forward.

Information Technology at Bank of America Merrill Lynch is divided into departments that are aligned to the specific lines of business that they support. Through operations in more than 40 countries, Information Technology also provides end-to-end technology and fulfilment to consumer households, small businesses, corporate and institutional relationships and wealth and investment management clients. The Technology Infrastructure group supports the hardware technology needs across all departments.

Responsibilities

The Technology Developer and Analyst - Industrial Attachment is a 6 month program designed to provide interns with a unique opportunity to gain an extended exposure to life at BAML and also make significant contributions to the Technology team with which they are placed. The Industrial Attachment begins with an orientation and induction to the firm. Industrial Attachment interns are given a true associate experience, as assignments mirror full-time responsibility and include goal-setting and a formal review process.

Throughout the term, you may expect:

• Access to online e-portal learning covering compliance and foundation of banking topics
• Structured and on-the-job training
• Networking and social opportunities
• Exposure to senior level management
• Corporate Social Responsibility project
• Involvement in Diversity and Inclusion training/events  
• Consideration for full time employment upon graduation
• Roles within the Technology group may be technical or non-technical in nature. Examples of the roles include:

Technical Developer:

• Provide technical excellence to design, develop and maintain state-of-the-art technology applications, utilizing technologies such as Java/EJB's, C, and C++, C #, Python and .NET.
• Quality Assurance:Combine financial, business and technical knowledge, to develop comprehensive test strategies for internally-developed trading systems. Development of knowledge in all these areas is encouraged and supported.
• Trade Support:Leverage on systems and processes to ensure production environment is stable and resilient.  Recover production to its original functional state quickly to reduce or avoid business impact.  Engage business and technology personnel to ensure production environment is stable.
• Architecture: Create techno-functional process flows that lead to solution architecture proposals to technology development teams. Evaluate new technologies for adaptation by the group.

Non-Technical

• Business Support: Provides day to day support to Technology Executives to ensure the smooth running of the business. Combine financial and business acumen to drive management and financial analysis and reporting, hiring and occupancy planning and team communication
• Client On-boarding: Responsible for client technology management and vendor management.  Perform Certification and testing functions to enable client to trade with us.
• Business Analyst: Translate business needs into technical requirements, documenting process flows and producing diagrams to ensure understanding amongst all project team members.
• Project Management: Management, administration, and configuration of proprietary applications and 3rd party solutions for application servers, messaging, monitoring, etc.
• Quantitative Analyst: Develop sophisticated models, analyses and forecasts supporting pricing and risk management for a range of financial securities

Qualifications

• Undergraduate/master student enrolled in a University
• Outstanding academic achievement
• Student must be able to apply the Industrial Attachment as university credit OR take leave of absence from the university to complete the Industrial Attachment
• Major in computer engineering, computer science, information systems or related area
• Required Skills and Abilities
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Effective verbal and written communication
• Being comfortable with change and adjust to changing demands and requirements
• Strong team player and client focused
• Demonstrate energy and drive
• Show a keen interest in the business you are applying to
• For Technical TDAP roles, skills may include knowledge of several of the following technologies: UNIX, Windows NT/2000, network architecture, databases, desktop and server hardware, Java/EJB's, C, C++, C# .NET
• For Non-Technical TDAP roles, skills may include knowledge of the following: Microsoft Office including Excel & PowerPoint, MS Access, Photoshop

Application link

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Management Associate Programme – Various Functions – UOB (posted on 03 Sep 2013)

Company	UOB
Industry	Banking
Location	Singapore
Position Type	Graduate Program
Post Date	03 September 2013
Closing Date	n.a.

Program Overview

As part of UOB’s strong nurturing and continuous learning culture, training will be ongoing and you will benefit from a highly supportive working environment as well as professional development which will help cultivate specific skills required for success in the business unit (Function) you have chosen to anchor your career with UOB. You may even have opportunities to leverage on our strong regional presence to gain valuable overseas work experience.

There will be periodic formal and informal exchanges with Management and Human Resources to discuss your progress and experiences. These are excellent opportunities for networking and camaraderie.

The UOB MA Programme has its very own Mentorship Programme that is designed to provide our MAs with career guidance on a one-to-one basis. Our mentors, consisting of managers from different functions of the bank, are highly experienced and dedicated in guiding our MAs towards having a more successful and fruitful career with UOB.

Opportunities

• Asset Management
• Business Banking
• Business Finance
• Channels
• Commercial Banking
• Compliance
• Corporate Banking
• Finance
• Global Markets & Investment Management
• Human Resources
• Investment Banking
• Personal Financial Services
• Portfolio & Regulatory Management (PARM)
• Technology and Operations

Application link

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Internship – Client Experience – Deloitte (posted on 03 SEPT 2013)

Company	Deloitte
Industry	Financial Management
Location	Singapore
Position Type	Internship
Post Date	03 September 2013
Closing Date	n.a.

Employer Description

Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte has in the region of 200,000 professionals, all committed to becoming the standard of excellence.

Responsibilities

• Work as a part of a team that creates unique experiences for clients at the Deloitte Greenhouse facility in Singapore
• Help design Labs for senior executives: facilitated one-day sessions that innovative facilitation techniques (based on behavioural principles) and technology to drive learning, ideation, consensus, and decision making among groups of senior executives
• Research and test creative/innovative approaches that could be leveraged in Lab sessions
• Document and report key outcomes/decisions from lab sessions

Qualifications

• Excellent written communication and report-writing skills using MS office tools
• Strong attention to detail and ability to project manage independently
• Ability to multitask and stay on top of things ‑ experience in event management/organization is preferred
• Experience and demonstrable skills in presentation/public speaking/facilitation are preferred
• A creative mind
• Knowledge of data analytics is a plus

Application link

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Graduate Programmes in Asia Pacific - Various Functions – Barclay (posted on 03 SEP 2013)

Company	Barclay
Industry	Banking
Location	Singapore
Position Type	Graduate Program
Post Date	03 September 2013
Closing Date	vary

Program Overview

Initial training programme

Each business holds its own unique initial training programme, which will last between five to seven weeks. These training sessions, run by professional trainers, will not only introduce you to Barclays culture, vision and values; they will also give you a firm foundation in business fundamentals, intensive technical and product skills, professional development and role-specific skills. Plus, you will experience a variety of social and networking events to get to know senior managers and colleagues across the firm.

Ongoing performance feedback

The best way to improve your performance is to receive feedback and coaching from people who work closely with you. Our review process provides you with a framework to help you discuss all aspects of your performance openly and honestly, as well as understand how you’re doing compared with our expectations.

Ongoing professional education and qualifications

As you get more comfortable with your work, your training will get more in-depth. You can select from a variety of practical and classroom-based training, on everything from technical to softer skills. You’ll also have access to around 300 online learning resources, which allow you to schedule, launch and manage pre-selected training courses. What’s more, you will be supported to work towards relevant professional qualifications, such as CIMA.

Networking programmes and mobility

We value individual contributions at Barclays. So we give you every opportunity to flourish – and we encourage you to create your own development opportunities within the bank. This is a culture where we will support you to move internally, and where there are many ways in which to develop the network you need to do so. For instance, we have formed five Employee Network Groups, sponsored by senior managers across the business. These forums focus on raising awareness, providing networking and professional development opportunities to their membership, and partnering with external organisations on community outreach initiatives.

Support

From the day you arrive, you will have a ‘buddy’ on hand to offer support, advice and guidance - a current or previous graduate who has been where you’ve been. You’ll also have a senior manager as a mentor, giving you access to someone with great experience and expertise.

Beyond your programme

We’re committed to your career long-term. So, after your programme is complete, we’ll work with you to design a clear development pathway and progression plan that will kickstart the next phase of your development.

Opportunities

Investment Bank

• Quantitative Analytics
• Research
• Sales
• Structuring
• Trading
• Investment Banking Division

Wealth and Investment Management

• Wealth and Investment Management Program

Global Business Functions

• Technology
• Finance
• Operations
• Risk
• Treasury

Application link

Click Here

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