Hong Leong Foundation Scholarship Interview 2012

About last 2 weeks ago, I got a call from Hong Leong bank for a scholarship interview. Three days later, I received an email which was the same information as what was told in the phone call. You can take a look here:

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PLEASE REPLY THIS EMAIL WHETHER OR NOT YOU ACCEPT THE INTERVIEW SESSION

Dear my name,

We received 700 applications this year, and YOU have been selected for the next stage of the Scholarship Programme. Congratulations!

Please make yourself available for the interview on:

Date    :  Monday, 18 June 2012

Time   :  2.00 pm (please be very punctual)

Venue  :  Level 8, Wisma Hong Leong,

              18 Jalan Perak,

              50450 Kuala Lumpur.

              (see attached map)

If you are taking public transport:

- Take a Monorail from KL Sentral or any other Monorail stations

- Alight at Raja Chulan Station (in front of Wisma Genting)

- As you alight from the train, walk down to the side of the street (Jalan Sultan Ismail) where Wisma Genting is located

- Wisma Genting should be on your right-hand side now. Walk down/along the pavement for about 300 metres

- You'll pass by Kompleks Antarabangsa & Menara Kenanga, Equatorial Hotel & finally Menara MBF (you’ll see Subway Sandwich) which is also on your right side

- Walk into Menara MBF, use the staircase to go down to its lower ground car-park and exit from behind it

- As you exit from the car park (which is behind the building), you will see a brown colour building in front of you along Jalan Perak. This is Wisma Hong Leong

Please bring along the following documents :

- original copies of examination certificates (e.g.SPM, STPM, Foundation, Matriculation, A-Level, Diploma, Degree, etc.)

- offer letter from University / college (only if available – please show us your original, and also provide us a certified-true-copy for our keep)

- Bus / train / toll receipts to claim travel expenses (for outstation candidates only - we will reimburse you up to RM50)

- Pen / pencil to be used for on-the-spot essay writing

Dressing code:

- Smart casual or formal

- NO t-shirt, singlet, jeans, shorts, slippers and/or sports-shoes

Please confirm your attendance via return email or call the number below as soon as you have received this email.

Thank you and best regards.

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And here's the map that were attached with the email:

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Okay, once you reach the place, you'll register first ie. show your original certs and IC.

Next, you were given 30 minutes to write an essay (no word limit). 

If I'm not mistaken, there were about 6 questions to choose from. Some of the questions were:

1) Global warming..why?

2) Is it ethical to buy pirated DVDs and illegal downloads?

3) 1 Malaysia. Do you think that we need to be united? (were asked before in 2010)

4) Facebook, Multiply, Twitter, Blog, Linked...Do you think that those social medias will affect the interpersonal skills of the young generations? (were asked before in 2010)

Mostly were on current issues that happened in Malaysia. As you can see, 1 Malaysia and social medias were some of the most famous topics to be asked in scholarship interviews like JPA and Hong Leong.

I was running out of time when I'm writing the essay...seriously...I guess my opening was good because I took about 10 minutes to think for it. I picked the second topic and just wrote 3 points...That's all the time that I have. I wrote about 300 words..I guess...

Later on, you'll be called for the interview. Before the interview starts, you have to wait outside the interview room alone for about 30 minutes!!! There are 2 interviewers which are 2 pretty young ladies...I mean...quite young..not pretty and young :D

They'd just finished reading ugly-written essay and they were extremely nice! I'm serious! Well, I as I said, they're quite young..so they're nice and not that serious in talking. The interview was like a friends conversation but there are still some questions that can't be avoided. Examples:

1) Explain about yourself, family and your background. 

2) What is your hobby? 

    I said watching TV. Then, they said, "Why everyone likes to watch TV? Besides that?
    I said Facebook..(Damn..I was way too honest!) 

3) Any other hobbies? What's your favourites from your hobby?

4) Why should we choose you out of all the 700 shortlisted applicants?
    I said that was a good question! *Damn*

5) What did you know about Hong Leong?


6) How did you know about this scholarship?


7) Why do you choose this course? What do you want to be?

8) Did you apply for other scholarships? Any reply from them?

Again, those interview questions were almost the same every year even though the interviewers may be different. 
So, now you know how is the interview like...


I talked a lot of craps...but somehow...I'm pretty satisfied with the 15 minutes interivew...Ermm...Not really..Sigh..

Yayasan Sime Darby Pre-University Scholarship Programme 2010/2011

1st LEVEL ASSESSMENT:

Task 1: Fill in your particulars in their website
Task 2: Write an essay in less than 450 words about your future life or career.

You are supposed to write the essay within the time limit suggested even though there is no timer. This is as a practice to enable you to be used with the timed tasks in the next stages (if you qualify).


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2nd LEVEL ASSESSMENT:

Round Table Discussion.
This is a group activity consists of 6 people with an assigned business case study.

You'll be given around 5 minutes (if I'm not mistaken) to read the case. Then, you'll be given another 5 minutes to read the questions. After that, you'll be given another 5-10 min to draft your answer and idea for the discussion.

Well, all I knew was that everything was timed by the facilitator in the room. I still remember that I don't even have enough time to read the last page...I advise you to just read through briefly and if you still have time, you can scan for important information from the case study. The case study was about Harley Davidson. We were given information like the history of Harley Davidson, it's ups and downs, product range and so on in about 3 pages. We were asked to discuss on the marketing strategies and others. The discussion was recorded and everyone was grabbing the chance to talk since the discussion time is very limited and we wanted to prevail among others. I actually don't even know what is Harley Davidson until I came back home and searched online...pity me...but I still crapped a lot.


BRING along:
Please provide the following documents for submission (DO NOT bind or put in file):
1) Photocopy of IC (Write across the IC "For Sime Darby Use Only")
2) 2 passport-sized photograph
3) SPM Result
4) 5 certificates (original and photocopy) that you had stated in the online form and you most proud of

You see, in the email, they did not ask to bring along photocopy of SPM result, right? But, when I went there, the receptionist asked for it. So, how? I went to the office and photocopied a page of my result slip for RM 0.50!!! RM 0.50 for a page of black and white paper? I was like...OMG...

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3rd LEVEL ASSESSMENT:

Task 1: Presentation
This is an individual task, which requires candidate to extract key information and solutions from the case study given to be presented to the assessor.

You have to read the case study, find out the important information like strength and weaknesses of the company and present it out in point form or graph or anything you like. Then, you have to give your ideas and solutions to increase the sales of the business. You will be given marker pens and mahjong papers.


Task 2: Group Discussion
Candidates will be given a case study and will be working in a team to solve the assigned tasks.

This one was pretty funny. We were given another case study with their simple account summary. We have to choose between 3 options, namely, to move the factory, to build a new factory at another location or to close the factory. Each options will have pros and cons. Thus, we have to discuss about it in long terms and short terms, whether it'll decrease the profit, tarnish the image of the factory or so on.

Suddenly, at the middle of the discussion, there was a 'fax' coming in (new information sheet brought in by the facilitator). Now, we had to analyse the new info and make new considerations again. We saw the account summary and started to count the profitability with the calculators provided. All of us on the table counted really long, busy pressing the calculators...because we don't know what to count for! Plus, I hate Accounting! Later, a girl came out with a figure and we all just agreed with her and keep on crapping till the time finished...sad case...


Task 3: Role Play
This is an individual task, which requires candidate to play a certain role as described in a case study.

I was given a case study. I had to stand in the shoe of Mr A. Mr A have to choose whether to continue working in Malaysia or to migrate to Singapore. Again, there are pros and cons like higher salary but family members are used to local environment and so on. The facilitator served as an interviewer that will prompt you with complicated questions on your choice. So, you must have a firm decision and strong reasons for your decision.

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4th LEVEL ASSESSMENT:

Interview about yourself

This was definitely the easiest stage. This one was just like a normal interview, asking about your hobbies, studies, ambitions and others. I did not qualify for this stage. I waited for their call and email really long because they said that candidates will be informed whether they get through or not. Somehow, I waited and did not get any reply from them...But, I knew that I was disqualified because my friend went to this stage and I was not invited.
:(
Another sad thing was...it was a nice place but no lunch provided at all stages that I went...