The Sunday Times

　　August 26, 2001

　　For two weeks, Ms. Fazeela Abdul Rashid phone rang off the hook in her university hostel room. Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and Merrill Lynch were wooing her to join them as an analyst.

　　She recalled:received more than 10 calls a day from their vice-presidents, managers and analysts, congratulating me on being offered a position, telling me about what they do, and asking if I had any question.hen I wasn home, they left messages in my voice mail. Very often, the message was here if you need to talk? It was all so overwhelming that, at times, I got my roommate to screen my calls.?She chose CSFB, then felt bad about Merrill Lynch as they had put in so much effort to recruit her.

　　The mazing courtship was an eye-opener for the 23-year-old Cornell University chemical-engineering graduate, whose father is the managing partner of one of Singapore largest law firms.

　　Last August, while in her final year at Cornell University, she sent out applications to more than 20 investment banks in the United States, Singapore and elsewhere. Several of the US firms she applied to interviewed her at Cornell during their annual recruitment drive. By October, she had four final interviews to attend.

　　From then on, Ms. Fazeela was pursued in earnest.has flown to New York about seven times in all to attend cocktail parties, meetings, interviews, lunches and dinners,?she said. Each time, there would be about 20 in the group.We stayed in the best hotels like the Marriott and Sofitel, in the big rooms with king-sized beds, and ate in the finest restaurants in New York.?But more than wining and dining, it was great learning experience?speaking to top bankers, managers and analysts, and finding out more about investment banking. The firms also arranged for office tours to introduce her to her future workplace.

　　At the end of all these interviews and meetings, she was better prepared for the job at hand. She added: ll the wining, dining, wooing and courting was nice and it made me feel that I was valued and wanted. But it over. And now it time for work.?

　　What Are The Key Points From The Above Two Actual Stories?

　　-Get an early start on your career pursuit with global financial institutions.

　　-Be prepared for a strenuous process as the selection criteria are stringent.

　　-The process of career pursuit is in itself a tremendous learning opportunity.

　　-Be steadfastly focused and relentless in your pursuit.

　　-Global financial institutions are actively and continuously seeking ta- lented individuals including entry-level junior positions.

　　-Global financial institutions value talent because they know that human resource is the single most crucial success factor in building their businesses.

　　-Although overall HR requirements are influenced by market cycles and timing, the demand for top quality candidates is enduring.