Oxford Street

Paddington
Second hand shops

Becky Sharp’s vintage fashion market

Destination: Sydney

Yeah, it was hard to believe that I had not visited Sydney at all during my first three weeks of stay in Australia. Shame on you Michelle! :P I mean I could literally jump on a Metro bus to get there but I had been caught up by flat-hunting, getting used to work here, trying to settle in mentally or simply tired and feeling lazy at the end of a working week…Too many excuses not to visit Sydney even if it is just a bus ride away. We had a beautiful sunny summer day today...I abruptly asked a kind friend of mine who I met at a house viewing in Castle Hill if I could get a lift to the city and he said yes!! 

OMG finally on my way to the city of Sydney! So there I went straight to Prymont, very central area that is just 5 minutes stroll to the Harbour with lots of nice bars and restaurants and had a glimpse of the much famed Darling Harbour.

Reminds me of Canary Wharf, London

We have for sure brought with us lots of rain from England. Apparently Sydney has been experiencing the worst summer ever in 40 years! Lucky Michelle – it had not rained a single time when I was in the city - well not yet! Or probably when it was raining I chose not to go to the city? :P Always, always warm and sunny.

I did feel a bit lonely in the beginning, looking back now, simply because everything was new and I thought that I did not know anyone in the entire country. Fortunately, I was able to get in touch with some old school mates who are studying or working in Sydney soon enough and eventually got to meet new people to explore the city together.

Playing with effects

After a short walk to the harbour, we met up with a really cool guy who works at the Harbour Bridge, climbing the bridge and doing commentary for tourists. In a bar by the wharf, I got to try a local beer called Blue Tongue. We talked and talked before heading somewhere for dinner and found out that we're in the right place, at the right time (most Saturday nights in December actually) for some fantastic rock and roll Christmas carols/fireworks.

First time in Sydney - loved it! Seafood risotto for dinner. Saw some crazy Asian parties in a local pub, there must have been 30/40 people all beautifully dressed up and drinking and singing... It then took me a good hour to get to the right bus stop because of my impulse decision of coming to Sydney without checking night bus timetable... : ( So I waited and waited and got back 2 hours later with the night bus full of drunken people back from parties in the city. Tired but happy, happy! :)

Merry Christmas Sydney!

Week 2

Time flies! 

It is a hassle trying to sort out all the logistic stuff when relocating to a different country while having to start work straight away. Yet I've been enjoying the past two weeks so much. We definitely came at the best time of the year - two weeks with the company, we have already attended two trade events and two Christmas parties! 

Totally loving the company as everyone is so friendly and does their best to help us with anything, from transport, looking for accommodation and more generally sharing with us tips on living in this country... I know it sounds like a cliché but it really feels like a family. Karaoke at our own Christmas party was great fun - we were just singing along and dancing with everyone even though we hardly knew any of the songs! :)

Last Thursday and Friday, just before the Christmas party, we had our regular cycle meeting with territory managers and trade marketing representatives from different areas. The end of year results were looking great - despite an industry downturn followed by a 25% tobacco tax increase, the company has grown its share of the market because of its value-for-money brand portfolio and strong position in other tobacco products. Rewards and recognitions are an important part of the way the business works with its people - many colleagues and best-performing teams are recognised and praised for their outstanding achievements, and there is clearly a competitive, winning spirit in every team. Oh and in case you're wondering...food served was really really yummy!!

Chicken steak - simple but delicious

Ham and turkey slices with mashed potato

Fudge cake with ice-cream

Right, so much for the partying... This week, we spent two days on the road visiting retailers with Rebecca, a gorgeous lady who is bubbly, energetic, driven and really inspirational in what she does. Looking at how she builds rapport with her customers and helps them to fix stock issues gives us a good idea of what the daily responsibilities of a rep is. From tomorrow onwards, I will be with a lovely rep Michele (yep just to make life more confusing^^) to learn on the go covering her area.

Currently, Lynne, my beautiful colleague who went to Warwick for her MSc in Marketing and Strategy (which is the course that wasn't lucky enough to have me lol) and I are staying in a fully furnished, serviced apartment until we find another place to stay as this is only provided temporarily to ease us from the hassle of flat-hunting immediately upon arrival in Sydney. Thank you, ITG! A relocation agent will be coming to help us to find suitable accommodation within budget, hopefully we'll be able to settle down soon.

This Friday night, we were invited to a trade event and Christmas party organised by  the Dib Group, a very influential regional fuel distribution business that owns hundreds of service stations. We had two display stalls, one specifically for the brand new packaging of Peter Stuyvesant - I love the posters which were photographed in New York City! Promotional discounts were given to orders made on the day together with some goodies of course. 

It's been a while since the last time I did a trade show or a more face-to-face sales role. At Warwick, I found several temp jobs through the on-campus temps recruitment agency unitemps. In terms of sales and marketing, I have worked with a hand-held PDA at a trade show in the NEC for a market research agency, speaking to hundreds of people everyday; handed out leaflets for the Godiva Festival in Coventry; did surveys for the local council on Christmas shopping...these were all very useful experience although they were quite basic temp jobs for a bit of extra cash. They were tough as well! Pushing myself out of my comfort zone and having to actively approach people on the street, start a conversation and maintain enthusiastic no matter rain or shine (or even snow!). Everything happens for a reason, I always knew. Dunno why I suddenly remembered these...but yeah... :)

I miss England so very much - I appreciate the friendships I've made, family trips with my dearest mum and dad, sweet and sour memories of falling in love, getting hurt, lessons learnt and becoming a stronger person after all, tough times when trying to make the most out of my time, doing temp work and internship, experiencing things that I would not have the chance to experience otherwise. All these made me the person I am today. I'm just so grateful and thankful to my loving parents for their support over the past 23 years and my boyfriend - we have to be strong for each other.

Looking forward to tomorrow (Monday), believe it or not! :)

Good night Sydney! Till next time!

xx

Day 1 in Sydney

Firstly I'd like to apologise for not updating on this blog for such a long time. Ever since I went back home, I haven't been able to get access to google related products/services, including blogspot. I've been through an awful lot during the past few months. 


Visited the US all by myself for 9 days, covering San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Washington in good depth, watched an amazing Broadway show Sister Act and met up with my lovely big sister Sherry Wang who studies in Columbia, bought the first luxury bag in my life, flew 5 times in 9 days, mostly travelled by myself, meeting new people on the way and really, really enjoyed the country and its people. One major observation is that orientals are an integral part of the American society, well-respected and seen as equal (or at least more equal than anywhere else I've been to). Will post some photos next time!


And now...It's been quite a big move from England to China and then eventually here in Australia for the first time ever! Oh my god, this country is amazing! It was the hottest day for me in 2011, so far. Warm, bright sunshine without clouds.


tbc...

Late update

Just feeling a bit emotional these days, not only because of thesis which seems to be a never ending task, can't get over my perfectionism...really want to make this piece of work brilliant...so just kept changing things...


It is time to say goodbye to this country, perhaps. I don't know for sure yet. But have booked my flight ticket home just to spend some time with my families, I love them dearly and miss them every single day. And pizza, our big lady, the cutest cat one could ever have. Everyone. I'm going to miss this country so much after six years... T. T

Assessment centre tips

Share with you some tips and reflections from my recent assessment centre day with a leading FMCG company. It is more of an evaluation and feedback session for myself and I hope it is helpful to whoever reading it now and good luck to you in your assessment days!

Arrivals

Arrive early to avoid any delays due to traffic or other unforeseen reasons. Check in and tidy up everything. Have a quick shower and get changed into ‘casual’ outfit, which wasn’t too casual. Always keep smart appearance! It is okay to slightly over-dress rather than dress down. Jacket/blazer works with everything. Arrive early and ask hotel staff for directions around to familiarise yourself with the surroundings.

Meet and greet

Arrive early at the venue, wait for the others to come, think about things you would like to ask and topics to discuss with your fellow candidates. Learn from the others’ experiences. Be friend with them and get to know them by asking questions about their background. You are at the assessment centre for the same job. It is always interesting and inspiring to see what the others have done in getting into the field of interest. Discuss the sort of activities they are involved in. What are they passionate about? What books, blogs do they read? What are they good at? How have they coped with difficult situations along the way? The learning can be magnificent.

Dinner and drinks

Table manner is important. Be careful with how you eat what you eat while still actively paying attention to your neighbours and spare reasonable time for discussions. Perhaps choose some dishes that are ‘easier’ to finish? Don’t make too much noise as you’re cutting things into pieces or having soup. Of course these are all common sense but it is surprising how many people do not pay enough attention to the small bits and pieces resulting in losing points over dinner table. It is also a way of finding out more about the people working in the company – what they like, are they approachable, friendly, what do they talk about, and ask as many questions as you like about the profession, the company, the industry over informal setting. There are assessors dining with you and it can be stressful being surrounded by three pairs of eyes from the senior management of the company. The key is to be yourself and be professional. Think before you speak and listen as they do. 

p.s. know your limits, drink responsibly!

Morning

Go for breakfast early, try to check-out early and be at the venue 15 minutes early. Double check meeting time with the organisers - sometimes they do get the timing wrong. Be energetic. Breathe. Don’t stress yourself too much. Assessment days are both for you and your employer to find out if they really want to work with you on a daily basis. They are just as nervous as you are believe it or not. They fear that after spending so much time and money hunting for great talent, only to find out that you are not the one you say you are or you may not be the perfect fit with the company... or simply: they do not like you.

Exercises

-        Tests

Numerical and verbal tests are often nerve cracking. You cannot concentrate fully under time pressure and especially being in such a competitive environment, your brain is not functioning as well as it could. The key thing to remember is that everyone else who are doing the tests are in exactly the same situation as you are. They are also feeling nervous. They may not be performing as well as they wish. It’s normal. The tests are not there to trick you. Well-designed exercises explore your ability to learn a routine, or a technique quickly and to apply it in replicated scenarios. There are often various exercises in order to assess your strengths and weaknesses in a balanced way. Do you often find yourself good at certain set of exercises rather than the others? Nobody is perfect. Just try your best and stay focused. Your scores from the tests are normally compared against the average taken from all the people who have taken the test under similar constraints, rather than the absolute scores out of 100, per se. Take it easy.

-        Interviews

Be succinct. Highlight your key words in a orderly fashion. Show your trace of thoughts. Be logical in answering questions. Signpost your audience as they take notes. Help them by starting your answer with: there are three main reasons why... This helps them comprehend you better so that they can listen to your examples and illustrations with full attention. You can sense when they want to hear more about something, right? Don’t start talking about one example and get carried away. You can always speak less in the first instance and elaborate upon request if the interviewers are interested in knowing more details. Sometimes less is more.

-        Case study

Timing is absolutely crucial in case study preparation. You have one hour to read over 30 pages of materials to extract the most valuable pieces of information to put together a 10 minutes presentation with flipcharts or any visual aid that you can come up with in such a short time. You also need to tidy your thoughts and organise your words, following a clear logic, delivered in a compelling fashion and convince your audience.

Be selective in your reading, skim through the pages with your key questions in mind, otherwise you are just going to waste your precious time jotting down notes that are not going into your presentation. Waste of time. Use a combination of texts and drawings, bullet points and simple tables for easier visual illustration of what you are describing. Talk about key trends, challenges, stakeholders, specific strategies and what are the contingencies. Practice makes perfect.

Some people say the best presenters speak at 140 words per minute. If you can’t do that then do not try to speed things up otherwise you might screw your presentation by not having enough time to think through what you are going to talk about next. You can be a bit slow but accurate and fluent in your speaking, rather than trying to impress the assessors by moving fast in the beginning and losing your threads altogether later on.

-       Group exercise

Get to know your teammates before the exercise. Try to analyse their working style and figure out who is outspoken and who needs a bit of encouragement and inspiration (or delegation) to contribute some ideas. Rapport building is crucial here, which is why you should always get to know people whenever you can. Leadership does not necessarily equate to being aggressive, forcing people to follow his or her suggestions. A good leader listens, evaluates pieces of information and recommendations and has clear logic of thoughts on what is needed and what happens next. He or she also encourages the others to participate, facilitates discussions and try to include everybody in the team, contributing. Ask for volunteers, ask for time-checks (try not to do it yourself J) and ask if there is anything anyone wish to add, or if anyone has spotted anything missing in the discussions. Basically, ask you can see, ASKING, analysing and summarising.

End of the day

At the end of the (long, stressful, daunting) day, remain enthusiastic and energetic even if you are shattered and feel the urgent need to go home and run a hot bath. Keep smiling. Feel proud of yourself over the course of the assessment tasks. Reflect your learnings and think about what you would have done differently if you were to do it all over again. Talk to the others to find out how they feel about the day. (Then you will feel much better as you will find out that they feel exactly the same.) Everyone is tired and doesn’t wish to speak anymore. Summarise your takeaways from the day and thank everyone on behalf of all the candidates. Thank everyone you have spoken to with a firm handshake and sincere smile. 

Remember people’s names and write them thank you notes immediately after you go back, before preparing your cuppa and running your hot bath. Also thank those who helped you as you were doing your preparation, anyone you have contacted within the organisation when you tried to find out the culture or any specific areas within the business operation that you are particularly interested in. I know this is all common sense. It takes time. It’s tedious. But do get into the habit of doing things this way, be a naturally interpersonal person. You never know what fortunes these small actions will bring you.

Lastly, best of luck and never give up! You will meet the one. : )

Spent 3 days working and 2 days looking for work

Talking about mental toughness - from this week, my daily schedule begins at 7am, ends at midnight if not later. Meetings with supervisor for thesis, 3 days of work, lots of commuting,   interview with HP contact in the US after work. 


Knackered. Went to London yesterday to complete the biometrics enrolment at the Camden Town post office, fingers crossed that PSW visa will be granted in due course. Had one skype interview which didn't go well and a group interview at a leading publishing company and played Beyonce. Went lucky as I was queueing in Euston Station when someone gave me a seasonal ticket between London and Milton Keynes anytime, any route!! For free! :D Came back, bit of rest, straight to Bedford for house viewings - checked out three houses for rent, just to make life easier rather than wasting 4 hours precious time every day. 


Thinking now, it is a lot of sacrifice for a temp job that is not leading to anything permanent. Underpaid. Of course we say we do these for the experience. Still, at a huge cost. A lot of suffering. Have to think it through carefully.


Just wanted to share some exercises we had yesterday at the lovely publishing house. We were asked which movie character would play us. Followed by a group interview where Matthew and John (from the traditional media and digital platforms respectively) prompted us to introduce ourselves one by one, this was particularly interesting as to see how the others explain their motivations for job, how they describe their experience and make a strong case for themselves in front of a peer group. The next exercise was to prioritise one's day, which made you think which tasks are the most urgent ones and which ones the least. Then the balloon game. Each of us had to pretend to be a famous person and come up with an argument to defend ourselves why we should remain in the balloon. (I was Beyonce!)


Everyone had something rather special about themselves - an Italian who has travelled across different continents with finance and business background, a natural sales talent who  did economics and finance and was super sporty since when he was in Kenya, 2 lovely British girls, one doing masters, one just finished off gap year travelling, a Glasgow boy who was fast and funny with his lovely accent, and there was me. Never been in a group interview as such before. Really helpful experience as I picked up some jolly good techniques and learnt how to make use of every opportunity to express yourself and show teamwork. It was interesting too to hear what they have done in sales, marketing and media. Interests and hobbies were highly valued too - what people do when they're not working...need to be more sporty! : )

What am I doing to myself?

We don't have much time left. We're losing time. Thesis. Job-hunting. What is going to happen after September 9th 2011 seemed like a futuristic question a while ago. But not any more. Kitchen party was getting serious. People were talking about jobs, blogs, Linkedin groups. Who has got a job, who has not. Who is struggling with their thesis, who has great supervisor with great interviewee contacts ready for them. Who is going for another interview or assessment centre. Who is moving back to their home countries after studies.


Personal development training day was on June 24th, when I clapped my hands like crazy, got completely wet in a dragon boat race and got a cold straight after - and was not appreciated in any way for what I did for the team. Which is fine. If we expect for returns and recognition for everything we do for others, we're only going to be very, very disappointed from time to time. No one will truly appreciate what you contribute. Self-motivation is what keeps me going all these years. Can never do good enough, or shout loud enough about your own achievements or what you have been doing altruistically for others. Sometimes perhaps one should be more selfish. I enjoy though, organising things for people, preparing surprises, cooking and sharing. While no one ever asks to contribute a little bit to all the money I spent on preparing those little treats or big meals for 10, I mean it's okay - it's for friends sharing, enjoying each others' company. I'm not from a rich family otherwise I wouldn't care - I have always worked so hard every single holiday while I'm in this country to earn some extra money for subsistence. I work very, very hard to achieve what I have to achieve. But really, not everything you're doing for them is ever being appreciated. I was just really upset every now and then. Obviously it is going to be the same, if not worse in the real world. Mental toughness. Have principles. Say no. Be mentally strong to cope with all the unfairs and storms in life. I will have to move on and learn from lessons.


Almost 11 months in the village of Cranfield. The moment of truth is near. Soon enough we will say goodbye to each other and move on in our lives. Whatever we do, wherever we will be, it's gonna be a brand new page and Cranfield is going to be archived in our memory. A rather emotional time, really. I can't imagine the day when we all meet up in Grad Admin or wherever to submit our carefully binded theses, nervous and relieved. Before that day, we just have to keep going.


Work placement. I know I should not be compromising too much given the skills, knowledge and experience I have had for what I am capable of doing. Having got used to being paid 8 pound per hour on some jobs, this work placement is not ideal at all. But still, when an opportunity knocks, after a long and difficult debate with myself, I said yes. What I am putting myself through is an incredibly busy summer all the way to October. 


No more freedom. No more leisure. Lots of struggle. 3 hours of bus travelling by the often fashionably late Stagecoach buses - Venus 1 from Cranfield University to Bedford then Mars 3 between Bedford and the business park - then a 7 minutes walk into the office. Buses in the village are not as frequently as we would like them to be. There is just one bus heading as far as Cranfield University from Bedford, which is understandable - not many students are travelling in between very much during the day. But what this implies is: if you missed that very bus going into the university, you have to wait for another hour in the middle of Wooton Village. Taxis are available at 12-15 quid. I just went to the company for a 2-hour induction but I started travelling on the bus at 8.40am and came back to uni at 15.00 sharp... 


Why do I have to put myself through difficult tasks? Why do I always challenge myself too much? I mean after all the hard work I know I will be pleased for the experience and what I have learnt by then. But it is painful. 3 hours a day on the bus, makes it 180 hours over the course of three months! I can do so much with that time. A Megarider day ticket costs a shocking GBP10.30. At my own expense which is supposed to be covered by the allowance which is nothing compared to my previous roles. On top of time and money, I have my terrible motion-sickness to overcome along the wiggly country roads in and out of every single village, trying not to think about the dizziness after the long journey. As I was waiting in the middle of a village, I even wrote Cranfield Uni on a notebook, waving to the cars approaching,  hoping that someone would be kind enough to give me a lift for that 4-mile trip which I had to wait for 1 hour. Could have walked actually, if there was a safe pedestrian path...Basically I was just a bit upset, feeling a bit stupid for everything I am doing to stretch myself and to enrich my CV with some responsibilities directly relevant to what I would like to do in my future career. Just that I am pushing myself so much and paying a lot for what they are.


Michelle, be strong! You can do it. Just don't give up. Love yourself. Have faith in yourself. You will do great stuff!

I love you

Will write something for you tomorrow. Daddy, I love you... :)

Warwick Advantage

Old glories from my undergraduate days, originally published here on Warwick Advantage website, the most brilliant platform offering holistic career and personal development information, resources and opportunities for students that I have ever seen, after comparing across different universities in this country.

Michelle Ou – Philosophy, Politics and Economics

When I first arrived I couldn’t mix with the home students because of the culture difference and I knew nothing about the topics they were talking about. At college, the academic experience was very different from China. It took me a while to get used to a class size of 10 instead of 50 and to participate in discussions fluently.

I was eager to practise my English and learn more about British culture, so during my first week I found a volunteering job at a charity shop where I worked for the next two years, achieving the 200 Hours Millennium Volunteers Award. At A2, I volunteered to be a Charity Representative and coordinated a team of four to fundraise for two worthy causes. Our efforts resulted in over 10,000 Pounds raised, exceeding our annual target of 2,000 Pounds. I was then appointed the Marketing Officer for our Young Enterprise and initiated ideas of making handmade jewellery by recycling materials as well as photo frames with artistic prints, both of which were popular in the local trade fair. I also mentored a little Chinese girl, helping her to build up confidence and support her academically.

This year I worked as one of six Freshers Supervisors at the Students’ Union to manage a team of 150 student helpers to ensure the smooth running of the Freshers’ Fortnight events. It was hard work and I’m so glad I threw myself into such a challenging environment, representing an international perspective, working with home students and staff of the Students’ Union on a daily basis, which significantly boosted my confidence.

I have done various part-time jobs and my passion for volunteering continues, working as a volunteer interpreter for the local refugee centre. I organized a China Day cultural event for the local community, presenting them the latest image of China. I’ve also travelled in Europe – the 2 levels of French I completed within 1 year helped enormously when I visited Paris recently.

Now five years on, I’m actively applying for jobs in China and HR managers have shown great interest in my CV as the wide range of experiences I have had made me stand out from the crowd. Studying in the UK is not just about academic work, moreover, it’s a unique opening to a world of opportunities of networking, getting involved and self-development. I’ve never regretted my decision to come here.

• 
  

Les Fleurs

'There ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them 

than to travel with them.'

- Mark Twain

I don't often feel the difference between spring and summer in this country part from the temperature rise. Normal weather - typical showers, occasional sunny spells before it's raining cats and dogs (do people still use this expression anyway?).

       

Visited Coventry again, seeing the familiar buildings, churches and streets, felt like a tourist this time. We don't tend to explore the beauty of the places we live in, do we? It reminds me of a recent conversation. Someone was puzzled: why do non-European students (Asians in particular) who study here travel to almost every single country in Europe? For us Europeans, the culture, architecture, history or even the languages are very similar so that we know what the way of life is like in Spain or Italy if we were French or German. But for non-Europeans, anything can be fascinating and the differences across the borders still strike them as everything is new and foreign. 

It's true. I love travelling, especially visiting art galleries and museums, learning about the different cultures. Unlike my friends who have been to more than half of the EU member states during their time studying in the UK, I have not travelled in the EU extensively these years due to budget constraints and work commitment. I loved every single country that I've visited. I've seen a lot of churches with beautifully decorated glass windows telling the Bible stories. Each one is different and unique to me in its own way and I can't wait to explore more of them. Thinking back, when was the last time that I visited the Great Wall or the Forbidden City in Beijing? Or museums, art galleries, places of interests to people who are not from Beijing? We're so used to everything there and know that if we wanted to, we could always visit and spend some relaxing time there. They're taken for granted. We know they're always there waiting for us whenever we want to. But sometimes perhaps the true beauty of where we come from is lost as time goes by.

Thesis is still moving on, slowly. The rich information on the internet can be SO DISTRACTING sometimes. Buttons linking you from one topic to another, videos, interview scripts, all relevant to my thesis theme which is marketing communications on sustainability and CSR...totally bombed by the wealth of info. Fingers crossed for nice weather for the rest of the week. 

PIAF x1

Not the legendary Edith Piaf we're talking about here. But PIAF - Prague International Advertising Festival, it is. 

May 11th-12th 2011. Prague, Czech Republic. Incredibly beautiful weather, warm sunshine, lots of  tourists, trams, yellow cabs, various architecture styles spotted around the city, where history meets modernity.

Arriving into Prague at midnight, the airport shuttle bus driver took us on a city tour, dropping the other passengers off at different stops while I was so excited to see all the major attractions dotted in the city centre and along the riverside - the Castle, National Theatre, Charles Bridge and lots of towers and churches. I held my breath, eagerly capturing the beauty of the city with my own eyes, falling in love with it.


May 11th
The venue of PIAF 2011 was chosen at Veletržní Palác, a National Gallery with five floors of marvellous fine art, contemporary installations and sculptures from the 20th - 21st century, both Czech and foreign, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore and many more. The extensive exhibition space in the building was astonishing. One could easily spend a couple of hours going through everything in detail - that could be a peaceful, pleasing afternoon well-spent in Prague.

Donald Gunn with Enthusiastic Chinese journalists outside the venue.

Source: www.piaf.cz

By the entrance of PIAF venue was a military style 4wd with the slogan 'where bad ideas go to die' which was a controversial campaign PIAF launched, challenging the creativity industry in a bold, somewhat a bit violent way by encouraging users to type in 'bad ideas' and kill them (brutally). 

Source: www.piaf.cz

Walking down the stairs, sharp blue light rays brought us to an open space with ads entry boards carefully clipped onto coat hangers in the centre. 

Source: www.piaf.cz

Viewing all the entered creative works was a pleasure. From time to time you would go 'Wow, that is so smart!' Speakers, creative directors and journalists mingle around, enjoying refreshments provided by Kraft, Espresso by Nestlé Nespresso and beers by Heineken. 

Policy briefings: recap

For current students:

-          We can apply for a study visa within the UK if it is at a higher level, for example, we may need to obtain documents as proof if we want to do another MSc elsewhere in the UK after Cranfield

-          Students are restricted to a maximum of 8 years staying in the UK on Tier 4 student visa

-          PSW – Post Study Work Visa

o   Will be cancelled after April 1^st 2012, students have to secure sponsorship from companies in order to obtain a Tier 2 visa

o   MSc students currently have 2 months after their course ending date to remain in the UK, but they still need a formal document stating their results once they are passed by the Exam Board as supporting evidence for their visas

-          Working while studying

o   Students are now allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week during term time

o   And full-time during university closure periods and after their course is finished

-          Students with families

o   Families/dependents are not allowed to come with the student who’s on a one-year course, from July 2011 onwards

For new students:

-          The university will carry out academic progress check 3 times a year to ensure the students are actively engaging in their studies

-          English proficiency requirement will be tightened

o   Evidence check by UKBA

o   Understanding conversations with the entry clearance officer

-          Even if some African and Asian students have been in full-time education taught in English in their own countries, they would still need some kind of English proficiency certificate as proof

Useful websites:

http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/index.php   (explained in plain English)

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/                 (official UKBA website)

ACTION:

Attend the talk on May 9th 2011 18:30, Auditorium, Building 52!

On Monday 9th May Jennifer Lambe from Gherson solicitors will be coming to campus to present on the issue of immigration and working in the UK.

The presentation will include:

• The recent changes to the UK Immigration system.
• How students are and will be affected.
• Remaining possibilities to work in the UK.
• Whether there is still the chance of gaining permanent residency and ultimately Nationality.
• Q&A session.

Happy birthday to myself: L’Oreal Brandstorm et al

So much has been going on for the past two weeks.

An important lesson learnt during this time was to CHECK EVERYTHING, DOUBLE CHECK, TRIPPLE CHECK AND NEVER PRESUME UNTIL IT IS CONFIRMED. I felt really upset one day. I had asked Ben to help me with some leads on Corporate Social Responsibilities or Sustainability issues in China or in the UK. I didn’t realise that at the same time, he forwarded my CV to some of his contacts asking for job opportunities. When I received an email from one of Ben’s contacts right after I sent him my thesis proposal, I took for granted that it was regarding my thesis. While busy and stressed with meeting other deadlines, I prepared thoroughly on the sustainable case studies about the company but not yet had the time to do a proper recap as for a job interview. When I realised it WAS for a job interview, it was too late. : ( I felt so sorry for him and for Ben as they would have had high expectation about me whereas I didn’t even do my homework properly just to confirm whether it was for my thesis interviews or a job interview. : ( Lesson learnt: if in doubt, always ASK.

Team L’Aesthetics attended L’Oreal Brandstorm UK National Final, juggling between numerous deadlines and huge amount of pressure. In the end, we didn’t manage to win the tickets to go to Paris for the International contest but we’re happy that we’ve done our best. For me personally, it was such a deep learning curve, from putting everything we’ve learnt from MSc Strategic Marketing at Cranfield School of Management, to designing A3 double-sided handouts from scratch, every stage along the way while preparing for the National Final, I’ve gained so much valuable experience.

Time management was crucial as the preparation was throughout our Research Methods lectures which were vital to our thesis writing and a First Review Paper which includes the most important elements of the thesis. I had done online tests and kept receiving ‘sorry but...’ emails. I had buried myself in the main library searching for articles and past theses until midnight. Sometimes it was difficult not to compromise on food as there was so little time to relax and cook a proper meal for myself when Tesco ready meals became my best mate for two weeks. Now that the Brandstorm competition was over, I can finally relax a little bit to treat myself and catch up with some sleep.

We arrived in London on May 2^nd preparing for L’Oreal Brandstorm Final, going through presentations, sorting out team outfit as well as getting some beauty sleep the night before. Early morning, we took our suitcases and printed display boards with us, battling with the working Londoners during rush hour in the tube. Nervous but excited. Being the first team arriving at reception, we calmed ourselves down and tried to brush up our presentation flow one last time. ‘I see competition!’ Said my teammate. The other teams arrived one by one, with glamorous dresses, beautiful heels, professionally prepared point-of-sale materials and big smiles.

Amongst the ten finalist teams, there were 8 teams of British students, a team of French and us, two Chinese and one Romanian girl. It was a challenge for us first of all, to do the presentation with confidence in front of all our competitors in our second language - huge pressure. Six teams were from the same university, Nottingham Trent, doing fashion marketing and another relevant course, with their lecturer who has supervised a previous winning team. Their presentations were soooo good... Really, I was amazed by the runner-up team and totally loved the innovative ideas they had for products and the smart installation of a hair scanning machine to be placed as a salon experiment for existing L’Oreal Professionnel portfolio salons, which I also thought about but wasn’t developed further in our presentation. Great minds think alike – the winning team from our group was called Team Manifest, we had our original idea on creating a full-service salon called Club Manifesto, offering holistic male grooming experience. In the People’s Choice lunch hour, when we presented our display materials and ideas to L’Oreal staff, quite a few people voted Manifest instead of our team name L’Aesthetics. Was a bit unlucky in terms of that. :P

To be continued...

The clock is ticking

An important year in my life. A number of major decisions to be made. An Easter break 2 weeks before Easter. A fabulous month with gorgeous weather that is quite unusual for this time of the year in this country.

Five months left before thesis is submitted and everything is packed back into my suitcases when I'm about to embark on a new journey, whatever that may be. Online tests, telephone interviews and waiting lists. Jobhunting has come to a bottleneck partially because of the post-study work visa requirement for all overseas students. Some companies have screening questions asking if one has the permanent right to work in this country. Nope. Sorry we cannot process your application any further. Of course one has to keep applying, keep getting rejected, keep practising tests and attending interviews and all that before receiving a YES. Some can multitask, some can't. I'm the latter. 

The reasoning is simple. Thesis, which is what I spend most of my time on, counts 60% of our final grade. Of course grades don't matter any more when you have a Masters. People don't even care what you did it in. Just another attempt to differentiate ourselves from the pool, isn't it. Having the opportunity to dig into the literature of sustainability marketing is great. Having the chance to work with Publicis over the course of my project is challenging. Do all the thinkings twice - academically and in practice. Deliverables apart from the perfectly written, carefully proofread and beautifully bound thesis, are formal presentations for the organisations involved. Lots of tasks coming up giving me the chance to practise, challenge myself and proving what I am capable of in the real world of work. Which is AMAZING. I'm really excited about this project!!

Deadlines. New deadlines. Timetable. Timetable changes. Timetable changes again.

On top of all the work I do, I did manage to get a life somehow. Coventry visit on a very sunny day. Met up with Siyuan, an artist who works at jobs.ac.uk and home-delivered a surprise for Peter Muckersie my British grandpa - I wish him well. Been to student concert night watching talented fellow students playing guitar, memories drifting back to the summer in Beijing Houhai when we sang our song in a pub. Indian night, the music was sooo danceable although food was a bit spicy for me (definitely not spicy at all for those from India). La Tasca, delicious Spanish tapas - can't wait till summer when I could visit Spain for the first time. Brunch and Easter egg hunt around campus, relaxing in the sunshine, being lazy, we were like kids fighting for the big prize when searching for chocolate eggs.

Cranfield Taxi Buddy has been, reasonably successful, thanks to technical solutions accompanied. Lots of members in the group now, posting taxi-sharing requests and sharing a lift with other Cranfield buddies. Good stuff. Should have done this since the beginning of the term though!! : ( Would have saved hundreds of $$.

 Make the most out of my stay here at Cranfield, really. Busy, stressful, working hard yet no regrets.

Recap: L'Oréal Brandstorm

Something extraordinary is happening.

L'Oréal Brandstorm it is.

In the case study, students are required to develop an experiment to attract men to go to hair salons where women also go to. In addition to the salon idea, a brand new product range is to be designed while the new range brand identity ought to be in line with L'Oréal Professionnel Homme.

On Feb 28th, except for getting the address hence directions wrong for the lovely breakfast briefing at Cafe Rouge, Team L'Aesthetic had an amazing day at L'Oréal Headquarter in Hammersmith, London - because we were fortunate enough to be in the UK National Final, baby! : )

L'Oréal is keen on raising the hair industry standard through educating hairdressers of the future as well as establishing business partnerships with excellent hair salons. There are hundreds of hairdressers attending various training courses and practical sessions across different levels at HQ.

End-to-end experience is important throughout all the different elements a consumer encounters during the consumption process: the packaging, smell, feel, texture, product performance etc. Every stage along the way influences the overall experience hence perception of the brand. In order to understand the male customers and how to sell products to them, we not only have to focus from a consumers' perspective, but also to convince the hairdresser or stylist to pass on this crucial knowledge persuasively.

Four male consumer segments were identified by L'Oréal.

1) Metro-sexual
Confident, enjoy attention, would like people to know that they're spending time and money on   their appearance, fashionable, designer styles, sexy.

2) New masculine
Effortless, groomed, stylish, like to smell and try new products, appreciate sharing knowledge, discussions, adopt new innovations.

3) Cautious
Reassurance on masculinity, classic with a twist, solution seeker, need simple advice, relationship is important to them, trust is crucial, one has to subtly tell them that a lot of men are using these new products in order to convince effectively.

4) Traditional
Unchangeable styles, conservative, have specific benefits, quick and simple styles, easy, no fuss, classic. Apologies Ross, I forgot who it was that L'Oréal put originally - you might or might not fall into this category? No offence.

According to Stacey Egan from Guy Kremer Salon, products that can be used at home to recreate the looks done in the salons are particularly attractive to men. Men are new to the idea of taking care of themselves, looking good, spending time on their appearance by using haircare or skincare products.

Beth Rowe, the Account Technical Manager suggests a potential challenge in the current L'Oréal Professionnel salons, which is the conflict between Toni&Guy own product range Label.m and L'Oréal products as participating salons have no contract obligation on the proportion of products by L'Oréal. Therefore there is an ongoing battle to keep the salons motivated and confident in passing on the benefits of L'Oréal products on to the customers.

 The company has also stepped into the green and sustainability regime, including launching Serie Nature, where science meets nature, promoting alternative ingredients. This range includes 7 products and acts as a platform to promote the ethics of the company.

On another note, male consumers are said to use 6 products on average whereas there is a potential of 3 more products that can be adopted in both the existing and new skincare/haircare categories. Which product categories do we want to develop further? Colour, haircare or styling? Or is it skincare which we want to extend to by leveraging the power of L'Oréal Professionnel brand. We want to invite them to come to hair salons, spend more for bums on seats. What models wear can also influence customers' choice significantly, depending on whether or not they reflect the male customers' style to make them feel comfortable.

These are not all the challenges that we need to tackle.

On Wednesday April 6th, we will be meeting an ad agency who is allocated to work with us, helping us to develop illustrations of our salon experiment, product range and ad campaign.

Watch this space! : )

*Picture credit: Katherine Tian Meng
*From left: Julia Vladu, Katherine Tian Meng, UK Marketing Director, Marketing Department cool guy, Michelle Ou
(picture can be removed upon request as permission was not obtained prior to publishing)