deez nuts
09-26-2005, 09:57 AM
Recruiters Seek Asian Employees
by Florence Lui
Columbia Daily Spectator
September 26, 2005
In the midst of the fall recruiting season, Asia seems to have come out on top.
A number of leaders of Asian-interest groups have reported significant rises in recruitment efforts by finance-sector companies interested in hiring students for their offices in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to Bryan Lee, CC ’07, chair of the Asian American Alliance, such targeted interest is new.
“It’s a recent phenomenon. I’ve been in Asian American Alliance since I was a freshman. But in recent years, I’ve seen a lot more of these sorts of e-mails,” he said.
Many point toward Asia’s recent economic growth as a reason for this rise in recruitment. Asian language skills, common among many members of the Asian-interest groups, are other factors that draw recruiters, Lee said.
Debbie Kay, a Bain and Co. consultant who has worked in both the New York and Singapore offices, said that growing interest and investment in the region was evident at a Bain global presentation last Thursday.
“We send people to recruit for the Asia-Pacific region every year, but recently, our number of hirers have increased,” she said.
This growth in Asia has translated into a more targeted and personal kind of recruitment. The Japan Society held its first-ever intra-club information session with Goldman Sachs last Sunday. Unlike most information sessions in which recruiters go through the Center for Career Education and appeal to a broader audience, this one featured a presenter from the Tokyo office trying to recruit students with language skills.
Walter Fellers, vice president of Human Capital Management at Goldman Sachs, said that in addition to recruiting at Columbia through the Japan Society, he was scheduled to hold similar information sessions for Japanese-interest groups at universities across the U.S.
“Our offices in Asia produced more revenue than [our offices in] New York did—it’s an area of large growth for the firm,” he said. “There’s a central focus for recruiting proactively for students interested in the Asia-Pacific region.”
According to Japan Society president Yi Zhang, CC ’07, a number of companies have shown interest in holding similar sessions. Zhang plans to hold several more this fall.
Most of this recruitment, however, occurs via e-mail. Usually, recruiters search for relevant groups through Columbia’s search engine, then e-mail the leaders of those clubs and ask them to disseminate the information to their members. “It’s only natural that companies in different countries will approach the club of that nationality for help,” said Katharynn Lee, SEAS ’08 and a member of the Singapore Student Association. “They’ll usually e-mail us about job opportunities. I think they probably do that for all good U.S. universities, as they want to attract the best Singaporeans back,” she said.
But many students have not found this kind of recruitment helpful in attaining working opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.
“I’ve never actually gotten a job through this kind of recruitment, and I don’t know any members in our club who have,” said Jonney Liu, CC ’07 and Chinese Students Club president.
Sounds of China member Alfred Tse, SEAS ’08, who worked as a summer intern for HSBC in Guangzhou, China, said this phenomenon was not useful for him, either.
“I’ve seen a lot of these e-mails, but they’re often for competitive spots and are usually directed toward upperclassmen. It was easier for me to find an internship the summer after freshman year through my own research.”
Some students, especially those with the language skills to work in the Asia-Pacific region, said that the recent growth in Asia provided them with alternative opportunities.
Anne Thomas, CC ’06, who interned last summer with UBS in Tokyo, said that her native-level Japanese meant she could weigh career choices.
“I’m looking for a full-time job, in two regions—New York or Tokyo. I change my mind every other day, but I’m planning to apply for positions in both regions and see what options I have before making a final decision.”
Others expressed a more cynical view, stating that job opportunities were slim and that the opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region were a last resort.
“I think a lot of Asian students put it as a second choice because they know there are opportunities there, but they really want to stay in New York,” said Yishan Chou, Business ’06.
Link (http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/09/26/4337865f35865)
by Florence Lui
Columbia Daily Spectator
September 26, 2005
In the midst of the fall recruiting season, Asia seems to have come out on top.
A number of leaders of Asian-interest groups have reported significant rises in recruitment efforts by finance-sector companies interested in hiring students for their offices in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to Bryan Lee, CC ’07, chair of the Asian American Alliance, such targeted interest is new.
“It’s a recent phenomenon. I’ve been in Asian American Alliance since I was a freshman. But in recent years, I’ve seen a lot more of these sorts of e-mails,” he said.
Many point toward Asia’s recent economic growth as a reason for this rise in recruitment. Asian language skills, common among many members of the Asian-interest groups, are other factors that draw recruiters, Lee said.
Debbie Kay, a Bain and Co. consultant who has worked in both the New York and Singapore offices, said that growing interest and investment in the region was evident at a Bain global presentation last Thursday.
“We send people to recruit for the Asia-Pacific region every year, but recently, our number of hirers have increased,” she said.
This growth in Asia has translated into a more targeted and personal kind of recruitment. The Japan Society held its first-ever intra-club information session with Goldman Sachs last Sunday. Unlike most information sessions in which recruiters go through the Center for Career Education and appeal to a broader audience, this one featured a presenter from the Tokyo office trying to recruit students with language skills.
Walter Fellers, vice president of Human Capital Management at Goldman Sachs, said that in addition to recruiting at Columbia through the Japan Society, he was scheduled to hold similar information sessions for Japanese-interest groups at universities across the U.S.
“Our offices in Asia produced more revenue than [our offices in] New York did—it’s an area of large growth for the firm,” he said. “There’s a central focus for recruiting proactively for students interested in the Asia-Pacific region.”
According to Japan Society president Yi Zhang, CC ’07, a number of companies have shown interest in holding similar sessions. Zhang plans to hold several more this fall.
Most of this recruitment, however, occurs via e-mail. Usually, recruiters search for relevant groups through Columbia’s search engine, then e-mail the leaders of those clubs and ask them to disseminate the information to their members. “It’s only natural that companies in different countries will approach the club of that nationality for help,” said Katharynn Lee, SEAS ’08 and a member of the Singapore Student Association. “They’ll usually e-mail us about job opportunities. I think they probably do that for all good U.S. universities, as they want to attract the best Singaporeans back,” she said.
But many students have not found this kind of recruitment helpful in attaining working opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region.
“I’ve never actually gotten a job through this kind of recruitment, and I don’t know any members in our club who have,” said Jonney Liu, CC ’07 and Chinese Students Club president.
Sounds of China member Alfred Tse, SEAS ’08, who worked as a summer intern for HSBC in Guangzhou, China, said this phenomenon was not useful for him, either.
“I’ve seen a lot of these e-mails, but they’re often for competitive spots and are usually directed toward upperclassmen. It was easier for me to find an internship the summer after freshman year through my own research.”
Some students, especially those with the language skills to work in the Asia-Pacific region, said that the recent growth in Asia provided them with alternative opportunities.
Anne Thomas, CC ’06, who interned last summer with UBS in Tokyo, said that her native-level Japanese meant she could weigh career choices.
“I’m looking for a full-time job, in two regions—New York or Tokyo. I change my mind every other day, but I’m planning to apply for positions in both regions and see what options I have before making a final decision.”
Others expressed a more cynical view, stating that job opportunities were slim and that the opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region were a last resort.
“I think a lot of Asian students put it as a second choice because they know there are opportunities there, but they really want to stay in New York,” said Yishan Chou, Business ’06.
Link (http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/09/26/4337865f35865)