Work........

I do the same thing over and over again. Today is my third day, hope I will learn something new......
What surprises me with this place is that there is no proper office wear code. First day I even saw a girl who wore a dress that looked like a pyjama!!! I like that they are not so strict about dress code as I don't like to wear shirts and long pants (especially when it's summer in Shanghai). What's funny is that the foreigners in our company all dress well and are more strictly dressed than the local girls (local men still follows the code quite strictly.) Another fun thing is that the group leader sitting next to me talks in Shanghainese with a collague about me when I'm just sitting next to her, I think she believes I cannot speak Shanghainese...but anyway, yesterday a guy also spoke to a girl in mandarin about me when I was just opposite him, why not just ask me directly?
This morning I got to People's Square very early so I decided to visit People's Park. It is absolutly beautiful!!! Walk towards Barbarossa and there are old men fishing by the small lake. The lake is totally green but still it gives a good reflection of the environment. It was such a beautiful view!!! I didn't bring my camera today but tomorrow I will definitely be there and take some pictures to show you. Although the pictures won't show its real beauty.

I work here

In this HUGE company and don't know anyone, it is hard but I'm trying to put up with it. Have no computer even...so can't go online during work time which sucks, because there are some times I don't have things to do...

If anyone works close by and want to grab lunch, shout!

Work in Tian An Center on Nanjing Xi Road close to Peoples Park, opposite JW Mariott and Barbarossa. It's a nice building for sure!

UPDATE: I have a computer, expect lots of blog posts everyday when I have nothing to do, hehe

The view from Jinmao

Yesterday after the gym my cousin's wife was still working, so she gave me a guided tour of her office! The whole floor in Jinmao building is just dedicated to the lawfirm Baker & McKenzie, anyway it was a very nice office with a fantastic view! (trying to upload pics, but doesnt work yet, they will come soon).

Today I went to Cloud9 Mall and had dinner at a Korean restaurant together with my cousin. I feel pregnant :(

I do have in internship

Typically Chinese thing to do, now the company that I was planned to intern for is taking me back.....so I will still be working inside Tian An Center start 1st July........ and I need to be there before 8.30 am Monday til Friday....that is what I call torture!

Last night I went to Bloc Party at Volar (free champagne), Laris (too many people but best lychee martinis ever) and then De La Coast (where I met a blog-reader who was such a cutie).
Outside De La Coast we randomly met some Swedes and headed together to Attica, 5 minutes in Attica and I grabbed a taxi home, outside my apartment they sold Lamb meats on stick, of course I grabbed some. Photo: The Taiwanese noodle I ate earlier before heading out, outfit for the night.

Business Literature

I don't even want to think how much money I have spent on books for my courses, the university literature here in Sweden are extremely expensive, for an example I paid over 50 € for this Corporate Finance book that I didn't even read. Stupid me.

Porter - Competitive Strategy

Actually a good course literature which gives you concrete tips on how you can stand out among your competitors.

Hatch - Organization Theory 

Use your common sense instead of reading this one.

Berk, DeMarzo - Corporate Finance

I never read this book and I got B on my exam. But i have gived it an overview, a lot of practice counting examples and some theories. Boring book though.

Drury - Management and Cost accounting

Do you seriously think I read this book? Pfftt, it weighs like 8 kg's.

These four books are just a small part of those books we need for our studies. Those four books are on my desk because I need to integrate those while solving a business case.

I got an internship

Totally unexpected! I was planning to stroll around Shanghai this summer and taking a long and nice vacation but I still felt a tiny bit of shame, to waste my time like that when I know other people are actually working part of this summer. 

Anyhow, I received good news today, I will be working for a huge Scandinavian company as an intern that is among the Fortune Global list of companies. The office is situated in Tian An Center on Nanjing West Road (just by People's Square) it seems to be a nice skyscraper :) I love the feeling to work in a futuristic skyscraper as there are none in Stockholm. Looking forward to work for them and learn more about their management process.

When a door close, a window opens

There have been so many articles out there talking about Chinas rapid economic boom, but focusing on the negative sides of this economic boom, on how China's cheap labour is affecting unemployment in Europe, USA and even Mexico. 
But I would rather turn that around, when cheap labour is competing out the labour in the west, the west should be focusing on business related to service. China's strong point is their labour resources, and not their service skill. 
Anyhow, what I wanted to mention is that. China is basically saving the global world because of it's rapid economic growth (yes I might be a bit provocative now, but still, read on...) 
I just found out China bought 10% of Morgan Stanley!!!! It has been known that MS have had a tough time these last 5 years. Besides this China is helping the US from diving down another step in their financial crisis by buying LOTS of their treasuries and parts of some big financial organisations, etc. 
And China is investing billions into some countries in Africa (please stay focused on the business and not the political sides). Also thanks to China the raw material in Latin America has risen a lot which helps its economy to rise. In Australia there have been more work opportunities within the coal mine industry as China starves after coal from OZ. 
I'm just so impressed with this nation, in just so short time this nation has transformed from a country with no significance to the key country that is affecting the whole world in so many ways. It's absolutely amazing! 
China has the biggest currency reserve in the whole world at the moment. Also, China has now overpassed Germany's economy!!! 
So the point with this thread is that I understand some people have been mad of this economic boom leading to prices on oil and maybe some raw materials rising quite a lot, but imagine all the good things that has comed with China's economy. 
We are still looking at this in a short perspective, it's natural that there are unbalanced things in Chinas economy like this inflation problem, but imagine in 15 years when everything has adapted with eachother......... 
oh god, I can't even imagine what a "dream" place this place can become to?? (NOT considerate the environment issue, hehe) 

One in a million

WOW, I'm really surprised. I'm this month's second best seller. As you know I work for a financial consultancy firm in downtown Stockholm, so my duty is to book wealthy private persons to our meetings in our head office. Besides a regular salary we also get commission, and let's just say that I'm really looking for my paycheck! The guy who sold the most has lots of experience so I do consider myself best at my level as a newbie in the company.

I read an interesting article in Metro some months ago about an immigrant boy in Sweden doing telemarketing and he said, when he changed his foreign name to a typical Swedish name in the phone he started to sell much more products. I actually use my real name in the phone (and it's a Chinese name) and sell more than Swedes so I'm very proud. Imagine if I suddenly started to call myself Sophia, I wonder how many I would be able to book? 

I read in a survey that three to four out of ten immigrants feel they are being discriminated at work here in Sweden because of their race and that is something I feel really strong about. What about you, what is your opinion on this? Would love to hear some comments about this.

Career advices

Some Swedish universities are currently changing the system of the business-programmes (Bologna process). We can choose to get a Degree of Master in Science in Business and Economics, or we can choose to get a Master of Science in Business Administration and Economics. 

I have no idea what to choose. The second degree is more flexible meaning that I can choose more freely which courses to study, since I was 9 years old I always wanted to be a lawyer, I wouldnt want to be a lawyer now but I would love to be work with business/commercial law, so therefore if I choose the second degree I can study lots of business law courses. 
But at the same time I lose the important title of "civilekonom" education (the first degree I was talking about) in Sweden, as this title is very special, you can only get this degree at a few places in Sweden concerning theyonly  choose the best universities to have it. So if I choose the first degree I'm more focused in my education on business. I will only be study business courses and depending on what direction I choose (finance, accounting, management, marketing, etc) I will become an expert in that area. 

I'm confused, very confused... I want to make sure that I'm attractive on the job market after my graduation, I love business in general, and to be honest it doesn't matter what I choose, I would love it both. So the question is, what would my future employer prefer?

Preparing for Summer 08

Already now I'm starting to prepare for Summer 08 in Shanghai. I want to make sure I make the most out of it, so that is why I'm searching for an internship. I will make sure that I get the internship I want and not the best first one. If there are no good internship positions out there for me, I will not do one, then I will travel around China instead. But if there's a good internship for me I will take it and put my 100% effort in it. 

My dream internship position would be at this certain law-firm, focusing on business law, situated on Nanjing Xi Road, really love that street and the environment. Also it's easy for me to get there from my apartment. This company is really impressive and they are very successful in everything they do. I'm still in the applying process, so still not sure if I will get it. It's unfortunate that I'm in Sweden and are not able to do an interview and present myself. 

But I'm also searching for some other internships at other multinational companies. I Would like to work in the financial or management field. 

I know there is hard competition out there, more and more foreigners want to focus their eyes on China and are also searching for the best internships in Shanghai. But, I'm still going to give you some of my tips!

1, Search for the companies you really want to work for and NOT take the first best one, you won't feel any excitement or motivation if you take the first best one. Search for the companies that you personally are really interested in, go to their website and get an overview of the company profile. 

2, Write a kick-ass cover letter. Personally I find the cover letter super-important, it's the first impression the recruitment team will get from you. If your cover letter is not interesting enough they will not even bother to read your CV.

3, In the cover letter you should foremost tell them WHY you are applying for their company, be personal and genuine. Second most important is to tell them WHY they should hire you, tell them what you can contribute with. The last, don't use typical clichees, I hate clichees.

Looking for an internship

I have some bad news! :(
It turns out that one of the board directors' daughter of my company in Shanghai is ALSO searching for an internship, but mainly she needs an internship at a bank. If she doesn't get one means that she would take my place.

That would mean that I stand there with no job and salary AND no experience. I'll cross my fingers that she will find a perfect internship at a bank in Shanghai. One of the main reasons I come to Shanghai this summer is to gain as much work experience as possible for my future. I'm currently studying business at Stockholm University and have some experience within the marketing field. I speak fluent Swedish, English, Chinese and limited German. I will be in Shanghai from 7th June to 15th August 2007.

But please people, if you know some place that is taking interns and that are willing to pay a reasonable salary, please take contact with me.

I would really appreciate it.
Thank you
siyanyu87@hotmail.com

Beijing Olympic Volunteers Program

I just applied for being a Volunteer in Beijing 2008 for the Olympic Games. I hope they choose me and that the competition won't be too hard. Having been a volunteer is really good for my resume, especially when it's Olympic Games we're talking about. Sweden's queen Silvia met Carl Gustav XVI at the Olympic Games while she was working for it. Now, I don't expect that I will marry Prince Williams (as he's with Kate Middleton), but I do expect that I can ask Liu Xiang for an autograph.

I hope they will choose me, if they don't. I will still get tickets for the games from my dad as he knows people (yes, I'm bragging right now). I hope a lot of people from all over the world will visit Beijing and realize how cool China really is! But most important, I hope Beijing will earn money from this event, Athens didn't.

http://en.beijing2008.cn/

My future is already determined

Today after my seminar in Marketing Management, they had a small exhibition with big companies represented so that they can contact and inform students about their activities. H&M, Grand Thornton, SEB, etc. Did you guys know that Shanghai will FINALLY have a H&M flagship store opened on 12th April! I can't fucking wait, I'm sooooooo excited! I hope the Chinese government won't put a 30% import tax on the prices.
The store will be in the old Benetton store on Huai Hai Middle Road, you know the corner of Huaihai and Sinan Road, next to Sephora.

Hope I can work for H&M's financial department after my degree, and then get transfered to Shanghai!

I wonder if Shanghai will allow those talked about christmas campaigns with hot models in H&M underwear. Every single December, traffic chaos will occur because of those billboards. The worst traffic chaos was when Anna Nicole Smith modelled for this Swedish clothing company.