Moving on to the point of this entry,here are the tips/brief on what happened in each stage.
P/S:These tips/brief are based on 2016 and I am not sure if its the same for every year as what I heard is that the format keeps changing.
Stage 1:Online Application via YSMS portal
Like many other scholarship applications,I had to submit my application via online in which I need to fill up my personal details,family details,participation in extra-curricular activities and short essay questions that need my response.
The following are some of the basic questions I was asked during my time of application:
- What made you apply for Yayasan Sime Darby scholarship?
- Please give us details of any bond, scholarship or financial received (duration of bond, amount, etc.) in the past. Please also list other scholarships you are applying for at the moment. (This information will not be used to prejudice your application).
- Where did you find out about Yayasan Sime Darby Scholarship?
I actually did this at the very last minute,like 3 hours before the deadline and yes,I encountered several technical issues to submit because the browser kept refreshing perhaps due to high web traffic and I did not manage to submit before the deadline because of the issue aforementioned.Anyways,since I did not manage to submit on time,I emailed to YSD stating that I faced an issue in submitting my application with the proof of screenshot of the application and time record.Thankfully,my application was successfully submitted the next day (I received an email stating my application was submitted successfully two days after).
Tips:
- In the extra-curricular section,during my time,I attached my Resume/CV just to show some extra bits of my participation as I could not fit all in the limited number of columns to fill-up details about extra-curricular.This is also suitable if you don't have the relevant details to support under this tab.However,this is just a suggestion which may not be appropriate but during my time of application,I took this risk and managed to pass stage 1.
- Please apply earlier as you may not want to face any problems to submit your application if you submit at the very last minute.Please don't be like me :P.
Stage 2:Phone Interview
A relief when I received an Email below after 24 days of waiting.
Second stage was all about the test of communication skills and confidence.In stage,the assessors would love to know how quick/prompt you can answer the questions(actually right or wrong does not matter because they would like to know your ability to communicate well as this is vital in life).During my time,it was a 10 minutes session.
In the case I was given,I was asked on a question on
"What am I doing,like am I studying or working or on sem break?"
At that time,like I mentioned,I was in my final semester of foundation studies and so did I mentioned to the assessor and several questions pertaining to my studies were asked like how I manage my time and what do you want to be?By the way,it was more like a casual-conversation and the questions were randomly asked which may differ from person to person.To be honest,I was nervous at the very beginning of the phone interview session as it was my first time being interviewed via phone but I gradually built my confidence as we spoke.Judging from the tone used by my assessor as he spoke,he sounded friendly.
"What am I doing,like am I studying or working or on sem break?"
At that time,like I mentioned,I was in my final semester of foundation studies and so did I mentioned to the assessor and several questions pertaining to my studies were asked like how I manage my time and what do you want to be?By the way,it was more like a casual-conversation and the questions were randomly asked which may differ from person to person.To be honest,I was nervous at the very beginning of the phone interview session as it was my first time being interviewed via phone but I gradually built my confidence as we spoke.Judging from the tone used by my assessor as he spoke,he sounded friendly.
Tips:
- Be confident and be yourself when you speak.
- The topics of discussion are random as it can range from something about yourself to general topics whereby your critical thinking and general knowledge may sometimes be tested.
- Keep calm and do greet your assessor well because this is the first time that he/she is speaking to you and thus you will need to create a good impression to him or her.
- Please keep your communication device close to you during which your interview is scheduled as you will not want to miss out the interview :)
Stage 3:Online Ability Test
After 39 days of completing stage 2,I received an email stating that I am successful in the second stage which led me to the third stage of interview.Okay,here's the advantage I attained.I was given the opportunity to do an unsupervised online ability test at my place of convenience supported by the reason that I could not be physically present at Wisma Sime Darby as I was in the final week of my foundation studies and my finals were approaching.Here is the email which I received :)
Well,like many other scholarships that test the candidates with online tests,YSD Online Ability Test is divided into two which comprise of Numerical Reasoning Test and Verbal Reasoning Test which were pretty easy and straight-forward.During my time,my online tests were sourced from SHL.I am not sure whether it will be from the same source every year.
Tips:
Tips:
- Make sure you are in a conducive environment with stable internet and calm environment with minimal interruptions as you may not want distractions to affect your attention when answering.
- Make sure you manage your time well when you answer the questions.A calculator might be needed in the Numerical Reasoning Test.
Stage 4:Penultimate stage~Oral Presentation & On the Spot Final Interview
After 53 days of online ability test,I thought that my application for YSD has failed as I did not receive any updates on the status of application which kept the hope that I am still able to pass to the final stage.Actually,after the completion of the Online Ability Test,I began to read lots of materials about Sime Darby including the annual reports,businesses,being in touch with YSD scholars from different country like Indonesia via LinkedIn and read contents from blogs of YSD scholars.I received lots of input from a YSD scholar in Indonesia (He is currently working with PT Minamas Plantation,a subsidiary of Sime Darby).He explained on the working culture in Sime Darby and what it takes to be their scholar such as leadership and academic excellence.Perhaps, my instinct was strong that I will pass to final stage and I did receive an email stating that I passed the Third stage and has to attend the presentation session scheduled 2 days after I received the email. Hmmm,at this particular time I felt kinda lazy to attend in which I was looking forward to postpone my interview.I contacted the YSD personnel and asked him if there is any possibility that my oral presentation be postponed to a different.However,his replied was "We are afraid that this might be your last chance and we are not sure if there is any other session further." and so I accepted to attend the presentation.I did some preparation for the presentation before the day.
It was a lazy Wednesday afternoon and I was feeling under the weather when I arrived at Wisma Sime Darby around 2pm.
It was a lazy Wednesday afternoon and I was feeling under the weather when I arrived at Wisma Sime Darby around 2pm.
By the way,below is the screenshot of the email I received:
Okay,when I arrived at the the 19th Floor (YSD Office),I did not put any hope or expectation.There were few other candidates (about 5 of them-All were in their undergraduate studies of Mechanical Engineering at their respective institutions) and I was the only student who has just completed foundation.Okay,moving to the presentation session order,I was the first one to do the oral presentation.We were greeted by Encik Ahmad Nasril (He is no longer with YSD now :( and I was told to head to a holding room in which I will need to prepare for my presentation and I was equipped with marker pens of different colors and a Mahjong paper.This was a 20 minutes session in which I was given 3 questions for the oral presentation and I had to pick one.As far as I can remember,I chose a question related to innovation in Sime Darby (I could not remember the topic well.).Being confident with the topic,I did a Mind Map of the important points and supporting points and managed to complete within 20 minutes time limit.Trust me it can never be adequate.Nevertheless,YSD will definitely want to know on how well you can think within short period of time involving critical thinking and problem solving skills.Once the preparation time was over,Enck Ahmad Nasril informed me that I will need to wait till the panel of interviewers arrive.I was lucky enough that there was a waiting time which gave me some time to prepare on what should be included in the oral presentation and be mentally prepared.After waiting for an hour,I was called for the presentation in a meeting room.When I first met my assessors,they looked furious and serious at first glance,but I was all wrong LOL!They were all friendly and even gave me some time to prepare before I start my presentation.The presentation went smooth with several ideas impressing them and in fact they were surprised to learn some facts of Sime Darby which they were not aware of.They questioned me on how did I know a lot about Sime Darby and my answer was that I read them or answered based on possible resources such as annual reports,website,LinkedIn and blogs.Once my presentation was done,I was delighted as I am done for the day but nope!One of the interviewer called for a short background check which actually ended up more than a 30 minutes session.I did not expect this was coming because as per the email,it was supposedly only be an oral presentation before being further shortlisted for the final interview.It was all out of sudden.Anyways,the interview went well at which I was asked about my family background,myself,passion,career aspiration,some other relevant questions.
After a 3 hours session,I was glad that everything went smooth.It was about 4.45 pm when the session ended.Four other candidates were still waiting for their turn.As I was tired both physically and mentally,I did not take any pictures but I can surely tell you that it was indeed a great day.
Tips:
- Do read up on Sime Darby like what they do,your source can be from website,annual report,YSD scholars,LinkedIn and any other trusted sources.
- Be yourself and maintain a high level of confidence when answering or presenting.
- Establish a good impression in front of your assessors.
Congratulations!
After a journey of almost five months,I managed to clinch the scholarship.It was a long and hectic journey which witnessed blood,sweat and tears to finally securing it.Truly,what an experience!
I am really2 thankful to my parents for supporting my journey from time of application till the day of securing this once in a lifetime opportunity of being able to pursue my undergraduate studies without financial burden of PTPTN or other loan source.There has been lots of setbacks and challenges in the pursuit of this scholarship as I suffered from health issues such as recurring tension headache which somehow affected my daily performance.Nevertheless,with God's will,nothing is impossible.Prior to my application for YSD,I applied many other scholarships.Unfortunately,there was no luck for me and I failed almost in every interview.But,now I have secured YSD scholarship,I will need to work even harder and be the change agent who has the capacity and capability to help others in the future.
Thank you Yayasan Sime Darby!
I am really2 thankful to my parents for supporting my journey from time of application till the day of securing this once in a lifetime opportunity of being able to pursue my undergraduate studies without financial burden of PTPTN or other loan source.There has been lots of setbacks and challenges in the pursuit of this scholarship as I suffered from health issues such as recurring tension headache which somehow affected my daily performance.Nevertheless,with God's will,nothing is impossible.Prior to my application for YSD,I applied many other scholarships.Unfortunately,there was no luck for me and I failed almost in every interview.But,now I have secured YSD scholarship,I will need to work even harder and be the change agent who has the capacity and capability to help others in the future.
Thank you Yayasan Sime Darby!
P/S:If you have any questions,feel free to ask me in the comment section below :)
Till next time...
Till next time...
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