gradmalaysia race in partnership with RHB

The gradmalaysia race 2011 in partnership with RHB kicked off officially on 26 September 2011. For the Qualifying Run, students and recent graduates were required to submit a covering letter and CV by 28 Oct.  The results of the shortlisted candidates were announced on 4 Nov. Their covering letters and CVs were put through intense scrutiny before they were invited to compete in the next stage.

 

The Preliminary Heat was held on 12 November 2011 at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Kuala Lumpur with 19 shortlisted participants eager to outrun the others in securing a graduate opportunity offered by RHB, one of Malaysia’s leading banking groups.

 

During the Preliminary Heat, contestants were grouped into teams of five with an hour to critically analyse case studies assigned, testing not only their intelligence but also social and leadership skills, and the ability to work in a group. Contestants were observed and individually assessed by a panel of judges comprised of RHB’s HR professionals and GTI Media editors.

 

Subsequently, each team was allocated 20 minutes to put forward their cases professionally. The contestants took on challenging questions posed by the highly experienced panel of judges, and were individually assessed for content and presentation skills.

 

The full-day affair also saw contestants undergoing training and workshop sessions on submitting a winning job application, interview skills and presenting a professional image in preparation for the final stage. By the end of the Preliminary Heat, seven finalists were selected to compete in the Final Sprint.

 

The Final Sprint of the gradmalaysia race 2011 in partnership with RHB took place on 26 November as these highly qualified finalists competed for a graduate position in RHB, going through individually gruelling interviews conducted by experienced HR professionals from RHB.

 

The audience – comprising of participants from the previous round as well as careers advisors from universities – and the finalists received an insight into the methods used by recruiters of top organisations through the interviewers’ questions and the responses given.

Further feedback was provided by interviewer Suraya Qurashiyah Shuhaime (Talent Sourcing and Strategic Workforce Planning, Group Human Resource from RHB) before the presentation ceremony

At the end, Claire Kok (Taylor’s), Mellissa Mak (University of Nottingham) and Tham Weng Leon (Monash) were given the opportunity to pursue more permanent roles in RHB, while Yap Hock Xiang, a first year student at Monash University, was offered an internship. Nonetheless, the interviewers were impressed with the maturity and depth of knowledge of all the finalists.

 

The gradmalaysia race 2011 in partnership with RHB is a unique, innovative and fun platform aimed at preparing students for the world of employment. In her opening remark, Michele Lam, Publishing Director of GTI Media reiterated,“This initiative is in line with GTI’s mission of helping students make informed and successful decisions about their future and such an event will increase our engagement with students and bring them closer to employers”.

 

GTI Media Asia, the originators and organisers of the event, is the world’s largest graduate careers media and research business.