These are the replies I got from the two people I emailed who are currently in Stockholm for the NOC program:
Hi Korinna,
Thank you very much for showing your interest and enthusiasm on the NOC and NCST program in particular. I have gotten a couple of similar queries from other people before. So maybe I'll summarize the pointers here again.
Regarding the application details, I'm quite certain current application for July 2006 batch is already closed. Applicants are going through their "screening" at the moment. I'm afraid the NOC staff will not entertain any more new application for the summer batch. But you are always welcome to apply for the next January 2007 batch, which I believe will start in early August? You can check out the NOC website for details regarding applications.
I can tell you that the selection is not totally based on academic merits, so CAP does not really matter a lot, but it will be one of the items they look out for, because the students sent to esp technology startups should be well equipped academically. I think the very important things they look out for are EQ, the skill of being independent, and of course communication skills. Previous entrepreneurial experiences would give you a bonus definitely, but if you don't have any, don't worry. You should just tell your inspirations to the judges and try to convince them. You can also talk about related stuff, like internship, summer job, etc. Do remember to present the true self. Nothing fake will help indeed.
There will be a panel of 2 to 3 judges for each round, one of whom would be a senior student who has returned from the NOC program, the other will be a NOC staff, together with a venture capitalist or a professor on entrepreneurship. It's generally competitive for Silicon Valley and Bio Valley, but now our Stockholm college is gathering momentum as more and more people are enrolled and new co-operations are found or explored.
Our life at stockholm is hectic, with intern work in the daytime, and having night classes on 2 days of the week. I'm also learning the Swedish language. But think what you get in return, about the unique experiences of working in a real firm, having collaboration with a research institute, expanding your personal network, and of course having fun with all the parties and tours around Nordic region or Europe! The program is really worth it.
We have a student organization of our own consisting of all the people at NCST, called nuStart. The website is at
http://www.nustart.sg
You can find basic information about NCST program and our experiences here through the forum, gallery etc. If you have any further queries, feel free to drop a message in the forum. You don't need to log in to leave a message. People here will help you out in your applications and general inquiries. Ok that's it. Have a nice day and all the best to your endeavors!
Cheers,
Minrui
The second one gave me a reality check. I shouldn't be overtly enthusiastic else I might suffer depression if I don't get into the program.
Hi Espinosa,
Sorry for the late reply to your email. It has been a relatively eventful week for me. Let me now attempt to answer some of the questions which you have posted in your previous email.
Yes the application process is quite competitive. After all NOC is really an attractive program: one year work experience with pay and perks (depending on the countries you are sent to) and you get to complete a minor. All of this at a very minimal expense. Your CAP doesn't really matter. But of course I cannot vouch if you belong to the bottom tier of the cohort (below 3.0). NOC is quite CAP neutral. It is not like an exchange program. As for the interviews, there are no tips from me. Just be yourself and don't try to fake or be too overtly enthusiastic. The interviewers are no greenhornets. As for the demands of the program I will like to stress that there is no fixed schedule. It depends on your company that you are assigned to. As for the date of release for the outcome of the interview, you can enquire the NOC stuff. Are you a Singaporean? Singaporean get higher priority. That has always been NOC policy.
From your email, I sense that you are very excitied about the NOC program. I am sure you have emailed some other people in the program to get their responses. Great! But don't put all your hopes into securing a place within the program. That will lead to extreme disappointment if you failed in your application. Sure NOC is superb but it doesn't make you a sure entrepreneur. Have a nice day.
kind regards,
Jingyao
This guy thinks my first name is Espinosa. Hehe=)
Both of them mentioned that I should just be myself during the interview, and nothing fake will help. And yes Singaporeans will be given a higher priority, but I will still give it a try.
Oh, and this is the email I sent them.
Hi,
I have read your testimonial regarding your one year stint at NOC Stockholm. I am very interested to embark on this program myself, so I would like to request a few moments of your precious time for you to tell me more about this program.
First up is the application process. Is it very competitive? What should I arm myself with in order to have a competitive edge and be favourably considered? Will our CAP matter greatly? And about the two rounds of interviews, may I know more about them, like how many people were there to 'grill' you and their expectations of you?
After you applied and all, how long did you have to wait for the result to come out?
And concerning the NOC program itself, I expect it to be very demanding right? Can you paint me a picture of what's your typical day like?
I must say that people like you who embarked on this rare opportunity have really been an inspiration, and I wish I will also have an opportunity like yours to share with others. Thank you very much for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Korinna
Yey I appreciate you guys for replying. Thanks a million.
Hi Korinna,
Thank you very much for showing your interest and enthusiasm on the NOC and NCST program in particular. I have gotten a couple of similar queries from other people before. So maybe I'll summarize the pointers here again.
Regarding the application details, I'm quite certain current application for July 2006 batch is already closed. Applicants are going through their "screening" at the moment. I'm afraid the NOC staff will not entertain any more new application for the summer batch. But you are always welcome to apply for the next January 2007 batch, which I believe will start in early August? You can check out the NOC website for details regarding applications.
I can tell you that the selection is not totally based on academic merits, so CAP does not really matter a lot, but it will be one of the items they look out for, because the students sent to esp technology startups should be well equipped academically. I think the very important things they look out for are EQ, the skill of being independent, and of course communication skills. Previous entrepreneurial experiences would give you a bonus definitely, but if you don't have any, don't worry. You should just tell your inspirations to the judges and try to convince them. You can also talk about related stuff, like internship, summer job, etc. Do remember to present the true self. Nothing fake will help indeed.
There will be a panel of 2 to 3 judges for each round, one of whom would be a senior student who has returned from the NOC program, the other will be a NOC staff, together with a venture capitalist or a professor on entrepreneurship. It's generally competitive for Silicon Valley and Bio Valley, but now our Stockholm college is gathering momentum as more and more people are enrolled and new co-operations are found or explored.
Our life at stockholm is hectic, with intern work in the daytime, and having night classes on 2 days of the week. I'm also learning the Swedish language. But think what you get in return, about the unique experiences of working in a real firm, having collaboration with a research institute, expanding your personal network, and of course having fun with all the parties and tours around Nordic region or Europe! The program is really worth it.
We have a student organization of our own consisting of all the people at NCST, called nuStart. The website is at
http://www.nustart.sg
You can find basic information about NCST program and our experiences here through the forum, gallery etc. If you have any further queries, feel free to drop a message in the forum. You don't need to log in to leave a message. People here will help you out in your applications and general inquiries. Ok that's it. Have a nice day and all the best to your endeavors!
Cheers,
Minrui
The second one gave me a reality check. I shouldn't be overtly enthusiastic else I might suffer depression if I don't get into the program.
Hi Espinosa,
Sorry for the late reply to your email. It has been a relatively eventful week for me. Let me now attempt to answer some of the questions which you have posted in your previous email.
Yes the application process is quite competitive. After all NOC is really an attractive program: one year work experience with pay and perks (depending on the countries you are sent to) and you get to complete a minor. All of this at a very minimal expense. Your CAP doesn't really matter. But of course I cannot vouch if you belong to the bottom tier of the cohort (below 3.0). NOC is quite CAP neutral. It is not like an exchange program. As for the interviews, there are no tips from me. Just be yourself and don't try to fake or be too overtly enthusiastic. The interviewers are no greenhornets. As for the demands of the program I will like to stress that there is no fixed schedule. It depends on your company that you are assigned to. As for the date of release for the outcome of the interview, you can enquire the NOC stuff. Are you a Singaporean? Singaporean get higher priority. That has always been NOC policy.
From your email, I sense that you are very excitied about the NOC program. I am sure you have emailed some other people in the program to get their responses. Great! But don't put all your hopes into securing a place within the program. That will lead to extreme disappointment if you failed in your application. Sure NOC is superb but it doesn't make you a sure entrepreneur. Have a nice day.
kind regards,
Jingyao
This guy thinks my first name is Espinosa. Hehe=)
Both of them mentioned that I should just be myself during the interview, and nothing fake will help. And yes Singaporeans will be given a higher priority, but I will still give it a try.
Oh, and this is the email I sent them.
Hi,
I have read your testimonial regarding your one year stint at NOC Stockholm. I am very interested to embark on this program myself, so I would like to request a few moments of your precious time for you to tell me more about this program.
First up is the application process. Is it very competitive? What should I arm myself with in order to have a competitive edge and be favourably considered? Will our CAP matter greatly? And about the two rounds of interviews, may I know more about them, like how many people were there to 'grill' you and their expectations of you?
After you applied and all, how long did you have to wait for the result to come out?
And concerning the NOC program itself, I expect it to be very demanding right? Can you paint me a picture of what's your typical day like?
I must say that people like you who embarked on this rare opportunity have really been an inspiration, and I wish I will also have an opportunity like yours to share with others. Thank you very much for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Korinna
Yey I appreciate you guys for replying. Thanks a million.
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