NU Career

& Advising

Center

Field Trips CAC had organized a number of field trips for NU students

to let them experience how

4

NU Career & Advising Center

Issue 1, Newsletter January 2016

Our pride: Alibek Nurkesh - p.3 How recruitment process goes in international companies ? – p.6

Company Day: Leadership Academy – p.5

Overview of the industries in Kazakhstan – p.7

MIRAI 2015 Taste of Japanese Culture

During December 15-22 in 2015 Ministry of Foreign

Affairs of Japan hosted 150 students from Europe, Russia and

Central Asia in a short-term exchange youth program “MIRAI”.

MIRAI means “future” in Japanese language, which implies the

goal of this program – mutual understanding, intellectual relations

and academic exchange initiative among future leaders of Japan

and other countries. Since the program is mainly focused on a

social science field, four students from SHSS – Akerke Kozhatay,

Rauan Rakhmankulov, Abay Jumabayev, Kamshat

Yermaganbetovaand a graduate student of GSE Dinara

Auelbekova, were among ten participants selected from

Kazakhstan.

Follow me to Page 4

Announcement: Internship opportunities: Dubai Business Internships – p8 NU Alumni Statistics – p.9

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

NU Career and Advising Center would like to give you an opportunity to continue your studies abroad

by providing some Scholarship tips and a List of Available Scholarships in Winter-Spring 2016.

The scholarship search is a significant undertaking; it's not something you can accomplish on a

Saturday afternoon. Though applications and requirements may vary from year to year, it's never too early to

begin. There are college scholarships out there tailored to academic interests, talents, career goals, geographic

location, and many more factors. Here are five steps you can take to jump-start your search and yield strong

results:

Check Your Prospective Schools

Go to their website or call the financial aid office. If you meet the qualifications, find out how to apply. Don't

assume that by applying for admission, you're applying for scholarships. It's often a separate process. Be

aware that scholarship deadlines can be different from those set for the admission application. In fact, some

schools ask you to submit an application for scholarships prior to your application for admissions. Raising

your GPA and test scores in high school will help increase your chances of earning merit aid.

Ask Your Academic Advisor

If you are currently a student, you likely have access to an adviser or counselor. Take advantage! He or she

may know about a scholarship that's a good fit for you. If there is a dedicated office at your school for students

heading to college, find out what services they offer.

Be Keenly Aware of Deadlines

Deadlines vary by scholarship; some are the summer before your senior year, others in the fall or as late as

spring. To stay organized and keep track of due dates, we recommend keeping a calendar, and making your

earliest deadline the deadline for all of your applications. Finally (and this cannot be stressed enough), do not

miss your deadlines. You'll have no recourse if your application arrives late, and you will have zero chance of

receiving that award.

A final word: You may review a hundred scholarships before you find one that applies to you. Be patient and

stay the course (and keep those grades up!).

Follow the link to read more about international scholarships or visit our website cac.nu.edu.kz.

Scholarship announced!

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

Congratulations to our students: Alibek Nurkesh!

We were very delighted to hear that Alibek

has been selected as one of the first students who will

receive a fully funded scholarship to study at the new

Schwarzman College at the prestigious Tsinghua

University in Beijing, China.

111 Schwarzman Scholars have been selected

from more than 3,000 applicants, making the program

one of the most selective in the world with an

acceptance rate of 3.7%.

“The caliber of this first class of Schwarzman

Scholars is truly exceptional. Each Scholar has

demonstrated tremendous leadership potential at a

young age and differentiated themselves through a

myriad of academic and non-academic pursuits,” said

Stephen A. Schwarzman, the program’s founder. “It is

my intention that the Schwarzman Scholars will return

home and provide leadership in a changing, complex

and dynamic world. I have every confidence that this

class will be such leaders.”

The Scholars were selected through a rigorous

application process designed to evaluate proven

intellectual and academic ability, as well as leadership

potential, strength of character, ability to anticipate

emerging trends, and desire to understand other

cultures, perspectives and positions. More than 3,000

applications were first reviewed by a distinguished

team of readers from around the world, with 300 semi-

finalists invited for in-person interviews in Beijing,

Bangkok, London or New York before international

panels composed of CEOs, former heads of state,

university presidents, non-profit executives,

journalists and other leaders.

Alibek, congratulations on your outstanding

achievement! May it be the beginning of a bright

future for you!

Your CAC team

“…one of the most selective in the world with an acceptance rate of 3.7%”

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

(beginning – p.1) The program was indeed intense starting from 6 a.m.

wake up till 9 p.m. dinner and farewell parties. A weeklong

program took place in Tokyo, where students could be

acquainted with Japanese industry, business, education and

mainly culture. Every day was neatly planned and organized

by AFS, EFIL, Nippon travel agency and Ministry

representatives. Japanese hospitality and organization skills

made one of the major impressions during the program to

most students.

Additionally, mixed

cultures and

backgrounds of

European and Asian students made the program even more lively

and mind broadening.

However, Tokyo was not the only destination. The

program, which students to indulge into Japanese culture, spread

all 150 students to small and big cities all over Japan, from West

coast to East, from South to North. Students took planes and even

famous Japanese

bullet trains known

as Shinkansen

(300km/h) to reach their destinations. They lived with

host families for two days and were introduced to the

main local activities starting from attending a Japanese

Tea Ceremony wearing Japanese traditional clothes to

visiting textile manufacturing places.

Overall, the program is special with its unique

opportunity to witness Japan at a one week glance

absolutely for free. It is worth noting that the selection

requirements were not demanding about specific

qualifications or academic standing. Therefore, all

motivated minds have an opportunity to apply for MIRAI

program (last year application deadlines were in October).

All in all, contact the Japanese embassy, NU Career and

Advising Center and go ahead to pursue your opportunity

to taste the Japanese culture.

Author: Kamshat Yermaganbetova. MIRAI 2015 alumni,

sophomore at SHSS

January 17, 2016.

MIRAI 2015 – Taste of Japanese Culture

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

3

On January 15, 2016 CAC invited the

representative of the Leadership Academy Stanislav

Polubinskiy to the meeting with NU students. Leadership

Academy was founded by the Fund of the 1st President of

Kazakhstan and is the only organization of this kind.

Education program in the Academy consists of two steps:

basic and main course. After the basic course the students

can choose one of three courses according to their

academic activities and skills: business, art or policy.

Being a successful businessman himself,

Mr.Polubinskiy teaches the students of the Academy how

to start a business, how to make it profitable and

prosperous.

.

Are you willing to start your own business?

During his visit,

Mr.Polubinskiy explained key points

of the business structure, the main

points of developing business plans,

emphasized the most widespread

mistakes of start-ups. Also he shared

some tips with the students willing to

start a career in the business sector and

spoke about his own career path.

If you are interested in the business

career, full list of

trainings and application details can be

found on the official website of the

Leadership Academy.

You can also join their VK

group to meet other participants and

learn about the upcoming events.

Foundation for Graduates Online 2016 NU Career and Advising Center is pleased to announce KPMG Foundation for

Graduates Online 2016 for all students of the 3rd and 4th years.

Details can be accessed here

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

Things to Know: how recruitment process goes in international companies? Ever wonder what exactly goes on behind the scenes

when you apply for a job? The recruiting process can

vary by industry, company and even department, the

final result is the same: Only one candidate out of

many receives a job offer.

It must be a mystery box for unselected candidates to understand what happened

around their application. It is important to understand that not every company notifies

applicants that they have been rejected and not many say the reason. But knowing what

goes on in the hiring process may give prospects the inside track for a job.

Many companies in

Kazakhstan accept application via

headhunting websites or announce

vacancies on their websites and ask

the applicants to fill an online

application. Both national and

international companies do not

consider any intermediaries for

announcing any vacancies as they

consider that equal opportunities should be given to every applicant. At the link here you

may find the information (as an example) on the recruitment process in several

international and local companies operating in Kazakhstan.

Many employers start filling vacancies below the executive level by using a team

of recruiters or human-resources personnel to weed out applications that fail to meet a

job's basic qualifications. There are some patterns on how it is done.

Follow the link to read article in full.

During the hiring process, a human resources manager will use

the following steps to determine the best possible fit for the job:

Review job applications

Test candidates

Interview selected candidates

Choose candidates based on a pre-determined selection criteria

Perform background and reference checks

Send selected candidates for a health check

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

Student Professional Development Program

The purpose of the Student Professional Development Program (SPDP) is to help students to

build a successful career through development of the desired skills employers seek.

The Program is implemented jointly by the NU Career and Advising Center and external

partners. This year we have included the master-classes focused on developing your communication,

presentation and leadership skills, as well as skills required to succeed in the job market (job search

strategies, digital footprint, networking, interview practice etc.). We also offer a series of guest

lectures, where industry representatives will talk about the current trends and challenges and share their

tips on how to succeed in the respective industries. Additionally, you will be able to attend the

workshops aimed at expanding your knowledge and technical skills (IFRS basics, Project management,

Data visualization etc.)

Overview of the industries in Kazakhstan

NU Career and Advising Center has prepared an

overview of the industries in Kazakhstan with the

company details. You may get acquainted with the

situation in the metallurgy, construction, agriculture,

chemical and mechanical engineering spheres. Also, we

have provided the information on the industries by the 14

oblasts of Kazakhstan, giving the links to the list of the

largest companies and average salaries within the

industries of the regions. We hope that this information

will be useful in your job search and may help you to

understand and leverage your salary expectations when

applying for a job. Another great feature of this overview

that it gives you some information on the new companies

appeared in December 2015. The link to the article is

provided here. Enjoy your reading!

Students may enroll in the program anytime through the

academic year (through registration process). We also would like

to hear your feedback on the quality of the trainings and guest-

lectures offered, so you will be asked to complete a quick

questionnaire at the end of each event.

Please follow our announcements for more details and

check the Calendar at cac.nu.edu.kz to read more about

planned events within the framework of the Student

Professional Development Program!

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

Internship opportunities!

Dubai Business Internships (DBI) run under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai offers

outstanding and ambitious graduates an unrivalled opportunity to study and do business in Dubai, a

dynamic and multicultural hub for global commerce, to develop as

business leaders of the future.

Last year CAC launched the partnership with the Falcon and

Associates Company to help them select candidates among NU

graduates for DBI. In August 2015 Ms. Ainur Kozhamzharova, a

GSPP graduate, has successfully passed the interview stage and was

selected as a first intern from Kazakhstan. Based on the feedback

provided by Ainur`s employer, she is a ``polite, bright and diligent

professional, a credit to the DBI program and a huge asset to

developing the relationship between Kazakhstan and Dubai`` and the

company would like to start again the process of recruiting NU Graduates for the 3rd year of DBI

which starts late August 2016. Please follow our announcements!

From Astana to Dubai…

My past five months have been incredible! Apart from enjoying Dubai’s bright sunny days and

sandy beaches, I also get to be part of the Dubai Business Internships (DBI) Program, a 10-month

program initiated by the Ruler of Dubai that offers management training combined with placements in

Dubai’s leading corporations. All thanks to NU Career and Advising Center! NU CAC greatly

supported me during my studies at NU providing opportunities to work part-time and to do an

internship in Astana – for which I would like to say a huge thank you to them. Last May, they showed

their support once again and that is how I came to explore Dubai. The application process for the next

cohort of DBI Program is about to start soon and I would like to take this opportunity to share my

experience with those interested in this program. So, I received an email from CAC about DBI in late

May and sent my CV and motivational letter to the DBI management. I would encourage those who

would like to apply to this program to write their motivational letter in a creative, yet structured way.

DBI management team goes through hundredth of essays and you need to put some effort to make your

essay stand out: content, hook, format, font, bold texts, etc. So, after I sent my documents, they got back

to me in two weeks saying I was invited for a Skype interview. It is advisable to check the internet

connection, video and audio before the interview and to dress appropriately. It sounds very basic, but

surprisingly this was one of the reasons why some candidates were not successful. As for the questions,

I was asked specific questions related my interest in the program. In this regard, it is really important

to do your homework (to check their website) for an interview: to be clear about which

company/industry you would like to work in, why this program is suitable for you, how it is linked to

your career aspirations and how Kazakhstan-Dubai relationship is developing. So, thus, 20 days after

the interview I received a letter of offer and started to pack. I hope this gives a general idea of how the

application process looks like and will be helpful to those interested in the program.

AinurKozhamzharova

NU GSPP alumna

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

NU Alumni Statistics

DATA AS OF JANUARY 21ST, 2016:

Status Number %

Employed

227 43,5%

incl. working at NU 23

Continuing

Education

199 38,1%

Unemployed

52 10 %

No information provided

16 3,1%

Career break

16 3,1%

Internships

12 2,3%

Total graduates

522 100%

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

Top Employers: Top Universities:

KPMG

PWC

Ernst & Young

KVL Consult

JSC Information-Analytic Center

TCO

NU

NIS

Samruk-Kazyna

McKinsey

Stanford University

Massachusetts Istitute of Technology (MIT)

Pennsylvania State University

University of Manchester

UCL

LSE

Imperial College London

Seoul National University

National University of Singapore

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

NU Career and Advising Center Issue 1, January 2016

Dear readers!

We are happy to present you the new staff members of Career and Advising Center!

In the next issue:

-News and Updates:

-More International Internships

-Meetings with potential employers

- Yessenov Foundation Program

-CAC Career Network Platform for NU students,

Alumni & Employers

-V.P. for Student Affairs and

International Cooperation K.Dairova’s

meeting with NU Alumni in Boston, USA

Senior Manager- Dina Astayeva.

While working at the Department of Students Affairs, Dina gained wide

experience at working with students. Now she oversees the issues and

work related to NU Graduates and also provides input for the

strengthening the partnership between NU and its Graduates, including

launch of NU Alumni Association.

You can contact Dina by phone number 706380 or by

e-mail dina.astayeva@nu.edu.kz, office#1114.

Specialist – Yenlik Molgozhdarova.

Yenlik provides administrative support to the day-to day operations of

the Center and is responsible for documents circulation and

administrative support of the Center. If you have any questions, please

do not hesitate contact her by phone number 705835. E-mail address

is yenlik.molgozhdarova@nu.edu.kz, office #1114.

We welcome all your ideas, recommendations and feedback on everything we do! Feel free to tell what can we do to better serve

our NU community and especially our students and graduates.

53 Kabanbay batyr ave., office #1114

706-436; 705-877; 694-525 www.cac.nu.edu.kz |

NU Career and Advising Center

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