BANK NEGARA KIJANG SCHOLARSHIP EXPERIENCE

Kijang Scholarship 2020.

This year alone, Bank Negara Malaysia shortlisted a total of 135 candidates from the original 2,000 applicants to attend the Kijang Academy. Out of the 135 candidates, only 24 scholars were awarded with the Kijang Scholarship.

Hello, friends! My name is Izzati Zahira and I am a Bank Negara Kijang Scholarship recipient for the year 2020. I am super excited to share about my experience during Kijang Academy 2020, especially since this year's format is very much different from previous ones, as we had to undergo the full process from our own homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No Sasana Kijang experience for us, but in my opinion, it was great nonetheless!

First Assignment (Video Submission)

On the 9th of June 2020, I received an e-mail inviting me to join the briefing session. Along with the e-mail came instructions to create a 3-minute video submission prior to the actual Kijang Academy day. 

We also had to complete a psychometric assessment, but I'll talk about this in detail further into the article. For the video, we had to choose among 3 different topics, which were:

1. My Personal Strengths and Weaknesses

2. Hard Work vs. Talent

3. Financial Literacy

We then had to upload the video to YouTube and mark it as "unlisted", only to be viewed via the link we sent to Bank Negara. As for me, after I had drafted the script, I immediately went to work to shoot and edit the video. Time was of the essence as we only had less than 5 days to complete everything (the video and the psychometric assessment), and we were strictly instructed to produce the video by ourselves. 

In the future, if the format stays the same and candidates are still required to shoot a video, my advice would be to plan out your video effectively as you would need to produce good content within a short time. 

It would also help a lot for you to include some entertaining graphics or clips in your video, and not plainly shoot yourself talking throughout it all. I watched some of the videos submitted (my friends willingly shared it to me, haha) and they were all really interesting and fun! So just chill out and be yourself. They just want to see how you fare outside of interviews and get to know you better as a person. 

As for my case, I chose the second topic, Hard Work vs. Talent, and gave real life examples. I didn't talk about myself in the video, but instead, I talked about the world heavyweight champion wrestling icon, Muhammad Ali, and how he built his career from the ground up. 

It's okay if you want to talk about yourself too, since the instructions were pretty flexible. However, I would highly suggest that you avoid talking about your academics only as it would make you come off as someone who does not have a world outside studying, so try to depict yourself as someone who can do more than just get good grades and as an all-rounder too.  

Second Assignment (Psychometric Assessment)

Apart from the video submission, we also had to do a psychometric assessment. I'll keep this one short since it was a relatively easy personality test. During the test, I made sure to just be honest with myself and also put a little bit more emphasis on "showing" how well I can work in a team (one of the skills needed to work with Bank Negara).

My advice would be not to think too much about it and most importantly, don't lie. The test is built for the assessors to detect whether or not you're lying, so please stay true to yourself. 

Another piece of advice when answering personality tests is to avoid answering the "extreme" answers. In essence, avoid choosing the "STRONGLY AGREE" or the "STRONGLY DISAGREE" answers, because, in my opinion, they are looking for someone who has balance in every aspect. 

Therefore, if you constantly go with the extreme answers, it would be really hard for you to balance it all out in the end and would also make you seem like someone who is not flexible. Flexibility is an asset, too! For me, I kept in mind to avoid all the "extreme" answers and only went with Agree/Disagree. 

The Kijang Academy (First Session)

Okay, so, this is it! The moment you've all been waiting for. On 27th of June 2020, I attended the Kijang Academy (from the comfort of my own home haha). The first session started at 11 am, but we had to report to the Microsoft Teams meeting half an hour earlier to make sure our Internet connection was stable. We were divided into groups of 6, but for my group, only 4 reported to the meeting. 

At around 11:15 pm, we started our first session. It was more to an ice-breaking activity, and everyone was given a different picture. We had to discuss what we interpreted from the picture and form a short story that included all of the pictures we received. It was really fun, and it was an eye-opener to listen to the different views my teammates had to offer. 

We all came from different backgrounds, so of course, our views won't necessarily be the same.

At the end of the session, we were able to narrate our story to the panels and we also got to know each other better. It was an all-girls group, so there were 4 girls including me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the session because it was super relaxed, more like talking to your own friends. So thank you, girls, if you're reading this, you know who you are! :)

The panels were really nice and friendly, and they even gave us constructive criticism to help us improve ourselves and do better for the upcoming sessions. The panel told me that I was a really reflective person, and advised me that albeit it is good to think a lot, it is also crucial for me to speak up and not be too shy when it comes to voicing out my opinions. I think this advice really helped a lot because truthfully, I was letting my fears and insecurities get the best of me. I made sure to keep the advice in mind and tried my best for the next sessions. 

My advice for the ice-breaking session would be to keep it chill. It is always better to voice out your opinion and share your thoughts in a calm and collected manner. Also, try not to dominate the discussion, but instead, find the perfect balance between speaking your mind and creating a healthy space for others to talk too. Most importantly, never push away others' ideas and show interest when they're talking. Remember, if everybody is talking, who's going to listen? 

Second Session (Case Study)

For the second session, we had to do a case study. This year's case study involved a scenario in which the government wanted to implement a plastic ban, and we were to present the best course of action to a plastic-manufacturing company. 

They gave us some statistics and numbers too, so we had to work together to make sense of the bigger picture and decide what we were going to do to save the company. I came from a science-stream background, and I can verify that you don't need to come from an accounting background to make sense of the data. It's all just simple math, so don't worry!

Truth be told, our case study was quite a failure because we incurred a lot of losses from our business plan. Despite it all, the panels were really kind and encouraging, they told us it was okay and advised us what we should have done instead. All in all, what I learned was that, when doing case studies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. I would highly advise dividing up the time wisely with your teammates before you delve into further discussion. 

For case studies like this where you are required to work in a team, my general advice would be to give emphasis on getting good communication with your teammates. In my opinion, you yourself play a huge role in ensuring good communication, not just your teammates. 

The key to good communication is to strike a good balance between talking and listening. In essence, speak only the things you have to speak about, and leave out the things where you feel like there is no point in talking about, and avoid repeating yourself over and over again. 

Pay attention to what others are talking about too, and be a good follower (one of the ways you can do this is to jot down everyone’s ideas, easier for you to keep updated with the discussion). Being a good follower means that you're a good team player and being a good team player is just as important as being the team leader. 

Good team players are the ones who listens to ideas from others, and are able to reflect back the ideas given with excellent suggestions. It is very important for organizations to have good team players, and if you are not appointed leader, you should focus more on being a good follower instead of constantly trying to dominate the discussion. 

Next, reflecting back on the advice the panel gave me during the first session that is to try and speak my mind, I would say that confidence is a must. They won't expect you to give a textbook answer, and more often than not, there is no correct answer. All opinions are welcome. 

Don't be afraid to make mistakes or if you'll look "stupid" in front of your team and panel. After all, you are expected to be imperfect. It is perfectly normal for you to not know certain things. The panel acknowledges that you’re still an 18-year-old, and they won’t actually expect you to show the wisdom of a fully-grown adult. You're still young and learning, so don't let the fear of making mistakes turn you rigid and uptight during the session. Just keep calm and keep an open mind that you are here to make improvements, not to show that you are a know-it-all. The worse thing to have is if you feel the need to fake a non-existing intelligence, I'm a hundred percent sure that the panels won't really prefer that. 

The most important aspect I would like to emphasize is the importance of not shutting down your teammates. There are many ways that you may (purposefully or accidentally) push away your teammates, and I'll give you a few examples that I've learned from. 

First, avoid speaking for too long until you forget to give space for others to talk too. This is why it is super-duper important to compartmentalize which ones are important and need to be spoken about, and which ones are not. 

Secondly, avoid interrupting while your teammates are still speaking. 

Thirdly, be open to corrections or comments made by your team members or panels, instead of keep on being head-strong and stubbornly argue to win your point. Humility and acceptance towards others' opinions are important too, as we're all still learners and nobody is above anybody. 

Now, this part might be a conflicting opinion with other people. But as for me, I think that when it comes to group discussion, you have to be as natural as possible. For example, avoid using complicated business jargons or economic terms. 

It is good for you to show that you have some knowledge and express that you know what you’re talking about, but, it is also crucial to note that some of your team members might not catch up with what you’re saying. 

You must remember that not everyone is as privileged as you, and not everyone will have the same opportunity to read as much as you did prior to the interview. Again, we all come from different backgrounds, so be sure to be inclusive of others, too, and not just dominating the conversation by throwing out random economic jargons until others’ cannot understand what you are trying to get across. 

I would suggest that instead of solely using complicated terms, try to explain in it layman’s terms. It would be better for everyone to be on the same page as you, and good communication is an indication of good team cooperation!

Third Session (Individual Interview)

Okay, this is personally the most challenging yet most important session to me. I was super nervous because I knew I had to face at least 3 assessors on my own. Being the naturally shy and slightly introverted girl I am, I knew that this would be the hardest part. What made it worse was I imagined they would attack me and question me on my performance on the case study (in which I was unable to present a realistic business plan). 

But I continued to calm myself down and kept in mind that it would be OK as long as I remained honest and calm. I didn't want to allow my negative thinking to cloud my judgement, so I trusted the process and continued to hope for the best. 

My interview session was scheduled to be at 1 pm, but the secretariat called me early at about 12:15 pm and informed me I was moved up to the first session at 12:30 pm. She asked me whether or not it was OK, and I said yes, I think it will be OK. 

In my mind I thought the sooner I get this done with, the better, because I truly cannot handle the butterflies in my stomach anymore at that point (lol). I was a nervous wreck, but I guess it is normal to feel nervous at times like this. 

The most important thing is to constantly calm yourself down so as to not let it take over your performance during the interview. For me, taking deep breaths helped a lot and I also kept a small note book near me. The note book was full of encouraging quotes I wrote for myself. 

As soon as I entered the Microsoft Teams meeting, three friendly faces greeted me and said hello. Two of the assessors were the same ones who assessed my case study, and another one was a new assessor, but she was just as kind and easygoing as the other two. They spoke to me in a really casual manner although being professionals in their own respective sectors. I truly appreciated that part. 

To break the ice and start the conversation, I just told them that I was feeling really nervous, and they responded kindly and said there's nothing to be afraid of, and that they don't bite. They told me to relax and breathe, and from then onwards it was sort of smooth-sailing for me. 

The interview experience may vary from person to person, but for me, it was pretty chill and engaging. One of the key factors that they prompted a lot with was why I chose to change from Biology (I was a Science stream student), to pursuing a career in Accounting. 

They questioned that the two were very different and separate things, so why would I make such a decision? I wanted to be a hundred percent transparent with the assessors, and most importantly I really wanted to be honest with them. I also wanted to be crystal clear and stay true to myself no matter what happens. No lies, just me. 

So, first of all, I told them that the reason why I like Biology is learning the science behind things, to know why such things happen. I even became a Guru Muda Biology in school. 

However, I chose accounting as a career because I always had a head for business since I was young (I did a lot of online shops), but I just wasn’t aware of my options (hence why I chose to go into the Science Stream). I admitted I was naïve back then. 

Accounting is a science of reasoning too, it helps me understand the mechanics and numbers revolving around a business. But instead of just reasoning with things, I can implement my knowledge to do something bigger – to build strategy and help people grow their businesses.

It resonates with me, as I have a hunger for business, for the reasoning behind it and a hunger to do something about it. I emphasized on how I didn’t regret learning Biology, I loved it even. I just implied that the things you love doesn’t necessarily have to be your career. 

For example, I love music too. I even joined the school’s music team and played the keyboard. But it doesn’t necessarily mean I want to become a musician. Same goes to Biology, it doesn’t mean I have to become a doctor.

Yes, I knew I was risking my shot to pursue Accounting under the Kijang Scholarship, but you have to understand, they are humans too, and they have been in your shoes. They acknowledge the fact that you’re growing up, and as you do, your interests are going to expand as you explore life. They would certainly appreciate to hear how much you have learned, and trust me, they too would understand your reasons behind it all.

So, I just decided to stay true to myself, and be sincere when answering the questions. Most importantly, I highlighted the fact that I am a hundred percent committed to pursuing a career in Accounting despite not having it on my SPM slip. Because not only do I have a love for it, but I also envision myself doing it as a career in a huge portion of my life. 

Advices For The Individual Interview

#1 Relax, stay calm. I was really nervous prior to the interview, and I can tell you that a lot will experience this too. However, I also made sure I had some “coping mechanisms” to help me calm my nerves (the small note book I kept beside me was full of reminders and encouraging words to keep myself calm). You can try this. After all, worrying and fretting about something will not make it any better. So just calm down, and note that you’re worthy enough to be in an interview with them. 

#2 Be honest with yourself. I find being honest is very important to survive this. No matter how hard the questions get, if you’re honest and sincere, your own words won’t get twisted against you. And they will also see that you’re a genuine person, and be more inclined to listen to your thoughts. 

#3 Ask yourself again why do you want the Kijang Scholarship? Is it purely for the “grand status” it brings? Or is it because you really want to pursue what you are passionate in? In my opinion, this question is very important because it brings you right back to the core – why? It is very important to know that it doesn’t really matter whose scholar you are, what matters is whether or not you are truly passionate in the course you want to pursue. Being under any scholarship bodies are the same, the only thing that can make a difference is your attitude towards achieving your goals. 

#4 Smile, stay polite. It is perfectly OK if you feel the need to politely argue with your assessor when you have conflicting opinions, and I am sure they too would appreciate your input. However, please also keep in mind that they are far more experienced than you, and they are experts at what they do, so, unless your input is asked for, I would highly advise staying quiet and listening politely to what they have to say. 

#5 Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, don’t be afraid of not knowing things, and accept criticism. In my case, they asked me “Which department do you want to work for in Bank Negara?”. To be honest, I did not actually research in depth and I wasn’t yet sure which department would suit me. So I just admitted that I did not know yet. 

However, (from quickly thinking on my feet), I described that I was interested in the Finance department, and I said, “One of my group assessor’s department interested me, Mr. F’s department, the Financial Intelligence department,” 

The funniest part – I actually confused between my two group assessors. It wasn’t Mr. F’s department, it was another assessor’s department! (lol) But they were kind enough to correct me and we just sort of moved along.  See, it is still okay for you to make mistakes! (just don’t make too much obvious mistakes like I did, it was purely an accident, hahaha)

They criticized me for not yet knowing the department I should be working for, and said that I should start looking into my career options from then on. I accepted the criticism wholeheartedly and apologized for not knowing beforehand. I also politely added that I would do better research in the future. Later on during the Q&A session, I made sure to ask for their opinions on which department they think is best for Accounting graduates to work in. I think showing a positive attitude and a willingness to learn from your mistakes are crucial.

#6 Talk in a calm, collected and concise manner. In my opinion, being able to talk calmly is an added advantage. To ensure that I was able to voice out my thoughts smoothly, before a hard question, I would say “Can you give me a second to think about it?” Trust me, this works like a charm. Asking for some time to think would not only give you more space to form a better answer, but it also shows that you actually care about their question. 

#7 Keep your introduction short. Keep your answers compact. Be brief. When they asked me to introduce myself, I just stated my name and my desired courses. That’s it. I did not mention my SPM results, or my extra-curricular achievements because all those were already on my transcript. 

I think it would be pointless for you to brag about your achievements during interviews because they have already analyzed and chosen you based on what you wrote on your application form. So, just show that you are enthusiastic to entertain their questions, and not for them to listen to you talk and talk and talk with no end. 

For my answers, I just made sure to voice out my point clearly, get some elaboration in, and most importantly, NOT TO REPEAT MYSELF OVER AND OVER AGAIN. “A good conversation is like a mini skirt; short enough to retain interest, but long enough to cover the subject” – Celeste Headlee (lol). 

#8 Last but not least, I highly advise to say the important things only. Don’t say the things you don’t need to say. This also applies to the group assessment and the individual interview. The last thing you want, is to seem like you’re just a “tin kosong” who only knows how to make a lot of (unnecessary) noises.  

Conclusion

To anybody reading this with the intent to go to Kijang Academy in the future, I wish you the best of luck! Don’t be too scared, and don’t be too overconfident either. If you are determined, no one can dim your light. Don’t let insecurities get in your way. 

Most importantly, pray a lot. Make a lot of doa. Personally, I am a strong believer that everything, no matter how big or how small, comes from Allah. Everything I said during the Kijang Academy sessions were what Allah has put in my mind to say. It is a 100% from Allah and from Him alone, I take no credit for it. So, don’t forget to ask for guidance and help from Allah. 

Believe in what Allah has set for you, and you’ll be okay. Trust the journey, and don’t forget to try your best! “Allah akan beri yang terbaik, selepas kita cuba yang terbaik”. 

Until next time.

Sincerely, 

Izzati Zahira