Thursday, March 27, 2014

Nakoo and Epsilon Big Data Writing Challenge

I recently joined Nakoo.org as a volunteer consultant for those looking for alternative funding options to get them through school. The message below is from Nakoo, and introduces a scholarship opportunity for students with an interest in big data.



Do you know big data changed Google’s hiring process? Following the trend other companies have changed their job candidate screening process too.  So, it's time for academia to innovate scholarships offering process and keep up with the recruitment process. An action research on higher education started at Harvard, turned into an organization - Nakoo.org have teamed with a global marketing company Epsilon [http://www.epsilon.com ], to discover next generation talent, specifically those students who are interested in the potential of big data and are looking for unique opportunities to use it in the work place.  

This scholarship opportunity is unique because it is not only about winning a monetary reward but also about making a connection to a billion-dollar company for job recruitment—career guidance and insights first hand from Epsilon human resources and recruitment managers. The non-monetary reward that Epsilon is offering for Nakoo scholars is priceless. 

To see the details about the scholarship please click here.

The question/prompt:

How does big data affect your student life? 

Students are asked to complete submit a one-minute video or a 300-word essay to answer the questions.

The details: The deadline is April 15, 2014 and Epsilon will pay out the following prizes to the top winners: 

* 1st place: $1000.00 + virtual meeting with Epsilon HR and or University Recruitment Officer 
* 2nd place: $650.00 + virtual meeting with Epsilon HR or University Recruitment Officer
* 3rd place: $350.00 + virtual meeting with Epsilon HR or University Recruitment Officer 
* top 10 applicants virtual meeting with Epsilon HR or University Recruitment Officer
* everyone will benefit from being discovered by other employers who are  joining Nakoo.org's employer network

Our motivated team of young academics here at Nakoo is working hard to find solutions to the ever increasing costs of higher education for deserving students. We joined the moment of 'Higher Ed not Debt'.   

What is Nakoo.org?

Nakoo.org is a social enterprise that is helping companies to discover talents and helping universities to curate their aspiring scholars.  The organization is run by academics and professionals who graduated from Harvard, Cambridge, Johns Hopkins and Columbia.  Nakoo is paving the way as a novel social venture that provides alternative funding mechanisms and job placement opportunities that otherwise did not exist even a year ago. Forbes magazine featured Nakoo already and you can fine more details about us on the Nakoo website .

Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or requests for more information: admin@nakoo.org or nazia@nakoo.org

Thank you and good luck! 

The Nakoo Team

Sunday, March 2, 2014

MBA Resume Workshop in Tokyo on Saturday April 5, 2014

I am passionate about sharing MBA admissions related strategies and advice, and as such I will be hosting a workshop on building a strong resume as a component of your MBA application.

The workshop will be held at E4TG from 14:00 to 16:00 on Saturday April 5th, 2014. The venue is near Tokyo station and the event will be conducted in English. It is designed for a small group of MBA applicants and there will be time for interaction and questions.

The cost for attending this session is 2,000 yen payable in advance.  This is a worthwhile investment - after the application process, the resume will be a useful document that you'll continue to add to and revise during and even after the MBA experience.

Email me to sign up and I'll send more details including the address. Otherwise if you have questions let me know.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com