InEU graduate Meirambek Baysekenov entered the top 30 trainees of the Zhas Orken program of Samruk Kazyna JSC. Its goal is to train the best, talented graduates and their subsequent employment in the Fund's companies. The day before, Meirambek met with students of our university and spoke in detail about this large-scale project and a little about himself.

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- «Zhas Orken» is a two-year program consisting of four parts. Four rotations in diversified subsidiaries of Samruk Kazyna JSC. A contract of 20 months is concluded with each of us under the direct patronage of a top management executive. The best graduates of the internship program will have the opportunity to become a member of the team of one of the portfolio companies of Samruk-Kazyna JSC.

- How and who can get into this program?

- Graduates of 2017, 2018, 2019 with undergraduate and graduate programs. Competitive selection is already underway for 2020. The process proceeds in four stages and includes writing a motivational essay and completing assignments for assessing business skills, solving verbal and numerical tests, assignments for completing business cases, self-solving business problems and individual interviews on competencies. The main criteria “Samruk-Kazyna” calls leadership, analytical thinking, the pursuit of excellence and the ability to learn. There are no age restrictions, the most important thing is geographic mobility and your desire.

- Is your geographic mobility paid for: flights, transfers?

- «Zhas Orken» took great care of the program participants. All internships are paid, we are paid wages, and also pay for flights, accommodation, there is a whole social package. In addition, it is possible to develop your English. Language tuition is also paid and monitored for our performance.

- Meyrambek, tell me what gives you that you personally entered the top 30?

- Just imagine, for the first six months you have been observing the development of the polymer market in Kazakhstan through the eyes of Polymer Production. It produces polymer bags and film, which everyone uses daily. You predict their daily and net profit. And the next six months, you will look, for example, the relationship between oil prices and the cost of Air Astana flights. I think that this is a great experience for each graduate and for me personally, as well as the best career start that we have in Kazakhstan. In addition, Zhas Orken is a mentoring program. We gain more knowledge, learning from the mentors - top managers of large companies. We call them Elder Brothers. The intern performs the tasks that the mentor puts. And, if suddenly any difficulties arise or you can improve something in the work that you are doing, the mentor tells you: here you can do this and that, let's apply such a concept. And your work will be done better.

- How long have you been in the program?

- Now I have the first rotation, as I said, in the company Polymer Production. It started in August and will end in December. The next six months will be work in another company, in the next city, and in the next area of activity. So, with the help of this program, the leaders of Samruk-Kazyna are trying to nurture a new generation of professionals whose thinking and horizons will be developed by 360 degrees.

  

- What is your role as a mentor? Does it bother you being watched? And who is your “Elder Brother”?

- The role of the mentor is very great. If you send a graduate to an internship and do not assign a mentor to him, then the whole process of his work will probably be two or three times lower. An intern without a mentor will have a longer adaptation, he will be given abstract tasks. And my mentor systematically works with me all competencies, sets specific tasks, focuses on the result. For example, if my activity at some stage gives me nothing, then he poses another task related to the developed competence. Mentor keeps a diary on my internship. At the end of each rotation, he gives a report on how I coped with the tasks. And, if, for example, I’m doing poorly, an HR employee or a member of the project team calls me and wonders what is the matter. True, so far no such situations have arisen with me. In general, I believe that mentoring in this program is a huge plus. And without mentoring the whole program would not be so successful. My mentor, Iskander Bagdatovich, has 13 years of experience working in a bank, seven of them in managerial positions. He is a very strong analyst, a good manager, sees the potential in people and effectively manages it. Knows how to "squeeze all the juices" can say. But at the same time it gives me a lot of experience. During the time that I was in the program, I had to parse three financial statements, work with a business plan, oversee several accounting articles, work with specialists from other departments. This increased my sociability. Now I am conducting one project, it concerns the balancing of wages of company employees. My mentor says they need a fresh look. And, if my work is suitable, they will be implemented. And if not, he will tell you how to do it. As I said, all the mentors in the Zhas Orken program are like older brothers. Thanks to them, the error does not become critical, and you do not lose motivation.

- Who do you see yourself in the future and in what direction do you want to develop as a specialist?

- I think that I will work as a manager of the investment activity department or I want to go to risk management. This is a new direction for the market of Kazakhstan.

- Did you immediately decide that you would be a financier?

- This is the advice of my uncle, who himself is a successful financier. I studied at Lyceum №8, I had a great interest, even a passion for mathematics and physics. And then I thought that I would connect my life with physics. But in the ninth grade, I had a choice: to stay at school or go to college. In math, I had excellent grades, and I was more inclined to graduate and go to university. But my uncle’s advice became decisive. As a result, I entered InEU College as a financier.And when I started to study, I realized it was cool. When you know how to calculate corporate income tax (CIT) or social security contributions, I think that in life you will not be lost, and you will always have bread.

After InEU College, I naturally entered InEU University. It was here that a party with startups began, and there we began to form qualities such as critical thinking, analytical ability to solve all problems, stress tolerance and sociability. It was these skills that helped me a lot to go to the Zhas Orken program.

- Do you want to open your own business?

- Parents already have a business. My mother is an individual entrepreneur. I worked with her when I was still at university, conducted all invoices, acts of completed work, downloaded them online, etc. And basically, after such a lot of experience that I will get in the “Zhas Orken” program, I will leave for some private business. Maybe I’ll open my catering. It will surely always be necessary for people, and will win me a penny without a win.

-  Back to your victory, you became an intern in the program. What became decisive? You graduated from InEU with a "red" diploma?

- This is a sore point for me. I have a GPA 3.72, but I passed one non-core subject to "4". So I did not receive a red diploma, but was very close ...

- However, this did not stop you from continuing your education ...

- To my great surprise, Zhas Orken does not look at ratings. You pass the tests, there are your psychologists, your employees who test your knowledge. And it turns out that you completely surrender, confirm your knowledge. It doesn’t matter what you get in economics or other financial subjects 3 or 5. This is great, but responsible, of course.

- What would you advise your future colleagues, economics students, if they want to succeed?

- Firstly, do not waste time in vain, all the time to learn something new, namely the disciplines of “Introduction of business, entrepreneurship”, is tightly embedded in the educational program of InEU.

Secondly, advice to all economists and financiers: to be friends with macroeconomics and with tax accounting - this will help you a lot in the future when you get a job.

And if you plan to enter the Jas Orken program, ”you need to carefully prepare. Participate online in contests from our partners AlmaU, Tel Aviv University, MOST BI. This experience will definitely help you when you enroll in the program. In addition, to all fellow economists who have just entered or already graduate this year, I advise you to be friends with the founder of economic theory as a science, its classical school, Adam Smith, Maria Agapova - this is the author of a book on macroeconomics, read more “Marketing” by Philip Kotler, especially his latest edition - Marketing 4.0. There are a lot of concepts that will come in handy in the future.

And to all students without exception, no matter what specialty they receive, I advise you to seriously and diligently complete practical training already in the second year, because the dual system in InEU is very developed. All teachers try to send their students to the very enterprise where he wants to. Because in the future it is precisely this experience that will help you in your job search. Or it’s possible that you get a permanent job at the place of practice, since you gave all your best there 100 percent. I also want to advise, choose the theme of the thesis, to which the soul lies. While working on it, you will have an understanding of how the company works, on whose experience you rely, what you are from yourself, and whether you need this profession. Unfortunately, many students in the 1st and 2nd courses have not yet figured out whether they need the profession in which they are trained, whether they will work on it. And work on a diploma puts such a fat point. So choose the topic wisely. And, of course, I wish everyone good luck. It definitely won’t hurt us.

Press Service of InEU