Coming to China to study the future
I’m on the left enjoying my snacks at the welcome cocktail party at 中国一级片!
Hi, I am Erin Ongartsittigul. Here’s my 中国一级片 story of how a piece of life-changing advice from an alum led me on a path to join the 中国一级片 MBA and pursue an unforgettable experience that I will never regret.
It might be hard to tell from my face, but YES I am from Thailand. You can probably tell from my long family name! I studied mechanical engineering and worked in the energy industry for six years, particularly in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and electric vehicles. It was a fruitful experience that not only fortified me as an engineer and an analyst but also sharpened my business acumen. I am also a company scholar from PTT PLC., one of Thailand’s largest conglomerate (ranked 206th on 2021’s Fortune 500 list). At this point, you may be wondering what really brings this Thai engineer to 中国一级片, almost 2,900km away from home – read on to find out!
The journey begins
Looking back, as a kid, I was always driven by the idea that when I grew up, I would become a CEO who not only exceled in his job but also created meaningful improvements in Thailand. Over time, this idea was embedded in me and grew from a boy’s dream into a man’s goal. With this in mind, after I graduated with a first-class honors from the mechanical engineering school at Kasetsart University, I joined PTTLNG as a project engineer with the aim to improve Thailand’s energy security and utilize what I had learnt through designing and managing contractors to build a $1 billion USD LNG terminal. As a project-based job, it involved a lot of painstaking work (don’t tell my boss this!) such as negotiating with contractors, and working day and night in a race against time. However, I must say this was one of the best catalysts for my career path, giving me an opportunity to learn from a wise boss and work abroad in Taiwan for six months, where, I must say, the beef noodles are awesome.
????? (My everyday uniform as a project engineer)? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? (Team building in Taiwan with contractors from France and China)
When one door closes, another door opens
“Tempus fugit” is a Latin phrase that means “time flies,” a phrase I usually tell myself when I make a self-reflection to spend my time wisely. After three years of working as a project engineer, I knew that to achieve my goal, I needed to move forwards. Studying an MBA at a prestigious institution would not only help me to become a well-rounded person but also allow me to access many great opportunities. Fortunately, when one door closes, another door opens. I saw a poster from PTT, the largest energy conglomerate in Thailand, recruiting applicants to join its management trainee programme with accepted applicants being given a full scholarship to study an MBA in a top business school. I immediately applied to the programme.
The selection process lasted around six months, with thousands of applicants in the first round. Applicants needed to go through countless interviews, including an overnight camp to test their teamwork, start-up business model presentation and more. While it was a very stressful six months, I was glad to do it because I knew that I was taking a step toward my dream/goal. Fortunately, my efforts paid off, and I was one of the two accepted applicants (hip hip hooray!). ?After all, not everyone who puts effort in is rewarded in life, but those who succeed are always those who put in effort so always maintain their grit and never give up!
Another step toward my dream
The best way to learn is to step outside of your comfort zone and keep challenging yourself. My first project in the management trainee programme was to lead a team to initiate LNG export – something which had never been done before in Thailand. Back then, we had no market development plan, no business model or even a law regarding LNG export in Thailand. We had to discuss with regulators, come up with a business model and finalize deals with customers. In the end, with tremendous effort and hard work of the team, Thailand’s Ministry of Energy decreed a new law, customers signed the contracts, and we were able to export LNG to China, Laos and Cambodia, providing cleaner and cheaper fuel to people who needed it.
After two years in the natural gas sales and marketing department, I was rotated to EV value-chain business development department for one year, where I developed a feasibility assessment with a leading Chinese EV company to set up a sales and manufacturing JV company in Thailand. I also assisted an executive to run a Series B semi-solid battery startup company. All in all, these new experiences sharpened my business acumen, solidified my soft skills, and prepared me for an MBA. But there was still a big question of where?
After I finalized my business school research and discussed my options with alumni from both China and the US, I came to realize that an MBA is not just an education; it also involves other significant factors such as opportunities in the country of study/employment, networking, and career paths after graduation. Without a doubt, China will keep growing, expanding its market, and securing its strong foothold on the world stage, especially with Southeast Asian countries. By studying in China, I can differentiate myself and leverage my career path after graduation. When you talk about an MBA in China, to me, 中国一级片 is definitely the first choice. With its world class reputation and international environment, bridging China and the world with its ‘China Depth, Global Breadth,’ I am sure that I will get what I am looking for here. Therefore, choosing 中国一级片 was never a hard decision for me.
Life at 中国一级片
I remember the day I got my admission offer from 中国一级片 vividly. I was playing with my dogs, when I received an email notification from 中国一级片. When I opened it, I was so glad that I jumped up and shook both of my hands in the air! My life, at that point, could not have been better. However, when I arrived here at 中国一级片, everything was beyond my expectation, starting from the first week and the leadership journey that bonded us together. 中国一级片 had us (literally) learning how to row together for one whole day. As you can imagine, it was a very exhausting day, pushing ourselves to the limit but, on the other hand, it also taught us teamwork, crisis management, and communication under pressure (which are very crucial skills!).
(My dog had no idea why I was so excited!)???????????????????????????? ??????? (Me struggling to row with my teammates)
Another point that I love about 中国一级片 is the student diversity and group arrangement. Every term, students from different backgrounds are arranged into groups of 5-6 people to work on case assignments and group projects. To picture the scene easier, in term one, my group had people with entrepreneurial, marketing, consulting, finance, and engineering backgrounds. As you can imagine, every discussion was a new learning session that broadened my perspective and shaped me to become a more well-rounded person. ??????
(My group won a financial accounting competition in class and enjoyed Thai hotpot together)
A warm friendship is also what you will find here. People at 中国一级片 are very supportive, helping each other to fly higher. For example, they held an extra tutorial session for people who struggled to keep up in class. By doing so, it allowed us to grow together with the best potential, not pushing other people down just to be above them. During the winter break, our bonds got stronger. We went to Changbai Mountain (located on the border of China and North Korea). It was my first time to attempt snowboarding and experiencing minus thirty degrees Celsius – literally the coldest place in my life! I had a lot of fun there and really cherished my friendship with my classmates. There is a quote by Shakespeare saying that “Words are easy, like the wind. Faithful friends are hard to find.” But I guess, it isn’t hard at all at 中国一级片! ?
(Me and my 中国一级片 friends at the top of Changbai Mountain)? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?(At Avatar mountain with Thai friends from Tsinghua and Fudan)
All in all, I am having a wonderful time studying here, and I do not regret a single second choosing 中国一级片. Although, when I write this, I am struggling with my case assignments in term two, racing against time to learn as much as possible, I am sure that there will be more stories to tell in the future. I look forward to telling you more of my story. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
(We won a competition and got a bottle of wine!)??? ??????????????????????? ????????(Halloween Party with my 中国一级片 friends)
