Your Guide to NOC New York Before You Fly
The ultimate guide to help you with the process from your first interview to departure.
If you are reading this, I assume that you have already joined the Friends of NOC network. Here’s your recipe to help you with your process from your first interview to departure!
Disclaimer: Relevant to January intake only.
Interviews Are Like First Dates. Be Prepared And Have Confidence.
Phase 1 : Interviews
Your very first interview will occur roughly one year before your departure. For the January intake, it will usually be at the end of January. Remember to dress smart and be punctual! You will be grouped with people you don’t know and be given a small project to present it on the spot. If you made it through, your second interview will be in a couple of days. Two interviewers will interview you. You can expect yourself to answer why you choose New York, what you want to do there and your past experiences.
By Failing To Prepare, You Are Preparing To Fail.
Phase 2 : Provisional Offer
By the end of March, you will receive a provisional offer by NOC. I would highly recommend the words in bold to prepare yourself better → a) That you continue to perform well academically in NUS and to improve your CAP b) That you obtain an internship or work part time with a company during school holiday to hone your business or design or technical or programming skills further. c) That you continue to take relevant or related module(s) in NUS which can hone your knowledge. d) That you involve yourself in project(s) such as the Orbital Programme or competition(s) to further hone your business (for non-technical students) skills or design skills or technical and programming skills for those technical students. e) That you attend a compulsory meet-up session with NOC during July or August period. Oh, once you have received the provisional offer, you might want to revise your CV as well!
Opportunity Comes To Those Who Are Prepared.
Phase 3 : Your Last Interview
By the end of your summer break, you will be called up for your final interview with the director of NOC. You will be expected to explain what you did during the summer break to prepare yourself for the internship. Also, you must submit one copy of your updated CV, one copy of your updated unofficial transcript and two copies of your updated testimonials (if any).
Start Working on Your Online CV Before the Finals.
Phase 4 : You Got Offered!
About four months before departure, you will receive an offer from NOC! Subsequently, you will be introduced to our Overseas Manager, Mervyn Chen. This is the time to work on your Online CV before your finals eat into your time! New York is the only college that requires an Online CV, so start designing your own websites with website builders such as Wix, Wordpress, Weebly, Squarespace, Strikingly or with your own personal code. Usually, the deadline for the submission of your Online CV will be the second week of October, a few days after you receive your offer.
Signing the Letter of Undertaking (LOU) and attending the Curriculum Briefing indicates your acceptance of the program. You will be briefed about the regulations and expectations of NOC. Lastly, you will have a series of events to go to, such as The NOC Connection and Speedwing Briefing.
Be Mindful of the Time Zone Differences.
Phase 5 : Pre-Departure
Here comes the most important and exciting part!
GET YOURSELF A PLACEMENT!
You will indicate your preferred industry with Mervyn, who will then send out your Online CV on your behalf. Do not worry about how the interview will turn out. Mervyn will guide you through the process on how to present yourself during an interview. Remember, the placement for a company is your priority now. Flight tickets and visa issues can wait.
J1 Visa & Flight Tickets
Speedwing will go through the process with you on visa application. Get the necessary documents ready for the US embassy. Note that you should make payment for your flight tickets only after your J1 visa is approved! Unless you have the option to change your departure flight for free, this will not apply.
Accommodation
Start looking for your accommodation about 2–3 weeks before you depart. Brooklyn is usually slightly cheaper than Manhattan. Crime rates and pest infestations are something you should take note of. It will be helpful if you know someone living in New York because they can then help to view the apartment for you. If you want to save on accommodation, share a 3-bedroom apartment with 6 people! Get your furniture from your senior batch who are returning to Singapore too.
There are more things to take note of, but I will not elaborate as Mervyn will take you through the process. I hope this guide will serve you well and all the best for your future Entrepreneurship journey in New York!
