mom's birthday

Yesterday was mom's birthday so there was some baking and cooking. For some time I have been wanting to make a cake with meringue so we ended up with a Schwarzwald cake, which apparently is called Black Forest cake in English, a direct translation. In addition it seems that the Schwarzwald cake as we know it in Sweden is different from the German cake.

It consists of three layers of hazelnut meringue, all meringue layers brushed with melted chocolate on the bottoms. Whipped cream with vanilla sugar in between the layers and all around it, then topped with big chocolate flakes. Yummy.

Schwartzwald cake.

Even though I love cakes I actually was more excited about the dinner. I made home made falafel that I have been wanting to do for a really long time. Now it was time and it was truly delicious! I made falafel wraps and have not been this exciting for a dish in a while. Tortillas filled with tzatziki (home made of course with plenty of garlic), falafel, salad, tomato, cucumber, carrot, corn, and red onion.

Falafel wrap, with home made, delicious falafel!

Falafel
800g of chick-peas, 7 garlic cloves, juice of ½ lemon, 1dl leaf parsley, 2 tsp cumin (spiskummin), 1 tsp ground coriander (not fresh), 1 tsp chili, 1 ½ tsp salt, one egg, and I also used about 2-3 tbsp corn starch (maizena) to make it all not fall apart. It should have been some tahini in it as well but could not find that, so I ended up sprinkling ing about 2 tbsp of sesame seeds instead. Mix it all together in a mixer or blender and let stand for 1-2 hour. Make into balls with two spoons and preferably deep fry. We deep fried the falafel in a frying pan with about 2 cm of oil in it. Went perfectly!

the assessment day at ernst & young

It apparently has been very useful for others to read about the interview process I did with another company and people come to visit every month to read about it. I myself could never find much information about it at that time and I guess there is still not much information about it out there. It was the same in regards to the assessment day at Ernst & Young in Sweden. Not any information about it out there, but plenty on how it is in for example UK.

The day started with lunch with the seven other applicants at the same time as we got a presentation about Ernst & Young by one of the partners. Then it was time to start with all the tests. First the English test in three parts which was quite simple in my opinion. Then we moved on to the SHL tests, a verbal, a numerical, and an inductive test. The only test I had some problem with was the math test (numerical) and the main problem being the time constraint.

After a break it was time for the feared case interview. Working with cases, something I had never done before not even at university. We got 30 minutes to prepare for the case presentation. We received a three page summary about a company and the problem they have. A profitability problem had to be solved and present a strategy for how to solve it. I tried to gather my thoughts and get them in order. A woman came to listen to my presentation (luckily, I think, it was the same woman I had my first E&Y interview with) and I started talking. I felt kind of unstructured but I think I manage to get some thoughts out. She asked some questions and I answered. She could not give me any information at that point on how it went, but she said it I missed a few things but also mentioned many of the issues. In the end I felt quite satisfied as I had never done such a thing. At least I feel comfortable presenting things and never really nervous.

Then it was time for the interview and meeting a new guy. I think the interview can be very different depending on who is conducting it. He asked me to do was a presentation of my CV and to use the white board. I plainly did some sort of mind map of my CV with three subgroups of 'education', 'job experience', and 'other'. Piece of cake. Then he presented himself and I also started asking questions. I had prepared several good questions for the interviewer, like can you describe a typical working day/week at E&Y?, what is the biggest challenge with the job?, what's good working at E&Y?, are there any things you don't like working at E&Y or something you would like to change?.

At the end of the interview, the guy had one last case questions for me. I got one estimation question which I had dreaded: how many pharmacies are there in Sweden? I went with the simplest way and calculated an average for the whole Sweden based on the town where I grew up. He asked some questions linked to the estimation and I think I answered well, kept confident and presented well. When we were done and we packed up he said that I had almost been spot on with my answer from the calculation which made me feel good. And a little bit lucky too.

Walking away from the assessment day at Ernst & Young I was happy with what I accomplished. I felt that no matter what happened I was happy with how it went. Then we know how that feeling totally changed but it all turned out well in the end. Now I on for the final stage in the process and the partner interview. Cannot wait!

(Assessment dagen på Ernst & Young i Sverige)

scotch tape manicure #6 and more

I am really happy with yesterday's manicure. I love the gray with the orange. And then a few orange pearls on the ring finger.

Color Club - De-Luxe-Cious and Gosh - Orange Drops.

Then a really gorgeous pink color with gold shimmer in it. I love it. Then with some pretty flower pattern stamped on it.

Catrice - Big Spender Wanted!

crashed and burned?

On Wednesday, the day after the case interview and that whole shebang, I was all really excited and wanted nothing more than to continue to the next round. Then the optimism started spiraling down and almost hit rock bottom today. I feared that I had crashed and burned with the case. I called one of the persons in HR I have been in contact with to find out any news as I was supposed to get feedback before the weekend. She was not the one in charge of it so she could not tell me anything but she thought that would have called me by now.

That information made me loose the hope as it is not good news when you are one of the last persons to get any feedback. By experience that means that they have continued with other candidates. I tried calling the woman in charge and there was no answer. I called again after several hours and still no answers. Not really a what I was hoping for with the weekend coming up.

Then all of a sudden I noticed an email in my inbox from that woman saying she was on vacation but told me that they would like to have me continue in the recruitment process! I could not be happier.

Now I know I have what it takes to do the case interviews even though I know I can do much better. If I would not have moved on I think it would have hit me quite hard. But now I do not have to worry about that. Now I can look forward to the final stage in the process. Having an interview with a partner. That might be a bit scary.

scotch tape manicure #5

Another one of those days decorating the nails. A gorgeous matte nail polish that first ended up with just a french manicure, and then I just continued with the striping.

OPI - La Paz-itively Hot and Collection 2000 - 228

Color Club - Mrs Robinson and konad stamping with China Glaze - Millennium

the suit

Took out my suit from the wardrobe today where it has been collecting dust. I bought it in 2008 for my second and third interview with Maersk. Those two occations are the only times the suit have been allowed out into the fresh air. I am not really a suit person, I just do not feel comfortable with it.

So here I am now, going for an assessment day for a 'suit company' (at least that was the impression for my first interview there) so that is why the suit have come out to breathe once again.

It is ironic though, I found a receipt in the jacket pocket from Burger King. It is where me and my suit ate lunch on June 30th 2008 at Copenhagen airport after my final interview with Maersk. On June 30th 2009, exactly one year later, my boss called me into an office and let me go. (For funsies I looked into what I did June 30th 2010, I was on an interview in Stockholm (they picked another girl over me)).

It brought me luck then (one could pretend) as I did get the job, perhaps it will tomorrow. Or luck, it brought me to a job I ended up resenting but that is not the suits fault.

frameworks all day long

Been kind of busy the last few days. I have not even had time to change manicure since Monday (which I usually have done every day). Although I did find some time today to paint my nails in a great bright, neon, orange color that makes you happy and longing for spring.

So the last few days I have done something that feels a little bit more useful than switching manicure every day. I have been preparing for my assessment day with Ernst & Young next week. I am not nervous for it (at least not yet...), the tests (SHL) I feel quite comfortable with as I have always done well on tests. However, even though I am good at math I had trouble with the numerical test, mainly I think because of the time constraint and the I have not dealt with math in quite some time.

The thing I have studying and reading up on the most is for the case. I have never ever done case work in interviews and never even at school. I have been reading up on anything I could find to prepare myself for a case situation. Like different frameworks to use solving a case, profitability framework, business situation framework, SWOT-analysis, Porter's Five Forces etc. Nothing of this I had at school but I recognize it, now I just need to memorize it all. Easy peasy...

Right now what I dread the most is estimation questions. I just need to practice on those and the mechanics of it all. It is probably all easy when you know how to think, but my problem is that I like preparation and have difficulties with those on-the-spot analytical questions. I got a such a questions once that I totally bombed. I just froze and my brain went blank. I did not know where to start. 'How many web pages are there in Sweden?'

creole revisited

Some week, or two, ago I did the Creole casserole again. Definitely a favorite. Although this time we switched the pork tenderloin to chicken instead and I actually preferred that. I will stick with chicken from now on.

I also baked some bread with shredded carrots and sunflower seeds, really easy when you just pour it onto a baking sheet. Freshly baked bread with butter is probably one of the most delicious things.

Creole casserole

Carrot bread with sunflower seeds

color club to sweden please

Hopefully we will have a new nail polish brand in Sweden soon. Perhaps you can find it already at some places already but mostly you have to buy them online if you want them.

Mom came home the other day with three nail polishes from the brand Color Club. The company that produces those nail polishes had a conference at the hotel where she works and they left some bottles of polish! Of course she could not really bring home one of each (although I wish) but I got three pretty colors. Always fun with nail polish for free! (Especially since I am on a no-buying-policy at the moment.)

Start selling Color Club nail polish in Sweden soon! And at a fair price and not like China Glaze and OPI prices.

Color Club - Mrs Robinson, Peppermint Twist, Koo-Koo Cachoo

taxi

Not much at all has been going around here today this lazy Sunday. After a late breakfast I started to read a book that was lying on a table downstairs. I sat down in the armchair by the fire place and started reading. I continued reading until dinner and by then I only had a few pages left. So that is how I spent most of the day.

A book by Alexandra Pascalidou about taxi drivers she have me all over the world and their stories. Really interesting. I liked it.