Admissions - Admission/Application Essay Example

prepared ADMISSON ESSAY Each professional who wishes to further expand his knowledge and expertise enrolls in post graduate courses. A Masters Degree or a PhD provides individuals with the essential skills to advance in their chosen career. Ultimately, it is the Doctorate Degree that post graduate students covet the most, being the definitive gauge of one’s professional and academic success. As in each and everyone else who aims for remarkable feats, I am fiercely committed to enter the PhD in Business course as soon as I finish with my Master’s Degree, which I anticipate to accomplish by the end of 2011. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCEED IN A DCOTORATE PROGRAM Having been into post graduate studies as a master’s degree student, I acknowledge that this is a far cry from the undergraduate academe, in which students feel much less pressure. Post graduate students are expected not only to be educated by listening, but more importantly, to learn by putting into practice all the theories and concepts learned in class. Doctorate students are usually accomplished individuals in their chosen fields. Their professional journey goes hand in hand with seeking higher education. For graduate school students, class lectures can easily transform into class discussions, whereby most of the time, professional experiences are shared and discussed. Graduate schools are all about adults who have individual career experiences, coming together because of a common goal. To succeed in a Doctorate program, one must have a balance of technical or professional know how, and an innate desire to learn more. He must have sufficient knowledge on the course to stay afloat in class discussions. The graduate student must remain competitive in school because his classmates are equally accomplished individuals who have their own experiences to share. Most importantly, he must have humility to acknowledge that he doesn’t know everything and that the very reason for enrolling in a post graduate course is to learn more. I find it also necessary for a postgraduate student to have heaps of patience. Managing stress in the workplace in one thing; handling school related stress brought about by deadlines is another. There is more demand from a postgraduate student. He is expected to deliver utmost quality in school work; he must have the dedication and focus to thrive in this very competitive environment. If he does not have the conviction to finish the course, it is always easy to drop everything. But perseverance is one trait that the postgraduate student must possess in order to succeed. Lastly, time management holds the key to balance both career and academics. There will be times that you would have to sacrifice your own personal time to allow yourself to fulfill the demands from both realms. Having a way to monitor all your deliverables, setting a timetable for these responsibilities and following your plans will help you stay focused. There should be a specific amount of time allocated per area of responsibility, and a personal guide would definitely help the student in making a schedule and ultimately sticking to it YOUR SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES TO MAKE YOU SUCCEED IN THE PROGRAM I have been a professional for 12 years now, trudging the professional path towards success, having joined four companies since I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree. I am every inch a professional, having been hands on as an IT practitioner through the years. My professional journey has been long and hard, but I also feel that through the years, I have been honed to prepare for bigger challenges and accomplishments. I am aware that today, we live in a world of e-commerce and highly advanced information technology. Data processing, product development and marketing are three most important aspects of a business that rely on IT and computer-related technologies. My generation has witnessed the business world’s quick transformation from traditional to technological; businesses cannot thrive anymore without getting hooked with technology. Moreover, employers generally have higher regard for employees who have a better know-how in their chosen fields. In a world where there is stiff competition to get the good positions in a company, getting higher and specialized education is the next step towards career advancement. This is what I would like to be able to do. I consider myself to be highly competitive, always wanting to surpass what I have already achieved. I engage in healthy competition with my colleagues, but I am more focused on outdoing myself. I consider myself my toughest competition. During my early years in school and up to middle school, I have been an active student leader, working hard on my academics as well as the extracurricular activities. I desired not only to hit high marks in my subjects, but also be able to participate in school activities and hone my other skills. My participation in school organizations has helped me to become a real team player, knowing where and how to make a group of people maximize their potentials to reach common objectives. I have brought this skill even during my college and early years as a professional, and it is one of my personality traits that I consider useful as I carve my career path. My idea of success is being able to get the right mix of skills and creativity, and having a watchful eye for opportunities. In other words, I am definitely a planner – someone who sets for himself specific goals and crafts strategies to be able to move forward to achieving these goals. This is my personal definition, the summary of who I am in terms of my career and profession, and also in terms of my personal status. This is also a skill necessary for me to handle the demands of being in a doctorate program. Time management and planning is essential, particularly because I will be juggling my time between work, school and my personal life. There is so much to accomplish, but given the time constraints, the trickiest part for me is to be able to maintain the right amount of focus for each and every aspect of my life. I have equal regard to both professional and academic roles. After all, they go hand-in-hand, and one cannot definitively exist without the other. Lastly, I am a go getter, with a strong desire to continuously achieve, not being content with the moment but hungry for more information that would equip me to become a better professional and a better person. It is this inner drive that would help me manage the responsibilities of a doctorate student. My goals serve as my inspiration. There is very little chance for me to let go of my dreams. I am usually the type who finishes off whatever he has started. I have a personal conviction to win against all odds. MY PERSONAL MOTIVATION I have specific dreams for myself and my family. Even when I was still in the university taking up my bachelor’s degree, I have envisioned myself to become a competitive IT practitioner, who will have a steady ascent in terms of my chosen profession. My goal is to rise from the ranks, knowing that this is the best way to get into my dream status. I started off as Technical Windows Support Specialist in Simplex Company, and eventually transferred to another IT company, having the same position but with meatier responsibilities. In the next 10 years, I did IT Project Management, having served major companies such as AIG, Deliotte, and IBM. The experience clearly paved my way towards real career development because I became part of each of this company’s development as well. I saw the endless opportunities for an IT professional like me. Information Technology is a field of study where possibilities are endless. Everyday, there are new discoveries being unraveled, new technological milestones being achieved. An IT Professional will never be stagnant. Everyday is a challenge to discover and develop. Knowing all these, it brings me pleasure to realize that I have been blessed to have a job that is rewarding on both personal and financial aspects. I am being paid for doing something that I enjoy the most. And I can only pay it forward by being committed to achieving more and learning more. I have taken the first step towards professional excellence as I am about to graduate with my Master’s Degree. At this point that I am already exposed to both technical and business sides of my job, I deem it appropriate for me to take further studies in Business, as an IT professional. This way, I would have a bigger perspective of the whole IT business. It will expand my knowledge and capabilities. It will definitely open more opportunities for me. A PhD in Business would allow me flexibility to tackle even bigger responsibilities, not to be focused on the technical aspects alone, but more importantly on a greater and broader scope. It will enable me to understand Business Management from another standpoint. It will help me become capable of more responsibilities, and tackle management roles in my current work place. My superiors will have more confidence in my management skills, making me more adept to handle a larger team and bigger projects. More importantly, it will be beneficial to my long term goal of establishing my own IT Consultancy Firm in the future. Ten years from now, should I become financially capable of running my own business, I also see myself spearheading an IT Consultancy firm offering similar services as what I am handling right now. My quest to get a PhD is in harmony with both my short and long term goals of having a fulfilling career and eventually, financial freedom as well. MY ACTION PLANS As mentioned earlier, time management is needed for someone to handle the responsibilities and the demands of postgraduate studies. I acknowledge that I may be constantly challenged on this aspect. I presently work full time for American International Group (AIG) as Information Officer, and position demands for my time and focus. To work beyond my standard work hours is something that can’t be avoided, particularly when there are new projects to be launched. As an officer, I have a team of IT professionals to manage, and I am held accountable for my projects. As I am currently enrolled in a Master’s Program, I have already established a working schedule for me to juggle both schooling and work. I take my classes after work hours and weekends. I devote every free time doing school requirements. I have little time for anything else, but I take it upon myself to be focused on my responsibilities as an employee and as a student to be able to get above satisfactory ratings for both school and work. Knowing that a Doctoral Program can be more demanding and time consuming, I am bracing myself for more adjustments. It could mean less sleep, less leisure time and less time for my personal needs, but I am also engaging the support of my heads in the office, my colleagues and my team members, who are also helpful in my quest for further studies. I have also the support of my family, who are ready to extend a helping hand as I manage my time as a student and as an employee. I would definitely not be able to perform my responsibilities without them. CONCLUSION Having said all of these, I understand that I have the capability to contribute to my Doctorate Postgraduate class as much as I can learn from them. I have over 12 years of professional experience tucked under my sleeves. Armed with hands on experience and solid relations with major IT companies in the region, I am aware that my contribution to class projects and discussions could be invaluable. I have first hand accounts to back up the theories to learn. I have a personal know how, and deep understanding of both technical and business sides of Information Technology. I am confident that I can interact fruitfully with my classmates and mentors, being equipped with the professional knowledge that I possess now. Read More