Your Most Significant Professional Accomplishment - Essay Example

2. Describe your most significant professional accomplishment. Elaborate on the leadership skills you displayed, the actions you took and the impact you had on your organization. (500 words limit) It took the best of my efforts in turning Zhenye City Townhouse Project which was in a stage of acute crisis to an entity of high demand. Shenzhen Zhenye (group) Co. Ltd while implementing Zhenye City Townhouse Project went out of funds. The crisis hyped as the Chinese policy also changed to decrease the bank credit limit. No one was ready to take the risk of leading the project, though the company’s future totally depended on this. Finally with regard to my experience in leading many management reforms with in the company, I was designated as the Marketing & Sales Director to revive the Project. Evolving a Vision was the primary effort I did. I understood that a socially responsible project could easily win government’s support. This fact when analyzed against feasibility and trends in the industry, gave me the idea to develop the project as an energy efficient one. Adaptation of my experience and resources to this project scenario was realized as a primary measure to tackle this difficult mission. Two years’ work in CEO office had benefited me with contacts like the Vice Mayor, Director of Environmental Protection Department, and also local bank officials. I could efficiently use these resources to tap the advantages in redefining the project as the first energy efficient project in Shenzhen, which fitted into the municipal government’s vision of building the city at international standards. Also officials of People’s Bank of China were contacted through our CEO and were explained the political and social significance of the project. Finally, we were granted a higher credit limit with special authorization. On the other hand, I inspired and empowered my subordinates to work together as a team. However my role in credit allocation helped the team to develop trust in me as an effective leader. As a leader I didn’t enforce my power over the team but inspired them to follow a single direction. I empowered them by promising the fame to come, on the success the project. I ensured communication with in the team and encouraged everyone to take part by expressing themselves. Besides, I also had meetings with each person to understand their strength and weakness. Within a week, I restructured the team and made it a united force. The engineering-coordination team worked quick to produce tailored energy-saving solutions; the government relationship team lobbied the concerned authorities on the Green City vision, while the sales team invented a number of campaigns on customer relationship management. More creativity was brought in as the normal sales promotional lecture was replaced with an academic lecture by a Chinese national economist. This gave the project a unique edge and as the press reported the green concept, a grand repute was developed. Finally my team could result a $69M sales success, which accounted for 50% of Group Company’s annual revenue. The project carried the company out of crisis and won an award of ‘National Top 10 Energy-Saving Housing Project’, which built a green brand name for Zhengye Group. 3. If you were not pursuing the career goals you described in Question 1, what profession would you pursue instead? (For example, teacher, musician athlete, architect, etc.) How will this alternate interest contribute to your effectiveness in solving multidisciplinary problems? Short Essays (300 word max) To be a sailing athlete would the passionate career I choose if I were not into my present career. I was the youngest Co-rear Commodore and the only Asian leader of the biggest Sailing Club in California. I have also won ‘Champion of Wind Surfing Competition’ in Shenzhen. Sailing, which is the art of conquering the unknown waters and challenging the speed limit within itself, reflects the challenges and multidisciplinary problems which come across in real life. This was well proved during the global sail arranged in 2005. The sail demanded understanding not only on ocean currents, wind direction and weather but also on culture and politics of each port the boat passed through. When we stopped at an island, way past the Red Sea for refueling, the place just had seen a war between Equatorial Guinea and Yemen .Yemen had just conquered the island and we could find guns aimed at as the area was under peer war pressure. But the political understanding I had acquired about the place, helped me to make my team wave the Chinese flag as I knew that Yemen always was friendly to China. To everybody’s relief, the crisis dissolved. The Yemen military army not only offered fuel to us, but also sold us cigarette in a very low price. Sailing also involves the spirit of leadership, teamwork and shared responsibilities. In the case of my team when Wang who was an excellent engineer backed up the team by repairing the boat, Jane who was a nutritionist handled food management. This reveals the message of being for each other at times of multidisciplinary problems. It is the transitional problem-solving capability that enabled our success in oceans. It is same capability that aids at times of real challenges in life. 4. Describe your experience during a challenging time in your life. Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it. Short Essays (300 word max) The most challenging time in my life was the two years’ I spent to develop myself as an entrepreneur in the United States. I tried to find many jobs during my first days in US, but proved to be in vain as I had no American education, and overseas work experience. The situation turned hard but I was confident on my strength to achieve. I discovered to market my well established network in China which was in demand for American companies entering the Chinese market. I short listed a number of developers who were interested in the huge Chinese customer base. My relentless efforts and confidence resulted in an offer from Federal Development, a real estate developer in California to work as an associate. Challenges didn’t stay off as I further confronted with knowledge limitation and culture shock. The American developers emphasized on Return on Invest (ROI) analysis, which I lacked. As a capacity building measure, I attended the U.C. Berkley extension program of Investment Management to enhance my ability. So as to overcome the problem I had in communicating with colleagues, I interacted with them consistently even after work, and soon got involved into their backgrounds. With persistent dedication and hard work, I helped the company to establish in China. In 2007, I started working on my own real estate consulting company. At the beginning of 2008, I registered my company in US, with two offices and ten people in Chinese and American markets. At present, I have developed a client base across three states in the US, including a top 25 American real estate fund. This challenge helped me grow personally, as a stronger entrepreneur, fully confident in myself and to take dare successful decisions. Optional Question: Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to evaluate your candidacy? 350 words max My social responsibility was the factor which turned my attention towards the moans from the low-income families of Shenzhen city .The soaring prices in the real estate sector could take the low income families no where near their dream to have a home. My proposal when I was working as the Executive assistant of the CEO of Zhenye was a gigantic housing market addressing both benefit and business. Unfortunately this could not provoke the Corporate Social Responsibly of the company as they believed that this was not their job. They made their point that even the governments’ trial to subsidize the housing sector could not serve the cause as the poor couldn’t even afford 1/3rd of the market price. My determination helped me not to stop and encouraged me positively. The cost for design, construction and land was bifurcated. I could convince some philanthropic house designers to offer cheaper services. The exposure envisaged and the social cause persuaded them to make the commitment. I could also find some contractors who were ready to sacrifice on their profit. My well maintained relationships proved to be worthy when it came to the biggest challenge, the cost of the land. Some of my friends lobbied with the municipal government to arrange for the land. Although the land couldn’t be assigned to Zhenye due to legalities, the authorities informed that some state-owned enterprises had idle land and were anxious to solve their staffs’ housing problem. The strategy-builder in me took no time to come out with the ‘land-house exchange program’ through which Zhenye could build houses in exchange of land. Then the rest of the houses could be sold at low costs to the poor. This plan convinced the management as this offered a small profit to the company while addressing its corporate social responsibility. I could lead the project to success in two years. This model was replicated by many companies nationwide. My success was honored when I was elected into the Urban Development Advisory Board of Shenzhen City. I proved that dedication and planned effort can turn impossible to possible. Read More