Human Resource Management Experience - Essay Example

1. Personal Details, etc. ment of Purpose Introduction: I am a Human Resources (HR) Management Consultant, currently employed by Lux Consulting, Korea. I graduated from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada in ENTER DATE with a Degree in Psychology and attended the International School in Korea, previous to that. For 11 years, I lived and worked in Canada, and now wish to pursue a career in Business Administration in Korea, focusing on Marketing and HR. In order to attain the appropriate skills and knowledge required, and to achieve my career goals, I consider the MBA at Seoul National University (SNU) to be the most important first step for me to take. I believe my education, work and life experiences equip me with the capabilities to successfully achieve my MBA. In accordance with SNU Statement of Purpose requirements, I will first outline my two most important accomplishments, and follow these with my career goals, then challenge to my value system. In conclusion, I will recapitulate my strengths and reasons for this application. Most Important Accomplishments - 1: When I joined Lux Consulting, I was given the task of bringing the Arbinger Program to Korea. To accomplish this, I translated learning materials from English to Korean, trained facilitators and helped to customize the program to meet the specific needs of the Korean market. As a result, I was able to develop my knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of HR in Korea. I was soon transferred to the more fast-paced and challenging environment of HR consultancy, which was where I achieved my most important accomplishment - the successful completion of the Jinro Ballantine's Project. It transpired that on my first day in that job role, a crisis occurred. Pernod Ricard had recently acquired a high profile client, and this caused the company president to reconsider the implementation of Lux Consulting's Turning Point Program. He doubted where it was necessary to allow employees to attend, give the circumstances. Should he withdraw, our company would suffer major loss of revenue. Because of my linguistic skills and product knowledge, the marketing department and company president at Lux asked me to 2. meet Jinro Ballantine's president and convince him of the positive outcomes to be gained by continuing with the project. He was French, but English was the common language, and I was the most fluent person in the company. I accepted the challenge, despite short notice, and after studying the proposal, was able to identify the potential problems which might occur as a result of the merger. The most pressing of these I judged to be troubled labour relations between Jinro Ballantine's and the Pernod Ricard managers. In the meeting which took place, my assumption proved to be correct, with the added concern as to whether our program would deal with sensitive issues appropriately, or exacerbate already troubled relations. I explained why proceeding with the project would be a positive course of action, taking the features and converting them to benefits. These included issues around team building, personal development, strengthening of relationships and company loyalty. The Jinro Ballantine's president was so impressed that he accepted our proposal to put the program in place, requesting that I act as simultaneous translator, earning our company additional revenue. He extended the program to include additional sessions and participants, himself included. My CEO was also impressed by my performance, given I had only been in the job for one day, and so after the short space of seven months, I was promoted to assistant manager. I consider this an important achievement for many reasons which impact on my desire to study for my MBA. I learned that I had the confidence to rise to a challenge with calm efficiency, and that the knowledge I absorbed in my HR capacities enabled me to give a clear and informed presentation. I discovered that my influencing skills were such that a marketing career deserved serious consideration. For the company, I had improved the profits by 25,500,000, secured an important client and enhanced its reputation, all of which contributed to my decision to pursue further study in this area of expertise. Accomplishment - 2: This is a more personal example which taught me the value of teamwork, which I believe to be a vital component in any organizational functioning. While studying in 3. Vancouver, I joined the cheerleading team because it incorporated physical activity, interpersonal interaction, establishment of trust and the meeting of team goals. Though it was hard work, demanding much time and energy, it was fun. I worked with the team throughout summer, so as to be selected in the fall. I was successful and became the 'top', the person who is tossed in the air to the top of the pyramid of people. Despite injury, I carried on and as a result of our persistence and hard work, we won first place in the prestigious Best of the West Cheerleader Competition. Our team gave people a lot of pleasure, as we performed at many public functions. I believe the learning I gained to be important because it made me realize that I had the tenacity to keep going till I achieved my goals, that working together despite hardships, promoting trust and good relationships to reach a common goal, are things that could be easily transferred to the working world in which I seek to succeed. Future Short-term and Long-term Career Goals: If I am accepted onto the MBA program, I will put all my resources and experience to good effect, ensuring that I attain the qualification. My short-term goal is to seek a managerial position, with the corporate marketing department of a large marketing organization. Working in this capacity, I would hope to gain more in-depth knowledge of all aspects of marketing, such as drafting strategies, preparing presentations, understanding human resource implications and so forth. I would then wish to reach a senior management position which I perceive would give me further opportunities to develop my ability to work with clients, anticipating their needs and engineering satisfactory solutions for them. As for long term goals, within the next ten years, I hope to have reached the position of upper level management, having gained the experience to equip me with the necessary qualities to succeed at such a level. My long term vision is to develop a brand which has a reputation for understanding its people and clients. Because of my working background, relating to motivating, educating and developing individuals to reach their full potential, I believe this is achievable for me. My psychology background is also an enhancement to my capabilities, as it has helped me to 4. understand the needs of people at every level. The specific tasks carried out in my various roles at Lux Consulting have given me knowledge and skills not only for working in HR, but with translating, customizing products for international clients, managing projects and utilizing human resources to the best effect. My time spent in Canada has given me a deeper understanding of a Western culture, and my education at an International school provided me with further insight into other world cultures, all of which I consider to be attributes I can bring to my chosen field. A prestigious qualification like the MBA from SNU will give me the best opportunities to fulfill my goals. I chose to apply for this program because my senior officer at Lux Consulting recommended that I further my studies, given that I had displayed such good potential. My colleague, Dr. Song Jong Yong, Ph. D, Clinical Psychology, 1999, an alumnus of SNU, also advised me that this was the best course of action for me. He informed me that the wonderful resources and networks for SNU graduates and alumni would help me greatly, and that every aspect of the MBA Program and the active culture at SNU would be particularly suitable for me. I believe that it would enable me to be successful in the field of corporate marketing, help to strengthen my global business perspectives, and give me the opportunity to study alongside people from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds. If I am to build a career in Korea, I need to study all elements of business operation specific to the country, and to establish Korean networks, linked to a global environment, which I know is provided by SNU Business School. These are but a few of my reasons for applying and I look forward to joining the program in the near future. The Greatest Challenge to my Value System: Living in Vancouver, in a different culture to my own, I found that experimenting with illegal substances was more common than in Korea. My own background, in which both parents are health professionals, meant that I grew up with an emphasis on healthy living, taking good care of the body. Their view too, was that taking drugs was morally wrong and against Korean law. Taking part in any illegal activity is absolutely forbidden in their view, and the importance of a good reputation must have been deeply embedded in me, despite my 5. 11 years in Canada. I realized that my value system, which I brought with me, was more Korean than Western when I found myself trying to convince others that it was better than theirs. I soon recognized that this is not an appropriate course of action, because of our different perceptions and value systems. For instance, they considered that to make their own decisions, to choose what to do is very important, therefore taking drugs is not about morality, but freedom of choice, taking responsibility for one's own actions. So it did not appear to be wrong for them, while it was to me. When one of my friends told me "It's OK if you don't do it, but please don't tell us what to do" I realized that growing up in a different culture, a different environment, can create very different ideas of morality and value systems. Once I became aware of how my approach must seem, when I was attempting to impose my values, I understood that I had no right to do so, nor to judge people by my standards. I learned that respecting others demands tolerance, understanding and acceptance, but without compromising one's own integrity or beliefs. Conclusion: I believe my strength lies in my intuitive ability to relate to people, something I realized I possessed when studying psychology. It has assisted me to succeed in my various job roles and would be an asset in my course of study, as well as in reaching my future goals. I am also committed to the idea of learning more about all aspects of marketing, and particularly where it applies to my country. I have learned that I am a good team player, a tenacious person who will see matters through and someone who is confident and competent. Together with my work and life experience, these attributes mean that I can successfully attain the MBA and more importantly, put it to the best use in creating a future career. Read More