UNC Kenan Flagler Sample Essays
The content in the file is copyright of the author and Apphelp.
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
These pages are protected by copyright. No part of any of the web pages may be
reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written
permission from the copyright owner.
Essay 2: Describe the major obstacles or challenges you have faced in pursuit of your goals. Tell us how you addressed these challenges and how they have shaped you. (800 words maximum)
Essay 3:Tell us about any international experience you have, either living or working abroad. Tell us how it has impacted your global perspective. (400 words maximum)
Essay 1:
My career progression so far has been highly rewarding. During campus placements I was offered job by Company ABC and Company DEF. I joined Company ABC because I wanted to work on best technology and products. Initially, I added new features to Company ABC’s flagship product. In November 2005, I was invited by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) to deliver a presentation on my work on Image Processing at IEEE conference in Frankfurt. My paper was published by IEEE and my work was greatly appreciated by delegates from all over the world.
Working at Company ABC, I quickly realized that providing customers with world class solutions can definitely lead to growth and further success of the organization. During the second half of 2005 we at Gadget Group at Company ABC came across a challenge to provide the gadget manufacturers a solution that will make the devices really fast in terms of output time. This will bolster gadget sales and bring more revenue to our customers. It was inevitable that if we are able to do so, new customers like Canon will come to Company ABC for the solution.
I worked on an idea for about a month and devised a solution. With the new workflow the results were far better than what I had anticipated. The kind of business Company ABC’s Gadget group is in, with big players such as X1, X2, and X3 sharing the pie, innovation is the only way to survive the competition and grow in the market. I knew that getting this patented will give Company ABC a business edge over the competitors. I submitted the prototype to Company ABC Patent Review Board. After 6 months of rigorous investigation the board gave me a green signal and I filed the patent.
Our customers who are using this solution have witnessed sales boost and this has strengthened Company ABC’s relations with Gadget manufacturers. It has resulted in increased customer satisfaction and brought new customers to Company ABC. This was the first patent filed from the Gadget Group since its inception four years ago. The other important impact of my success is that it has started a new wave of innovation in Gadget Group. Many developers have shown their interest in research. I have started leading a number of teams as an idea mentor and we have taken new ideas to senior management. We have created some great products and in due course we will be able to provide these products to our customers.
In January 2006, because of my exceptional performance, I was selected to work on product 1, the most important Company ABC product. I started reporting to the senior management. My expertise on Macintosh was growing every day and I was made Company ABC Gadget Group’s link to Nokia. I oversee how Company ABC products are affected by Nokia technologies and vice versa. I represented Company ABC at Nokia’s World Conference held at San Francisco in August 2006. This was a crucial conference because future of certain Company ABC products was dependent on the outcome of my talks with domain experts.
Various responsibilities and projects at Company ABC have made my product engineering fundamentals very strong. While I have excelled in my work, I have also explored my capabilities as a leader and begun to understand the value of MBA in my career. I look at a senior position in a product/services company as my short term goal and as a long haul I see myself heading my own product enterprise and implementing my ideas. I envisage an enterprise which would tap unique user requirements and develop cutting edge software products for individuals and businesses on a global scale. Working in my present role I would require experience of years to steer my organization. However, an education in business administration can help me take a jump start and move towards achievement of my eventual ambition.
An MBA can make me well versed with the forces that control the smooth running of an organization. I am aware that my zest and enterprise alone are not sufficient to make my business. Most of my experience has been in product engineering and I need a better insight of strategic management, risk analysis, financial management and marketing techniques to emerge as an effective professional.My business venture “IndianCarPoint.com” gave me an excellent opportunity to understand the car buying practices, market and competition in India. But I feel that I have just scratched the surface.
Essay 2:
I still remember my graduation days. After finishing school I got admission into one of the best engineering colleges in India. Even though the fee was nominal my family wasn’t in a situation to pay for my college fees. My father ran a small business those days and the money earned was just sufficient to pay for the basic necessities of the family. But determined to make the career I started teaching at a coaching institute and worked in a local car-garage in the evening to earn money for my education. I worked hard throughout my graduation days and got merit scholarship during all four years. This alleviated some of my financial burden. Those years made me self-dependant and very much confident. I always believe that no matter how daunting the task might be, with perseverance and dedication I will be able to define a clear roadmap.
During the last year of my engineering course I wanted to get into Company ABC because it is one of the best software companies and secondly I needed to financially support my family. There was a huge competition with more than 400 students applying for the job. Although my technical fundamentals were good but I needed to work on certain areas before campus interviews. I worked on some really good projects and developed more programming skills. Eventually on the day of campus recruitment I was one of the three students picked by Company ABC out of a batch of 450 students. I was also offered internship at Company ABC and I paid my final year college fee using the money that I earned during my internship. After joining Company ABC I have developed crucial contacts and learned the art of networking. I represented Company ABC Systems at International conferences and that gave me ample exposure to other cultures and business practices of other companies. In addition to this, my product engineering fundamentals were strengthened as I got to work on word class products such as Company ABC product 1 and product 2.
In 2005, IEEE invited me to deliver a presentation on my work at IEEE CIMCA conference at Frankfurt. I could not get my trip sponsored by Company ABC because the work was done prior to joining Company ABC. Another major obstacle was that the senior management thought that the work was conflicting with some work at Company ABC and its decision to avert any presentation on that work exacerbated the situation. But I wanted to share my idea with the world. I scheduled a meeting with the Director of Gadget Technologies at Company ABC and explained him that the conference is very crucial and that the work in no way conflicts with any work at Company ABC. He understood my stand and gave me the permission to present my work. I used my savings to go to Germany and present my work. The IEEE conferences provide a good platform to present ideas and a unique opportunity for knowledge exchange. I got a chance to interact with delegates from more than 23 countries and build lifelong networks. I am always eager to get such kind of international exposure because apart from getting the professional advantage one gets to witness the culture of the geographical location. Interaction with people of different nationalities has made me a broad minded individual, flexible towards customs of other cultures, a trait indispensable in today’s global economy.
In early 2006, I realized that Indian car market and number of Internet users in India were growing at an unprecedented rate. This made me conceive the idea of a car website to provide potential car buyers with unbiased information, reviews and opinions and consultancy on cars in India. The main motivation behind this venture was to give me a space to successfully manifest my entrepreneurial side and turn my ideas into reality. But there were a number of hurdles that I needed to cross. For instance, the website should have good workflows and layouts and should provide the latest information. I signed agreements with car dealers for procuring updated car specifications information from them. For a cars website, without updated information, it is impossible to establish a solid customer base. Additionally I studied the manufacturers’ websites, customer buying practices and car market in India. I also planned to collaborate with car magazines and T.V. shows to increase the penetration of the website. After months of hard work I successfully launched the website “www.carbazaar.com”. I understood some aspects of marketing, customer buying practices, competition, advertisements and exit strategies. I gained a lot of confidence by establishing something from scratch and have developed new skills and learnt new things which complement well what I learn at Company ABC.
Essay 3 :
Although I haven’t studied or worked abroad but a strong inclination to attend conferences and my work experience at a global company like Company ABC has given me the opportunity of traveling to three distinct parts of the world. Frankfurt, Germany was the first of my destinations abroad. Here I noticed that the locals in less cosmopolitan areas were strongly disinclined to talk in English. Because of the language barrier I had a hard time visiting a suburb near Frankfurt.
Next, I went to San Francisco, California. Here, a close interaction with an Indian taxi driver revealed that the standard of living of a taxi driver in California was better than that of a middle class person in India. Quite a revelation, that. The taxi drivers own cars manufactured by Audi and BMW which are considered dream cars in India and are owned by a handful of people.
The third international destination I visited was Hong Kong. The biggest challenge for me here was getting acquainted with the food habits of some people. At a restaurant I found people sitting next to my table eating snakes. As much as I appreciate cultural differences, it did take me a while to get over this one.
Each one of these experiences has helped me become a more broad-minded individual. I have realized that customs, practices, laws and even basic human nature varies from one country to another. To become an effective individual at international level one needs to be very flexible both in personal and professional life. I have come across many global business practices and I feel that a good knowledge of businesses in different parts of the world in indispensable for anyone who wants to pursue an international career.
|
Blog
Twitter
You tube Channel
Facebook