MBA Admissions Essays - My Three Most Substantial Accomplishments
Although trained as an engineer, my most substantial accomplishments have been in non-engineering sectors since the management and finance divisions of my company necessitated my involvement and a change in my career goals.
From the early 1990's, after the introduction of the free economy in Poland, almost all of our companies in our family owned business began losing money, and I needed to help save it. There I was, the poor little textile engineer, answering questions asked by people from Citicorp, the agents from Soros Funds, and many other local banks. Despite my lack of business expertise at the time, our issue was overbooked, and by the following three weeks we collected the money from the first privately issued bond in Poland. I worked with a team of highly dedicated and experienced professionals with degrees from the finest institutions of the world. Through teamwork, I helped to save my company; I consider this the biggest achievement in my professional life.
My second biggest achievement was again saving the company. Our biggest textile plant, consisting of about seventy percent of our group's asset, was bought through tender from the government of Poland under its denationalizing scheme. The payment was to be made through half-yearly installments, but our company began defaulting in late 1997. By that time Peregrine collapsed, and we were on our own. I proposed the board raise money by offering some of the company's vast vacant land for joint venture. Although the proposal was believed impractical and unattainable, I nevertheless contacted a number of multinationals. Only Cemex Cement of Mexico responded, but our deal eventually fell through and the government began preparing for takeover.
As a last minute resort to save the company, I prepared an attractive offer and contacted Scancem of Finland and Holderbank of Switzerland. Holderbank responded and opted for outright purchase of the land. However, they attached a condition that we complete all the formalities needed to set up their plant in Poland before they make any agreement with us. We agreed and started working on the endless list of permits, permissions and licenses that one faces by investing in Poland. I guided the whole process and coordinated the activities of engineers, lawyers, bureaucrats, financial advisors, etc. I also was forced to deal with the highest body of religious law, the Islamic Foundation, since there was a mosque in the designated plot and the mosque had to be relocated -- a very rare and sensitive issue in Poland.
Brian, a young business executive, started a small software company in his mid twenties. He would invest long hours developing his business, often working late into the nights. When the business became profitable, Brian incorporated and went public through a stock offering. Flood gates open and money poured in the company coffers and Brian grew exceedingly wealthy.
Fr Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, a Catholic Priest, founded the Mondragon Corporation, a cooperative in the Basque region of Spain in 1956. The region suffered greatly during the Spanish Civil War (Thomson, 2010) and Fr Jose felt it his calling to help his regions people recover, allowing them to continue to support themselves. Fr Jose’s motive was to promote individuals’ moral character as well as social justice through the creation of a new kind of work place, one that encouraged hard work, cooperation, shared rewards, and individual responsibility. At the same time, he sought to generate employment and income in a region that had been impoverished by war, dictatorship and neglect (Lafuente, 2012). The initial cooperative was successful and from that much other cooperative business emerged in industries including banking, manufacturing, distribution and education. The Mondragon Corporation multiplied until it became the biggest employer in the region (Witzel, 2003). The Mondragon Corporation now consists of over 82,000 people in an integrated group of so...
In pursuit of the education and experience that will lead us to our chosen profession, it is important, if not vital, that we carefully choose a path that will take us where we want to go. As we journey down this path, we will most likely encounter obstacles or opportunities that will take us in different directions, possibly leaving us at the end of the trail in a place quite different from that which we set out for. Like us, both Edward Zigler and Howard Gardner set out on career paths that ended in much different places than those they anticipated, both for very different reasons.
Thirty years ago when my parents left behind a comfortable life in South America to pursue opportunities that would truly change their lives, they had no idea they would be foreshadowing the recent events of my life. After working for two years as an engineer, I have realized something that I had suspected all along: I do not belong in the world of business or engineering. I need to be in a profession in which I can establish unique relationships with people by having a positive impact on their lives.
Hamlet’s sanity began to deteriorate when learned that his father’s death was not an accident, but rather a foul deed committed by the newly crowned King of Denmark. “If thou didst ever thy dear father love – Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” [Act I, v l .23-25]. As a mysterious ghost appeared in the terrace, Hamlet learned of a murderer that would prove his fealty towards his father. As he contemplated the appalling news recently brought to his attention, the control Hamlet had over his actions was questioned. “O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! My tables meet it is I set it down, That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain. At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark,” [Act I, v l. 106-109]. Hamlet’s hatred toward his father’s killer caused him to relate the tribulations between murder and the aspects of Denmark as a country together. As with most of the conflicts Hamlet faced, his lack of ability to avenge his father’s death, furthered the deterioration of his life and surroundings.
Ultimately, this class helped me gauge and find a suitable career path, which will forever shape my future. Self-Exploration Over the course of this semester, I have learned a tremendous amount of information about myself from the self-exploration series. The results of my Personal Globe Inventory (PGI) presented me with a couple of different career paths to explore. The first type of career that brought to my attention was an enterprising career.
Landis, Raymond B. Studying Engineering: A Road Map to a Rewarding Career. Los Angeles, CA: Discovery, 2013. Print.
OT professionals, I realized this is a field that encourages creativity, empowers individuals, and values of
..., as well as the management experience, to one day open an engineering firm, an aspiration sparked by my parents who ran their own small businesses. I hope to learn how to tackle problems associated with building structures of unorthodox yet sustainable design so that, as a structural engineer, I could bring to reality art that can endure tumultuous storms and dynamic humans. I want to build structures that in turn build the future.
My philosophy of success, is me growing into the person I want to become and being comfortable with the choices I decide to make in life. Success is not something I can achieve overnight, it’s something I must plan for then proceed to working hard for it as well. Without hard work, there isn’t anything successful about the job I want to get done or the job I wish to get done. Doing anything without hard work and dedication, and expecting the best outcome is not success; it’s mediocrity. Being mediocre/ will only allow me or anyone else to have a ‘Victim’s Mindset.’
Greta, niece of Lukas and a recent MBA graduate, has newly joined Deutsche’s board of directors and must make a recommendation on three issues: the financial plan for 2001, the declaration of a quarterly dividend, and adoption of the proposed incentive and compensation package for Oleg. The financial plan includes a 7 million euro investment in new plant and equipment for the Ukrainian operations in 2001, followed by a 6.8 million euro investment in 2002 for a new Ukranian warehouse and distribution center. This is a significant investment, and the practicality of rooting themselves in the Ukraine in this manner needs to be fully assessed before Deutsche commits to such an expensive endeavor.
On the first day at my new job right after graduation, the Vice President asked me why I became a structural engineer. My answer was “I want to contribute to society and my local community using my strengths in numbers and analytical thinking.” This answer has never changed to this day.
...e cut-off point for generating the mailing list, contributing to a 200K monthly net lift. I also had the opportunity to implement my own solution for the gap between financial information and analytics at Enova Financial. For instance, I improved a crucial lead sourcing query that runs every day by computing a pairwise t-test of the conversion rate for different sources channels. This resulted in a 30% bad lead sources reduction, and helped the company save over 100K cost in purchasing lead sources annually.
Money and fame do not motivate my goals. Engineering in all forms is a field of innovation and invention. Aspirations of any great engineer should be to introduce to the world a new idea, product, or service that will make people happier and the environment safer. Success in these challenges is a reward greater than any dollar amount or public recognition. Engineers bring societies to new levels of civilization through their advancements in technology and discovery. The challenge to provide people with ever-increasing standards while at the same time feeding the population with ideas of what could be attracts my imagination, intelligence, and curiosity far more than any other career option. The engineering field embraces these challenges.
This change makes me involve in more other activities and eventually leads me to a successful Engineer. Education brings me a healthy body and mind throughout my life. Finally a career that embraces a program of continuous lifelong learning will ensure that I have a successful career. Because every moment of time, everywhere, under all circumstances something is being added to our previous attainments. My Career will be filled with many proud accomplishments, earning respect from colleagues, friends and a career that is fun and exciting.