I am applying for the Masters of Science in computer science (research-oriented course). Below is the SOP that I have drafted. Since I am from Electrical background and now switching to Computer science, I am finding it a little hard in expressing that change to the university convincingly. I have attempted to highlight my work experience instead. So I need your help in fixing these discrepancies any feedback is welcomed
----Personal Statement----
Thanks to my fascination for Science and Technology and a keen interest in Computer Science and Networks, I wish to pursue the Master of Computer Science with a Specialization in Networking & Distributed Systems at your prestigious university. While I was working at XX, I saw that employees with just a four-year college education had only a glimpse of their fields whereas those with advanced degrees had an encyclopedic understanding, which empowered them to think deeper about the network complexity and propose novel solutions. The creative satisfaction they enjoyed and the holistic perspective they possessed inspired me and strengthened my resolve to go for higher education. I feel the need to develop a deeper understanding of the networks and have complete authority of concepts that I am dealing with and in my area of interest. This thought process provoked me to pursue a research-oriented master's course. On careful investigation, I have found that XXX features a highly developed educational system that focuses on practical and hands-on knowledge and caters to the requirements of the industry.
My teacher was my father, a computer programmer. Coming from a computer background, words such as C, C++, and www were household discussions. My father explained every single invention to me. It always amazed me how the computers were built and how fast the technology was advancing. By the time I was to complete schooling, I had learned many concepts. Right from school, I had a penchant for mathematics and science. However, In high school, Electrical circuits and electronics astounded me. These basic interests lead me to take up Electrical engineering as my major in under graduation.
I was good at computer science courses and labs in my first year and involved myself in workshops which are focused on integrating computer science in electronics. I have used every opportunity to prepare myself for attaining my ultimate aim. Wherever possible, I have tried to adopt a research-oriented approach towards my subjects at the Bachelor's level. I did many projects in that workshop using Embedded C and the C programming concepts into building automatic machines. Little did I know that working in those workshops would change the entire course of my career. These projects earned many commendations from the professors and that was the cardinal component that gave me the confidence necessary to strive towards learning computer science more seriously. I started learning computer science from the very basic more rigorously. I took off-campus classes on C++, object-oriented programming, Java, operating systems. Fortunately, I got a chance to implement what I had learned in one of the innovative projects that my professor was working on in collaboration with the University of XX called the Microgrid. Using oops concepts, shell scripting, and beagle bone board we could control the electrical loads from different sources like solar, wind, and water.
The first time when I got to know about networks in general was when I was interning at XXX the power utility which satisfies our day-to-day power needs in the state. I sensed the probable similarity between electric networks and computer networks. To satisfy my curiosity, I enrolled myself in the "Hardware and Networking" course. With their help, I could work on various switched networks, FTP, DNS, DHCP, NFS and Telnet configurations, shell programming, firewall services. The ample amount of hands-on experience evoked a propensity towards networking. Since then, there has been no looking back.
With all the knowledge and previous experiences, I applied to XX and cracked the interview process during the campus drive at college. As a software developer in telecom domain, my primary responsibilities were root cause analysis, scripting, fault management, network node management, and report preparation. Since it was an job training process, I would be lying if I say it was easy for me to adapt to the professional environment. I could overcome that difficulty only by learning. I started reading papers on networking and soon started delving more into routing protocols. My understanding of routing protocols and the importance of connectionless and connection oriented communication broadened with the course on "Data Communications" and "Network Protocols". Initially, I was working for Vodafone India and New Zealand projects, wherein we were to write automation code for network node management (NNM), we worked on processing and parsing SNMP MIBs (Simple network management protocol, Management Information Base). I also did fault management of the telecom networks, using java and NNM framework I used to do RCAs (Root cause analysis) of the faults. Working on this project helped me increase my skill in dealing with the network elements, introduced me to the need for security in the communications system, and gave me exposure to visualize the real-time transmission of data. It was an enriching experience since it helped me to hone my theoretical knowledge with practical experience.
Looking at my determination and eagerness to learn, my manager at the time recognized and recommended me to my next project, NFVD Verizon (Network Function Virtualization) for the service provider Verizon. This project introduced me to the concepts of software-defined networking and virtualization. We build virtual network functions by analyzing the requirements, deciding on what data center to use, what networks and network functions are needed for the application, we build and deliver those virtual network functions. I get to learn the complete software development life cycle. I work on vSPC (Virtual Subscriber Profile Controller) application which handles network functions for giving free Wi-Fi services inside stadiums. We use Container network functions (CNF) to dynamically scale VMs/servers based on the load. This project has given me experience in OpenStack, Docker, kubernetes, AWS, cryptography, and I got to work on many cloud computing platforms as well. I handled the whole SPC module by myself, impressed by my perseverance and hard work, my manager promoted me to a senior software developer position. The hours of hard work that I have spent excelling in both at work and my education not only made me realize the significance of attaining knowledge but also made me push my threshold to look beyond and extend my boundaries, the time I have spent has only given me a brief glance of the vastness of knowledge, what I have seen has only increased my curiosity and eagerness to explore more.
Apart from my academic and technical studies, I actively volunteered for an NGO "XX" since my undergrad days. It is a non-profitable organization that educates the orphans, disabled, and underprivileged. We teach them computers, English, and mathematics to increase awareness among young children, especially girl children. After working at HPE and actually observing the diversity at the working place, I especially think we should make girl children more aware of the areas and exciting opportunities in the IT industry. Even to this day, I feel fewer women are earning STEM degrees relatively and the diversity in the technology industry is disproportionate. This could be because of the lack of awareness or could be because of the misconception towards the field. I definitely want to work towards that and would want more women representing tech.
Industry work experience has helped me find clarity and direction. Having worked at a personal level, student level, and corporate level, I have adapted and understood the intricacies of different working environments. The diverse areas of research undertaken at the XX University interest me and I feel that my ground-level experience with networking, combined with my desire to push the boundaries to what I know, will be a valuable asset to the Department of XX research. Of particular interest to me is the work of XXX in the field of XXX, which would be a focal point in my research on network model security and it would help me identify anomalies in network parameters and overall system health from real-time data. This would also allow me to analyze how these models interact with one another, to help me achieve my dream of building smart, adaptive, and secure communication networking systems for the ever-growing demands of society. To be able to work in such a diverse and culturally vibrant environment would be an honor and a terrific opportunity for me.
My desire to pursue further studies in the USA is because of its dynamic atmosphere, which will provide me with an opportunity to improve my skills and education, along with a growth of individuality. The flexibility of the curriculum interests me the most and will provide me with the high level of education I need to widen my knowledge and skills. The diversity of the student body will open my mind to new influences, new ideas, and new ways of doing things. International education will present me with a rare opportunity for a solid foundation for a future career in this field, along with personal growth. The department website of computer science revealed a very strong and distinguished bearing of faculty involved in research in computer networks along with the excellent facilities which have boosted my resolve to study at XX University. I look forward to being an active contributing member of the student community at your university.