A personal essay is intended to give you the opportunity to submit a narrative describing your past education, experience, and current professional career objectives. Specifically, you should focus on (1) why you want a career in speech-language pathology, (2) what academic and personal qualities you would bring to a graduate program, citing evidence if it exists, and (3) noteworthy activities and accomplishments.
"How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Weren't you paying attention?"
"Why didn't you ask for clarity?"
"I didn't exactly say it, but I gave him that look."
These are statements I heard on a regular basis in the beginning of my 20 years in corporate America. As a human resources professional who was trained to view employee relations objectively, I recognized that these phrases were usually not prompted by incompetence or insubordination; instead, they indicated miscommunication that I was tasked to resolved. Gradually during my career, I discovered that these statements often signaled more significant issues. These issues reflected a great change in the workforce that would fuel my desire to transition from a career as human resources manager to a career as a speech - language pathologist.
As a human resources manager, I regularly trained company employees on ways to communicate more effectively. Using information I had acquired from books such as Power Phrases, Lifescripts, and How to Win Friends and Influence People, I facilitated interactive training sessions that provided solutions to common communication issues such as turning down requests or giving feedback. Usually after each training session, an employee would privately ask about more specific dilemmas such as, "How do I tell my co-worker to turn his music down?" I received a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that my training seminars helped improve the climate of the workplace. Eager to reach a wider audience, I became an independent training consultant. For six years, I traveled around the country facilitating seminars on over 20 business and communication related topics such as Communication for Women, Conflict Management Skills, and Dealing with Difficult Employees.
While I was traveling, I discovered that my seminar participants' concerns were changing and the private questions at the end of the seminar were becoming increasingly more sensitive in nature. For example, I was being asked:
"How do I tell my co-workers that my blank stare is due to my Parkinson's disease?"
"I have a co-worker who is hearing impaired. How do I tell him he is talking too loudly?"
"What is the correct way to give instructions to my team member with autism?"
These questions regarding communication disorders were surprisingly common and yet, because of personal and legal concerns, they had sometimes been left unanswered for years. This lack of resolution resulted in corporate environments filled with uncomfortable avoidance, isolation, and resentment. These situations made me realize that true communication required an awareness of physical, emotional, and neurological differences.
In order to provide solutions for these companies, I sought more formal training in the area of communication disorders. I enrolled in undergraduate classes at ... University with the intention of obtaining the tools to make receptive and expressive communication effective for everyone. It was in these classes that I became aware of other astonishing changes that will occur in the workplace. According to the nonprofit organization, Autism Speaks, by 2022, more than 500,000 young people with autism will turn 18 and many will be looking for employment. Not only will this population need comprehensive vocational training but their employers and co-workers will need to learn the most effective ways of communicating with them. There will be similar needs for the growing number of young stroke survivors and people with other neurological conditions, such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.
I am eager to help corporate America deal with this neurodiversity by expanding my knowledge with graduate studies at .... University. The university is located within a medical center with access to excellent researchers such as Dr. .... Dr. ...'s research on the use of altered auditory feedback for patients with Parkinson's disease and the great possibilities for other people with speech disorders was fascinating and inspirational.
I am excited about combining a master of science degree in speech-language pathology with my training and development background. This would allow me to assist adults who have communication disorders that significantly interfere with their day to day functions and at the same time educate corporations on the needs of that population. I hope that you will give me the opportunity of receiving a higher education at ... so that I may achieve this ambition.
"How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Weren't you paying attention?"
"Why didn't you ask for clarity?"
"I didn't exactly say it, but I gave him that look."
These are statements I heard on a regular basis in the beginning of my 20 years in corporate America. As a human resources professional who was trained to view employee relations objectively, I recognized that these phrases were usually not prompted by incompetence or insubordination; instead, they indicated miscommunication that I was tasked to resolved. Gradually during my career, I discovered that these statements often signaled more significant issues. These issues reflected a great change in the workforce that would fuel my desire to transition from a career as human resources manager to a career as a speech - language pathologist.
As a human resources manager, I regularly trained company employees on ways to communicate more effectively. Using information I had acquired from books such as Power Phrases, Lifescripts, and How to Win Friends and Influence People, I facilitated interactive training sessions that provided solutions to common communication issues such as turning down requests or giving feedback. Usually after each training session, an employee would privately ask about more specific dilemmas such as, "How do I tell my co-worker to turn his music down?" I received a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that my training seminars helped improve the climate of the workplace. Eager to reach a wider audience, I became an independent training consultant. For six years, I traveled around the country facilitating seminars on over 20 business and communication related topics such as Communication for Women, Conflict Management Skills, and Dealing with Difficult Employees.
While I was traveling, I discovered that my seminar participants' concerns were changing and the private questions at the end of the seminar were becoming increasingly more sensitive in nature. For example, I was being asked:
"How do I tell my co-workers that my blank stare is due to my Parkinson's disease?"
"I have a co-worker who is hearing impaired. How do I tell him he is talking too loudly?"
"What is the correct way to give instructions to my team member with autism?"
These questions regarding communication disorders were surprisingly common and yet, because of personal and legal concerns, they had sometimes been left unanswered for years. This lack of resolution resulted in corporate environments filled with uncomfortable avoidance, isolation, and resentment. These situations made me realize that true communication required an awareness of physical, emotional, and neurological differences.
In order to provide solutions for these companies, I sought more formal training in the area of communication disorders. I enrolled in undergraduate classes at ... University with the intention of obtaining the tools to make receptive and expressive communication effective for everyone. It was in these classes that I became aware of other astonishing changes that will occur in the workplace. According to the nonprofit organization, Autism Speaks, by 2022, more than 500,000 young people with autism will turn 18 and many will be looking for employment. Not only will this population need comprehensive vocational training but their employers and co-workers will need to learn the most effective ways of communicating with them. There will be similar needs for the growing number of young stroke survivors and people with other neurological conditions, such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.
I am eager to help corporate America deal with this neurodiversity by expanding my knowledge with graduate studies at .... University. The university is located within a medical center with access to excellent researchers such as Dr. .... Dr. ...'s research on the use of altered auditory feedback for patients with Parkinson's disease and the great possibilities for other people with speech disorders was fascinating and inspirational.
I am excited about combining a master of science degree in speech-language pathology with my training and development background. This would allow me to assist adults who have communication disorders that significantly interfere with their day to day functions and at the same time educate corporations on the needs of that population. I hope that you will give me the opportunity of receiving a higher education at ... so that I may achieve this ambition.
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