This masters' course is to make a successful career in Data Analytics - SOP

Applying for Masters in Data Analytics

As a 90s kid growing up in India, I have seen before my very eyes how technology has the power to transform and uplift the common man's life and even today, I find myself intrigued by the way it always holds abundant scope for innovation. On a typical day, when Amazon knows what I want to buy next and Spotify recommends my next favourite sound track, I am amazed by how these firms constantly use vast amounts of data to innovate and improve customer experience. This leads me to think how data is today being used in all spheres of life from healthcare to social media activity and weather broadcasting to finance. Data is multiplying at a breath-taking pace with every passing day and with it the need to analyse this data to draw meaningful conclusions is also increasing rapidly. I envision myself contributing to this next wave of innovation and believe a post graduation in Data Analytics and Big Data would make a strong foundation for this journey.

My motivation comes from the stories that my father, a bank employee, has always shared with me about the transformation he has seen in the banking system in India, from transactions being recorded by hand on thick ledgers to modern sophisticated data bases. My motives were bolstered when I have seen him working tirelessly towards the nationwide program of linking every detail of a person to his/her Aadhar number, a unique personal identification number in India, which helps the government to improve various welfare schemes, such as direct transfer of subsidies to the poor and needy, by cutting out the middlemen, therefore ensuring the subsidies reach the intended beneficiaries. This involves processing and storing massive data for analysing and extracting meaningful information related to every individual. This program strengthened my wish to pursue a career Data Analytics with a just cause.

My initial interest in coding drove me towards a Bachelors' Degree in Information Technology, which helped me to understand the complexities that are involved in computer sciences, thereby strengthening my analytical and technical skills. This led me to choose my projects across different disciplines that helped me to get a broader perspective of my core subjects and also honed my problem-solving skills. I have successfully worked on two projects - 'Android File Manager and Compressor' and 'AMES Cloud' where I worked on transforming my own idea into a real time application. These projects gave me insights to Java, SQLite, Databases and Cloud Computing. Apart from these projects undertaken in college, I had an opportunity to work as an Intern at Computer Maintenance Corporation (CMC) for the project "Store and Forward using HTML", where I worked on developing web applications which can store data locally within the user's browser and this project enhanced my knowledge in web designing. I also opted for courses like 'Data Warehousing and Data Mining', where I learnt techniques in data feasibility, efficiency and scalability for the discovery of hidden patterns in large databases. This piqued my interest in the field of Data Analytics for the first time. Later, I pursued this interest by taking up online courses in Big Data, R Language and Python.

The analytical thought process that was cultivated over four years of graduation helped me not only with my academics, but also in my professional career in risk management. After my graduation, I worked for XXX as a Risk Investigator in the XXX department. As a Risk Analyst, I had an opportunity to look into vast data sets, playing an instrumental role in investigating millions of orders from our customers and identify any fraudulent activities. This helped me in acquiring strong knowledge of risk models. I managed to successfully exceed the weekly productivity and quality standards, because of which I was also awarded the 'Investigator of the Week' four times for exceeding the targets and for detecting minute details of fraudulent activities during the peak buying season. I was also rewarded with an opportunity to be the 'Chief Point of Contact' for the implementation of a new fraud detection platform. In this role, I worked with different teams to drive the project forward which helped me build my leadership skills. My work experience uplifted my penchant towards Data Analytics and strengthened my desire to enhance my skills and gain a deeper understanding of this field. Therefore, I believe a Postgraduate degree would help me in building a strong foundation upon which I can pave a successful career in Data Sciences.

Having said all this, I also would like to mention that I did not just confine myself to studies. Being an art enthusiast, I have been training myself in Carnatic Music for the past 12 years and have completed a certificate course from 'XXX University', and am pursuing a Diploma course in Carnatic music. I also was trained in the Indian classical dance form 'Kuchipudi' for 5 years and have actively taken part in various programs conducted in and outside our college and have won numerous awards. With a keen enthusiasm in environmental activities, I have actively participated in programs conducted by the Institute of Engineers and National Green Corps (NGC).

My primary objectives are to enhance my technical skills and push my boundaries to realize my intensions in the field of research. I believe that Data is the new fuel for future and I would like to make my contribution to this revolution by working as a successful Data Analyst. XXX would enable me in acquiring technical skills and providing myself with the right knowledge to pursue my goal. I have read your program description on the website and strongly believe that with the guidance of your remarkable faculty and the practical orientation of your in-depth coursework, I would gain more exposure to the subject domains. I would make an excellent contribution to XXX's campus with the cultural diversity and the ability to adapt that I bring along with me. I am prepared to start my journey with this masters' course to make a successful career in Data Analytics and I strongly believe that XXX would be a milestone in my professional career.

Gayathri, paragraphs 2 and 5 are irrelevant to the essay. The history of data as indicated by your father is too ancient to have a connection with the modern banking big data systems. This will weaken you application. Since this is a statement of purpose, presenting your accomplishments in an extracurricular activity is not required. That is information presented in your statement of purpose. Replace the statement about your father's influence with a reference to the foundation of your interest in coding instead. That will make your succeeding discussion leading up to your completion of your college major more relevant to the purpose of this essay. It will hopefully, indicate the start of your interest or training in Data Analytics. By the way, if you plan to become an innovator or contributor in this field, you need to represent a more solid idea of how you plan to do that. The "plan" is what will comprise your motivation to pursue higher academic study in the field.