Hi guys, its been a while since I posted here. I wanted to reach out and take your input on my statement of interest for a graduate program in analytics. Thanks in advance for your feedback...all your help is well appreciated :)
A brief statement of how the XYZ program fits into your near-term and long-term professional career goals?
Looking back as far I can recall I was numerically inclined with a strong aptitude for analytical thinking. I carried this with me throughout my education, having graduated with a combined bachelors in mathematics and economics followed by a masters in economics I gained a strong base in statistics, a subject I thoroughly enjoy. However, it wasn't until I participated in an online technology entrepreneurship course at ABC University that I realized my desire to combine my love for data-driven decision making with my new found passion for entrepreneurship. The course introduced me to an amazing group of likeminded individuals across three continents and together we worked on identifying specific industry needs as part of an analytics based consulting start-up.
Working in various roles within the government and non-for-profit sectors exposed me to a variety of circumstances where advice to public officials, senior management and board members on policy measures is critical to stakeholder's wellbeing. These experiences helped me ask the right questions, questions like how will negotiating new grain handling terms with industry impact farmer's bottom line? or what federal payments the province expects under an array of economic uncertainties? I often resorted to a creative data-driven approach to deduce an outcome(s) to the question at hand. Having a strong foundation in statistical analysis helped me tremendously in fulfilling my desire to think outside the box. Consequently, I found myself being a member of the team or the person at hand decision makers resorted to when developing strategy.
With the ever growing volume of structured and unstructured data available nowadays, I quickly realized my limitations in capturing insight using software applications and technology. I believe the XYZ's program core courses will help add the necessary tools to my toolbox, especially in areas data mining, data visualization and web analytics and build on my SAS knowledge. The XYZ's proven track record of post-graduation employment will provide me with the opportunity to apply my newly gained skill set as business analytics consultant in sectors of interest such as agribusiness and energy. More importantly, the XYZ's cohort-based learning experience combined with the programs focus on team performance will provide an avenue to share my experiences with fellow team members and expand on my professional network. I am confident the program will help me realize my long-term goal of growing my consulting business in the identified markets by leveraging my professional educational background along with the programs' industry connections.
I like your SOP because it is not as bulky as many other SOPs I read. However, I wish if you added another line to say how your interest in this field was developed in the first paragraph. I mean it should sound like a passionate hook that the reader would get the idea that you are truly passionate about your field. Also, it is good if you clearly express what your future goals are and how will this program help you achieve them. Other than that, I like the way you have written this Statement of Purpose.
I think you can add a bit more to make clear about your interests, your background says that but you can summarize. Also you can talk a bit about what do you want to do after joining masters..
The SOP is well concise but it would be great if you add What will you do after the course? What do you want to do in the long term? , forecasting to your goals
Short and sweet. I wish I could write such short SOP. Mine is 1300+ words :-)
> non-for-profit
I think it would be "not-for.."
> These experiences helped me ask the right questions, questions like how will negotiating new grain handling terms with industry impact farmer's bottom line? or what federal payments the province expects under an array of economic uncertainties?
The questions here, are making your sentences as questions. I am not sure but you could consider putting them in quotes e.g. (..questions like "how will negotiating new grain handling terms with industry impact farmer's bottom line?", or ...). Or something else.
> deduce an outcome(s) to the question
You could omit the "an" if you are not sure whether it's singular or plural. At least the meaning is not change here and sentence formation also remains intact.
> Consequently, I found myself being a member of the team or the person at hand decision makers resorted to when developing strategy.
Where?
They say a "thank you" in the end is good practice :-)
Rest your SOP is nice, somehow it looks very fast to me but maybe because my own is too long.
