Undergraduate /
Marines mean Business - it provides wealth of unique experiences and leadership opportunities [19]
Prompt: In an essay of 300 words or less, write about how your personal or academic interests relate to your intellectual or professional goals.***my essay is 400 words as is, any ideas on how to shorten it? Also, does it fit the prompt? Any ideas on improvement? Please provide some constructive criticism, brutally critical please (I'm not a glutton for pain, just want to perfect this essay)***
Nearly 10 years ago, in the Spring of 1999, I left everything I knew to join the ranks of The Few and The Proud. For five rewarding years, the Marines instilled in me values like leadership, sacrifice, perseverance, integrity, commitment and loyalty. At the time, it never dawned on me how these intangibles complement business success.
After an honorable discharge, I came home and was informed by my parents of there desire to start up a new business. I ambitiously took the reigns and made it my personal responsibility to grow it from ground up into the thriving business it is today. After closing on an ideal location for our dry cleaners at the base of a condominium, I designed grand opening fliers with coupons and had a friends printing company make me 4000 copies which I distributed weeks prior to opening. Research revealed to me what competitors were charging for similar services, allowing me to price strategically.
Business being slow for the 1st month was expected, but when we were struggling to break even for the 2nd month, I knew we needed to get aggressive. I remembered a conversation I had with a customer earlier that year. Her issue was this: She worked 9-5. UPS deliveries come between those hours. Packages sent to her couldn't be left in the condo's lobby area for obvious reasons! I came to the realization that there must be many people with the same dilemma. I contacted the management office and proposed an offer to them. I would have a secure storage area built within my business and would sign for, inventory and notify recipients, all for a reasonable service fee of course. More important than the funds received from the condo association, was the exposure from handling packaging for 600 units. Ever since, business is thriving. I've hired employees and pride myself in being a great manager. I focus on leading and motivating people, priceless lessons I learned in the Corps. This contagious attitude keeps a premium on the people who do the work instead of fixating on the bottom line
My involvements in life thus far, from serving five years in the Marines, to successfully starting a new business, have provided me with a wealth of unique experiences and leadership opportunities. Provided the honor, I will passionately engage in my next challenge, to be top business student at Illinois.