Scholarship / I have always adopted a rigorous approach; Masters-Strategic Project Management/ PS [3]

Hi everyone, I currently applying for an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship through the Masters in Strategic Project Management programme. I was offered a fee paying slot last year but unfortunately I couldn't take up the offer because I lost out in the full scholarship slot. I fully understand the competitiveness of these limited slots which I feel I lost out on because of my not-so-convincing personal statement. I hope (with your help) this time I can fully convince them with my statement of intent. Here's my draft which is open to your esteemed critique (Max words: 1000 words):

Few fields of endeavor offer the excitement, challenge, diversity, sense of accomplishment and excellent income potential as the management of projects. With the projectification of modern society, the demand of highly skilled project managers is at an all time high as various organizations and agencies continue to focus on higher productivity and greater customer satisfaction with minimum resources. It is with motive in mind that I seek a more intimate understanding of this exciting emerging field through this unique masters programme which aligns a firm's execution of projects with its overall strategies and mission.

In the pursuit of knowledge, I have always adopted a rigorous approach in order to attain an in-depth understanding of the subject at hand. This has amply reflected in my consistent academic career, always coming in among top students in my class. I hold a First Class degree in Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. I was also the recipient of the Dean's Award, a coveted awarded known to be reserved for students with high intellectual capability and endowed with an above-reproach analytical acumen. My biggest asset academically I would say is my ability to pick up fast what my lecturers try to put across to the class, conceptualize these ideas and apply them in real life situations.

I realised how immensely important an organization's strategies were to its profitability and survivability during final year at the university. Under the Strategic Management module, I teamed up with a group of 10 to conduct a study titled "The Extent of The Use of Strategic Planning Processes and Its Impact on The Hospitality Industry: The Case of Cape Coast Metropolis". The findings of this study were fascinating. It was revealed that although organizations appreciated the relevance of business strategies, their knowledge about its use in delivering competitive advantages was basic at best. It was concluded that more efforts needed to be channeled into improving the knowledge of such links. It is worthwhile mentioning that the study helped earn me a first class grade (A) in that module.

My knowledge about the management of projects and business strategies hasn't only been restricted to the classroom. Upon graduation, I was recruited by Malaria Capacity Development Consortium (MCDC) Project originally as a Principal Research Assistant. A research project financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Welcomme Trust to help mitigate prevalent issue of malaria in Ghana. I was also sub-contracted in the same role for another research project under the Communicable Disease Research Consortium Programme (COMDIS) sponsored by the Department for International Development of the UK government. My commitment to excellence, dedication and attention to detail didn't go unnoticed as I was duly rewarded with the role as the Project Manager. My involvement in these projects not only deepened my understanding of the management of the triple constraint for projects (cost, time and scope) but also perfected my ability to work on more than one critical task at a time when the need arises which has helped honed my presentation and public speaking skills.. I have had the opportunity to work closely with experienced senior research fellows like Dr. Harry Tagbor and Dr. Gifty Antwi and I have derived a lot of inspiration from them through their unreserved mentorship.

After an extensive research and consultation, I selected this unique MSPME programme as the optimum course that will equip with the necessary skills and techniques with my ultimate career goal of being a prominent project manager and consultant in mind. I am highly optimistic that when admitted into the programme, modules such as Strategic Project Management, Competitive Strategy, Business Statistics, Finance, Project Procurement, Project Risk Analysis and Management (all which I've already explored at the undergraduate level) and others will be much interactive, engaging, imaginative, cross-disciplinary and relevant in providing me with more analytical tools and conceptual foundation towards good project design, analysis, implementation and management. Furthermore, coming from a country and a continent so rich in cultural heritage, I hope to add to the vibrant multicultural dynamics of the programme. Certification with the Project Management Institute (PMI) is next on my priority list after settling down with the knowledge that would be acquired through this programme.

"The one who climbs good tree deserves a good push". This a well known Ghanaian proverb.
I deem it a great honour to have been offered a fee paying slot in such a competitive programme last year. Unfortunately I couldn't take up the offer given my current financial status. MSPME is good 'tree' in my career path and all I ask for this time is to be given a 'good push' with an Erasmus Munudus scholarship slot this time around.

Bernard Brenyah.