Letters / 'benefit from the opportunities' - Letter of Motivation for Master Program in Development Studies! [3]

Could anyone take a look at my motivation letter bellow? I feel this is too long and maybe confusing. I'd appreciate some feedback :-)

Subject: Motivation letter for a Master program in Development Studies

Dear Sir/Madam,

With this letter I would hereby like to express my motivation for applying to XX's Master program in Development Studies. I have recently graduated in International Relations at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and I would certainly benefit from the opportunities for intellectual development provided by a sustained period of graduate study.

Being a citizen from an emerging country made me aware of inequalities and development challenges from a young age. When I decided to pursue a degree in International Relations, my ultimate goal was to obtain the necessary academic tools to attempt to deal with the issues that surrounded and affected me the most. After passing the entrance exam at the best two universities in Rio de Janeiro, I applied to a full scholarship and was accepted to study International Relations at PUC-Rio. There I graduated with specializations in Academic Research and International Cooperation for Development.

My undergraduate studies were definitely important in laying the academic foundation that I needed to better understand the correlation between the international distribution of power and world poverty. However, the academic curriculum of the International Relations major was not enough to provide me with the in-depth knowledge of development challenges that I was looking for. In order to fill this gap, I sought to combine my studies with professional experiences. To further my academic skills, I worked as a Teaching Assistant and a Research Assistant for a PhD thesis on the relationship between foreign policy and industrial policy during President Lula government, which turned out to be an amazing opportunity to learn more about development issues and public policy making. I was also an intern researcher at the BRICS Policy Center, a think tank dedicated to the study of BRICS countries. There, I was part of the Development, Commerce, Trade and Investment research group and was a focal point during the Rio+20 conference activities.

I also looked for opportunities to gain hands-on experience with policy making and project management. I worked at a multinational company in the area of Government & Public Affairs, where I was responsible for monitoring the improvement of relevant regulation. While there I got the chance to participate in a series of public consultations and public hearings, which gave me a closer look to the policymaking process in Brazil. Later on, after a thorough selection process, I received the only scholarship available to PUC-Rio students for an exchange program at the United States. There I had classes at the United Nations with diplomats, policy makers and international agencies personnel. Besides, to further my practical experience with policy making, I was an intern at Earth Child Institute, an international NGO working to empower underrepresented children in the Amazon forest.

All of those experiences were crucial in reaching an understanding that I am most passionate about public policy and international development challenges. Therefore, I decided to pursue a career that will allow me to work in policy making while making a lasting positive impact in Brazil. My plan for the future is to be involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies in government or international agencies.

After considerable research, I am sure that the XX's, with its equal strengths in theoretical, policy and practical skills, is the best fit for my interests and future career. Besides its internationally known reputation and a worldwide network of alumni, XX offers a specialized stream in Human and Social Development that is particularly interesting to me. It directly connects to my plans of working for local governments developing and implementing projects related to socioeconomic policies. Besides, the interdisciplinarity of this program will provide me with a holistic view of the subjects that is essential for a professional who has to solve complex problems.

Given my past history of commitment to the study of development challenges, I am confident that I will bring a high level of energy and enthusiasm to your program. I am sure to exceed your expectations, because of my academic skills as well as the experience gained from my internships. Furthermore, my international background and interdisciplinary education will add more diversity to your program. I understand that you will attract the best candidates in the field and I am confident that I would flourish in that environment.

Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to your acceptance.

Scholarship / ESSAY - The universities I selected are intrinsically connected to my past experiences [4]

Hi,
I'm a non-native English speaker and I'm always in doubt if what I'm writting is correct and making sense. I would appreciate your inputs on the essay bellow.

I'm also in doubt if I need to be more specific and if I need a concluding paragraph. So far it is 455 words, which means I can still add some information if necessary.

Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future.

*Please do not duplicate the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form (minimum word count: 50 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

The three university courses that I selected are intrinsically connected to my past experiences and to what I view as my future upon returning to Brazil. I have a BA in International Relations and a professional background in government relations, lobbying and comparative development. All of those experiences were important for me to understand that the questions I found most motivating were the ones related to public policy and international development challenges.

Therefore, I have decided to pursue a career that allows me to work with policy making whereas making a positive impact in Brazil. My plan for the future is to work with the development, implementation and evaluation of policies in government, companies or NGOs. I have chosen interdisciplinary graduate degrees that combine practical experience with academic research in policy making.

I have chosen the University of Cambridge as my first option due to its internationally known reputation and equal strengths in economics and public policy. The MPhil in Public Policy is an interdisciplinary course that offers both academic and practical training and aims to prepare students to have leading roles in government, companies or NGOs. There is also a strong policy community in Cambridge, which includes the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) and the Strategic Research Initiative on Public Policy (SRI). The first is designed to bring together scholars and policy makers, while the latter is about connecting a range of subject areas in research for public policy. In fact, one of SRI's research themes is Welfare and Inequality, which is one of Brazil's biggest public policy challenges.

I have also selected two courses at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) due to its internationally diverse community and track record of world leading interdisciplinary research. QMUL is in a privileged geographic position, close to the heart of UK politics and benefiting from networking opportunities that only a world city like London can provide. The MSc in International Business and Politics resonates directly to my work in Public & Government Affairs and my background in International Relations. It draws on the strengths of the School of Politics and International Relations and the School of Business Studies to offer a unique interdisciplinary program.

QMUL MSc in Public Policy is structured around theoretical and practical insights into policy formation and implementation. It has a strong international and comparative element that will be useful in researching alternative solutions to Brazil's policymaking issues. Indeed, the course has a strong interest in the comparative analysis of policy for the developing world. It offers theoretical tools and empirical evidence for the student to use the content around his own research agenda. This flexibility is particularly great for me since I intend to study Brazil's specificities in policy making challenges.

Scholarship / [Chevening Essays] Building networks was essential for me to get my first internship [9]

This is the second essay I've written to apply for a Chevening scholarship. I found this harder to write than the Leadership & Influence one. I tried my best not to repeat experiences that fall under bother 'influence' and 'network' categories. This is 441 words, which means I still have some room left to expand if necessary.

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your networking skills, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future. (minimum word count: 50 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

Throughout my academic and professional career I have experienced the importance of having the right connections. Building networks was essential for me to get my first internship, to succeed in my job after graduating and to have reference letters for a Chevening scholarship. I will briefly explain how networking skills helped me going from a student in an underrepresented municipality in Rio de Janeiro's periphery to an International Relations graduate with colleagues in the five continents of the world.

Being a talkative and hardworking student led me to develop close ties with teachers from many classes I took. Based on their reference letters I received a full tuition scholarship at the best private university on International Relations in Brazil and funding for an exchange program at the United States. Those good relationships also helped me finding my first professional opportunity. I was indicated to a position of research assistant for a PhD thesis in International Relations, which turned out to be an amazing opportunity to learn more about development issues and public policy making.

During my exchange, it was also through a connection that I got an internship at Earth Child Institute (ECI), a NGO that works tirelessly to empower children in the Amazon forest. During this exchange I became friends with people from all over the world and learned on a daily basis how to overcome cultural barriers. This experience certainly improved my networking skills and ability to connect to different people. After four months I had easily met over 500 people from more than 40 countries.

Networking skills also proved to be an important asset in my job as Government & Public Affairs Analyst. I was responsible for leveraging influence in support of the company's projects and fostering close relationships with government, regulatory agency and industry associations. The job had a cross-functional nature that required me to coordinate with people from different areas. This was important to expand my network by adding contacts in law, communications, sustainability, project management and finance, among others.

My plans upon returning to Brazil include fostering a network of young professionals interested in public policy and politics. This is a priority area in the country and we need motivated and qualified professionals to make a positive impact. I believe I have already started to build my network to do so. However, this is only the beginning. I want to be a Chevening scholar so that I can get to know young leaders from around the world and learn from their experiences. Finding people that are motivated by the same issues that you are is the first step towards creating a movement capable of change.

Scholarship / Leadership & Influence Essay - Little help here for a non-native English speaker! [8]

Hi everyone. I'm not a native English speaker, so I'd appreciate your help in proofreading and correcting grammar and style mistakes in my essay bellow.

This is part of my application to a Chevening scholarship.

1. Chevening is looking for individuals that will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.(minimum word count: 50 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

Eisenhower once said that "leadership is the art to get someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it". I believe this is a simplistic and old-fashioned view of the subject. Leadership is not directing a group of people that will blindly follow you. It is rather about inspiring people to reach their full potential and support them in moments of need. I believe that being a leader is about your ability to understand the specific needs of the team and act upon it. Therefore, I will describe situations when I saw that I could step up and help the group achieve a goal, rather than list occasions when I was formally in charge.

When I was in high school I participated in a Model United Nations, which is a conference where students represent delegations from various nation-states as it occurs in the real UN. This experience certainly influenced me to pursue a degree in International Relations. Upon getting into college, I joined an independent group that organizes Model UN for high school students. In a country where politics is deemed uninteresting, it was a long shot to try to instigate teenagers in discussions of world big themes.

My role was to mediate the discussions and help them finding a solution to the problems that the UN was facing in Somalia. Obviously, neither of us had a simple task. It required an intense effort to encourage students to lean in and speak their minds. Albeit a short time, I saw many get excited over discussions on how to tackle world poverty, inequality and sustained development. I am honored to have been able to support and mentor them. But I am sure that they have helped me even more by giving me a chance to develop some of my most distinctive traits as a leader. I learnt how to encourage a cooperative approach, to inspire and to motivate.

Those qualities were an asset in my internships when I had to deal with real life problems. Being an intern means being in a position of constant learning with few opportunities of leading. I tried to always take the most out of this position by looking up to the leaders in the company. I earned their confidence with a hardworking attitude and soon was trusted to lead small projects. My leadership potential was acknowledged and it became more and more often for me to be chosen by managers of different levels as leader of the team. These experiences were important for me to learn how to lead in a hierarchized environment where I wasn't at the top without disrespecting my peers.

In the end, leadership to me is about empowerment and collaborative work rather than Eisenhower's delegation of tasks. I have a long road ahead of me in order to become anything like the leaders I admire. Yet, I am committed to growing and always being a better leader than I was on the day before.