Dear all,
First of all, thank you for your time. I look forward to your advice.
Since childhood, I grew up in a family that never lost contact with nature and the land. In our childhood, we had the privilege of walking barefoot on the ground. Sometimes our feet were covered with mud. Our parents taught us the importance of nature at an early age. My parents were not highly educated, but they were conscious enough to teach us that you have to exist as much as you exist. The first awareness started in the family. This consciousness that started in the family naturally evolved over time.
Now I continue my life as a woman who knows the cyclical interdependence of nature, people and businesses to sustain their existence.
Being a woman today, especially a strong woman, requires determination and courage in the male-dominated society I grew up in. Thus, it is not easy to be accepted as a woman in the male-dominated circles of the business world and to build a career. It is very difficult to enter the male business circles that germinate and take root through friendships, and even if you do, it is very difficult to change the subconscious mind that has been ossified over the years, to break prejudices, to be appreciated, and to rise to senior positions. Even if you gain experience over the years and try to improve yourself a little bit every day, unfortunately, the obstacles a woman will face grow the higher she rises. Unfortunately, even if you are not perceived as a threat when you are working in lower positions, when the work gets serious and the competition begins to heat up and the woman begins to break the norms of the business world one by one with her own determination and courage and moves up, that is when a different dynamic comes into play. Men with similar backgrounds are considered more knowledgeable, skilled, and intelligent than women, and this is reflected in senior executive appointments. Unfortunately, in patriarchal societies such as Turkey, the problems of gender equality are becoming more pronounced every day as the place of women in the business world increases.
After graduating from Uludag University with a bachelor's degree in International Business and Trade, I attended trainings and seminars to improve myself by identifying my shortcomings in the business world. Line Textile, where I worked as a logistics specialist in June 2021, is originally a clothing company, but it operates with used clothing. Although reuse is a step in the circular economy, Line Textile works on reuse. Six months after I started working as a logistics specialist, I decided to join the Business Management for Professionals program at Mersin University. The biggest problem I faced in the first few months of my employment was being accepted by my teammates, with whom we had to manage the operational processes together. As a result of the discussions I had during my master's program, I was always advised to find my way and act accordingly. The first thing I had to do was prove that I was good at my job and that it had nothing to do with being a man or a woman. My first step was to become an effective listener. By valuing their opinions and making decisions based on their experiences, we eliminated gender discrimination and today we are a team of fifty people instead of a team of five when I accepted the Supply Chain Specialist position offered to me in June 2024. Although I tried to improve my own knowledge through training, there was always a part of me that was missing while fulfilling the responsibilities of the job. Today, I have a new dream. A dream that requires more determination and courage than ever before.
Therefore, the main reason why I decided to apply for the Master of Business Administration - Supply Chain Management program at the University of Cologne is that I want future generations to experience the childhood I had and not the difficulties I had in the business world. Another reason is to expand my knowledge and interests in the field of international business. Given the scope of the program, it produces graduates with expertise in critical areas that address real-world challenges and integrate both theoretical learning and practical applications, covering a wide range of topics such as logistics, procurement, operations management, and supply chain strategy. In today's global economy, supply chains are being reshaped by technological developments. The program emphasizes digitalization in supply chain management, while paying attention to sustainability. I know that the program will be an important step in developing specific expertise and skills in international management and sustainability, in understanding the complex variables that occur in an evolving and changing global economy, and in creating sustainable value for both business and society. It is an undeniable fact that companies that lead and inspire with sustainability practices have a positive impact. In terms of my career goals, I would like to pursue a career in multinational corporations or consulting firms where I can contribute to strategic decision making and support sustainable growth by leveraging the knowledge and skills acquired during the Supply Chain Management program.
First of all, thank you for your time. I look forward to your advice.
Since childhood, I grew up in a family that never lost contact with nature and the land. In our childhood, we had the privilege of walking barefoot on the ground. Sometimes our feet were covered with mud. Our parents taught us the importance of nature at an early age. My parents were not highly educated, but they were conscious enough to teach us that you have to exist as much as you exist. The first awareness started in the family. This consciousness that started in the family naturally evolved over time.
Now I continue my life as a woman who knows the cyclical interdependence of nature, people and businesses to sustain their existence.
Being a woman today, especially a strong woman, requires determination and courage in the male-dominated society I grew up in. Thus, it is not easy to be accepted as a woman in the male-dominated circles of the business world and to build a career. It is very difficult to enter the male business circles that germinate and take root through friendships, and even if you do, it is very difficult to change the subconscious mind that has been ossified over the years, to break prejudices, to be appreciated, and to rise to senior positions. Even if you gain experience over the years and try to improve yourself a little bit every day, unfortunately, the obstacles a woman will face grow the higher she rises. Unfortunately, even if you are not perceived as a threat when you are working in lower positions, when the work gets serious and the competition begins to heat up and the woman begins to break the norms of the business world one by one with her own determination and courage and moves up, that is when a different dynamic comes into play. Men with similar backgrounds are considered more knowledgeable, skilled, and intelligent than women, and this is reflected in senior executive appointments. Unfortunately, in patriarchal societies such as Turkey, the problems of gender equality are becoming more pronounced every day as the place of women in the business world increases.
After graduating from Uludag University with a bachelor's degree in International Business and Trade, I attended trainings and seminars to improve myself by identifying my shortcomings in the business world. Line Textile, where I worked as a logistics specialist in June 2021, is originally a clothing company, but it operates with used clothing. Although reuse is a step in the circular economy, Line Textile works on reuse. Six months after I started working as a logistics specialist, I decided to join the Business Management for Professionals program at Mersin University. The biggest problem I faced in the first few months of my employment was being accepted by my teammates, with whom we had to manage the operational processes together. As a result of the discussions I had during my master's program, I was always advised to find my way and act accordingly. The first thing I had to do was prove that I was good at my job and that it had nothing to do with being a man or a woman. My first step was to become an effective listener. By valuing their opinions and making decisions based on their experiences, we eliminated gender discrimination and today we are a team of fifty people instead of a team of five when I accepted the Supply Chain Specialist position offered to me in June 2024. Although I tried to improve my own knowledge through training, there was always a part of me that was missing while fulfilling the responsibilities of the job. Today, I have a new dream. A dream that requires more determination and courage than ever before.
Therefore, the main reason why I decided to apply for the Master of Business Administration - Supply Chain Management program at the University of Cologne is that I want future generations to experience the childhood I had and not the difficulties I had in the business world. Another reason is to expand my knowledge and interests in the field of international business. Given the scope of the program, it produces graduates with expertise in critical areas that address real-world challenges and integrate both theoretical learning and practical applications, covering a wide range of topics such as logistics, procurement, operations management, and supply chain strategy. In today's global economy, supply chains are being reshaped by technological developments. The program emphasizes digitalization in supply chain management, while paying attention to sustainability. I know that the program will be an important step in developing specific expertise and skills in international management and sustainability, in understanding the complex variables that occur in an evolving and changing global economy, and in creating sustainable value for both business and society. It is an undeniable fact that companies that lead and inspire with sustainability practices have a positive impact. In terms of my career goals, I would like to pursue a career in multinational corporations or consulting firms where I can contribute to strategic decision making and support sustainable growth by leveraging the knowledge and skills acquired during the Supply Chain Management program.
