Dear fellow users,
I came across EssayForum at a time where I was worried about seeking guidance for my Personal Statement essay for GKS-G scholarship 2024 for MBA course (keen on HR specialization). There still are a couple of weeks before applications for it to open. I had already started working on the essay since the beginning of January. I would truly appreciate your feedback and guidance.
The essay is still incomplete, however, I would like to know what topics could be added based on your experiences and perceptions.
Following is the essay:
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"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart." - Eleanor Roosevelt
This quote has stuck with since I read it and has become the driver of how I interact and deal with people. In a world that is witnessing the increasing growth of technology and Artificial Intelligence, human capital still remains the driving force in all industries, and will continue to remain so. To quote another great personality,
"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." - Elbert Hubbard"
I am truly inspired by this saying and we have witnessed companies all around the world placing significant importance to employee retention, employee well-being, mental-health awareness, and recreational spaces at workplaces in the past two decades. These have had an impact on overall well-being of employees. South Korea is a hub of many large corporations and has an efficient work culture. This work culture has helped develop the country rapidly. Growing up in a household filled with gadgets and vehicles by Korean companies like LG, Samsung and Hyundai, I have been exposed to the efficiency and innovation by the greatest minds. So, as a prospective student interested in Human resources, I am applying to Masters in Business Administration hoping to further specialize in Human Resources Management through the GKS Scholarship.
As a child, I had always been interested in the human mind which led me to choose psychology as my major during my undergraduate and postgraduate studies. However, when I entered the professional world, I deviated from psychology and joined the Education Technology field. Here, I was introduced to the corporate culture, to be specific, the start-up culture. I learnt what it was like to deal with people from different departments, became aware of the processes involved in onboarding a new employee, learnt to share difficult news, tackle tough situations, guide new employees and help them become better at their roles. In all of these experiences, I realized how important the field of Human resources is, thus sparking my interest in it.
South Korea is home to highly-ranked colleges for MBA. Being a global hub of several MNCs and start-ups, there is a lot of diversity when it comes to corporate culture as well as lots of exposure and opportunity to grow as a corporate professional. Hence, the opportunity to apply to the MBA programmes in South Korea through the prestigious Global Korea Scholarship is a blessing in disguise. What really attracted me to the GKS scholarship is that it allows for cultural exchange to understand Korean culture in a deeper manner. This is made possible through the one year language program before starting the studies which gives me a sense of comfort as this would allow me to first understand the nuances of living in South Korea before diving into studies. Moreover, the GKS scholarship, while giving importance to academic achievement also stresses on the holistic characteristics and development of an individual. Extracurriculars, volunteering, work experience - all of these are taken into consideration before selecting a candidate. This points to the fact that both hard skills and soft skills are crucial and can take an individual a lot further than just having textbook knowledge. This resonates with me as I have been raised to look beyond what can be seen and that to become a good individual, one has to be good in both heart and mind. Furthermore, the programme provides international exposure and an opportunity to meet people belonging to varied cultures which is important in a world where we are becoming global citizens.
My family always placed high importance to education. My parents ensured that I went to the best schools to receive high-quality education. They taught me to be open-minded and to experience all that life has to offer. I learnt the value of relationships and the virtues of kindness and consideration from my parents. Through their interactions with others I realized the importance of being sensitive to others' needs and to be compassionate which forms the basis of human resources. This is why the Korean concept of Noonchi (눈치) resonated with me. I truly admire this concept which helps build deep and meaningful relationships, be it in the professional sphere or the personal front.
Moving on to my education, I would like to credit my parents' encouragement which helped me achieve laureates in school for my academic performance. Aditya Birla Group sent a token of appreciation for my academic performance in higher secondary school. During my undergraduate degree, as part of the psychology course, I participated in mental-health awareness programmes held every year during mental health day that is celebrated on 10th October every year. This helped me in raising awareness about mental health and gaining an insight about what people think about it - their perceptions, misconceptions, fears and reluctance regarding mental health. By participating in the awareness campaigns, I got the opportunity to dispel the myths and taught me how to interact with different people and how to deal with them, thus enhancing my interpersonal and communication skills.
For my postgraduate degree, I shifted to the UK to pursue a Masters of Arts in Psychology at the University of Birmingham - a Russell Group University. While living apart from my family, I learnt how to integrate into a foreign culture, learn their customs, be independent and make the most of the resources available. Having met people from different countries there broadened my perspective and made me get out of my comfort zone which is essential for personal growth. I was fortunate to have parents who supported me. The experience was enhanced by the kind and helpful professors and staff at the University of Birmingham to whom I am grateful.
After my postgraduation, I joined Junior Chamber International, a global organisation for the youth where I volunteered to serve as the secretary for the year 2019 in my city. Here, I learnt how to organise and host events, plan programmes for various age groups and manage meetings. This experience exposed me to corporate professionals from different fields and departments. In 2019, I also earned the MBTI Step I and Step II Certification from the The Myers-Briggs Company as I was interested in learning about the test and applying it in in real-life contexts. Through the MBTI Step I and Step II certification, I gained in-depth knowledge about the test- its conduction, scoring, interpretation- and its uses in the corporate world. MBTI has several advantages in terms of aiding effective communication and building relationships. I worked on my computer skills after my postgraduation by acquiring the Advanced Microsoft Office Excel certification to become proficient in it.
Coming to my work experience, when the pandemic struck and we were confined to our homes, I joined the Indian Talent Olympiad as a Freelance Subject Matter Expert where I dove into the world of education. Later in 2021, I joined Inzpira Education LLP as an Online Soft-Skills trainer. In 2022, I was promoted to the role of Senior Trainer which led me to gain insights on how the training and development of employees is conducted. Being responsible for training new recruits about the procedures of the company, evaluating the trainers' performance and guiding them through any difficulties, the role of Senior Trainer gave me a superficial idea of Human Resources but I desired to learn more. The role required me to deal with issues in trainer-client interaction, discussing consequences resulting from breaking rules and maintaining the training quality among the trainers so as to provide efficient training to the learners. All of these experiences inspired me to delve deeper into the field of Human Resources. Being trained in the Human resources specialization in MBA will aid in my vision of helping people in their workplaces.
While working at Inzpira, I took up TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification that I obtained while I was a soft-skills trainer which equipped me with knowledge about developing lesson plans and creating activities that can enagage learners.
As I have mainly worked at start-ups, I developed an interest in how businesses are run from the ground up. What piqued my interest in pursuing an MBA is the knowledge that I will gain about setting up businesses, running those businesses and most importantly, sustaining those businesses. Being home to numerous well-established conglomerates, South Korea has the best environment to learn about management and business.
One of my inspirations to pursue MBA after studying psychology is my father. My father is an MBA graduate in the field of marketing and is now at a high managerial post in one of India's biggest conglomerates, XXX. Through his work, I have seen how these companies not only provide employment to hundreds of thousands of people but also serve the society and community. I have seen how the MNCs graciously and compassionately handled the Covid crisis in 2020 and the subsequent years. The Human Resources departments everywhere had to balance business and human needs which they did brilliantly. Though my father works in the marketing department, I have seen him extend a helping hand, a kind word whenever it was required by his colleagues. Moreover, Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) aid in global cooperation. They elevate the quality of life of the citizens of their host countries and also of the people in other countries where they expand. An important factor of the social impact of the MNCs can be seen through the introduction and implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility, which has helped millions across the world.
Having always been interested in the human behaviour and relationships; the passion to help people in the work environment has led me to choose MBA as my field of further studies. As a student of psychology for many years, I have developed the skills of rapport building, empathy, active listening skills and patience. By pursuing the MBA, I will be able to give back to the companies by helping them grow and the society by helping people.
I came across the GKS scholarship during my career break and this year I decided to apply for it.
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Something that I want to add is the how similar the history of Human resources management is in India and South Korea and how that has attracted me to apply for the HR specialization in South Korea. Would this be appropriate?
Thank you for giving me your time.
Looking forward to the feedback.
Kind regards,
Sonakshi
