Essay Question:
Consider all the extracurricular activities (community involvement, paid and/or volunteer work experience, entrepreneurial ventures) that you have been involved in during the past four years. Select three activities that you feel demonstrate your leadership abilities best. Focus your description on elements that demonstrate: teamwork, initiative, achievement, commitment and breadth. Each description should focus on one activity only.
For the main activity description, use an essay format, NOT bullet points. Please limit your description for each activity to 500 words. We recommend you type up and edit your essays in a separate word processing program and then copy and paste into the description field when you are satisfied that it is complete.
Essay:
My drive to succeed, desire to constantly test my limits, and love for business ultimately propelled me to join Deloitte's Downtown Junior Achievement Company Program in 2014. The Company Program is unique as it allows students to learn the risks and rewards of starting a business with assistance from advisors and their fellow peers.
In my first year, we created LadderUP!, a platform to connect employers with students aged fifteen through nineteen. I decided to join the sales and finance teams, as my goals for the program were to overcome my fear of public speaking and to acquire a firm grasp of accounting principles. As a company that engaged in business-to-business sales, we knew that the process of selling our product would be a challenge. Through the use of the Sandler Methodology, I successfully engaged in numerous first contact calls that led to the closing of multiple deals. I distinctly remember sitting around a table with the other sales team members, calling local businesses for hours on end trying to make a single sale. Realizing the harsh realities of the business world not only made me more committed, but it instilled in me a drive to succeed and to go above and beyond my expectations.
As the budget specialist on the finance team, I played a pivotal role in the allocation of our spending and the creation of our business model. Through the help of advisors, I was able to grasp financial principles such as balance sheets and income statements within a short period of time. The skills that I learned in this position not only help me in my current company, but also help me in everyday life when managing my personal budget.
At the end of the program, we were not only recognized as the Entrepreneurial Team of the Year, but we were also acquired by Derek Szeto, founder and former president of RedFlagDeals- a first for a Junior Achievement company. Through this achievement, I was taught the value of networking and maintaining healthy business relationships.
Returning to the program for my 2nd year, I was appointed as a Director of Finance. Our company, Sitto, aims to ease the process of connecting babysitters with families and to simplify the payment process between both parties. My duties include assisting with the company accounting, mitigating risk, and developing financial strategies. Additionally, I am responsible for managing the company's $2300.00 budget, an area that is particularly difficult due to the fact that we are outsourcing the production of our app. Over the past few months, I have come to realize that finance is a field that requires effective teamwork among all departments to function well. Though my duties can often be hectic and demanding, when a company works as a unit, these tasks can be completed in an orderly and manageable fashion.
My two years of experience as a leader in a Junior Achievement company have rewarded me with significant life lessons and skills that will allow me to take on other leadership roles during my time in university and ultimately in my career.
