Grad_School_Essay

1.What experiences led you to select your professional objectives' My professional objectives are ...’to work in a dynamic and challenging banking environment that provides opportunities to fully exploit my potential and a successful career, while being a useful and profitable asset in an organization committed to achieving set goals’. In my choice of professional objectives, I felt that I would not be limited to a career and profession that has no opportunity for growth and experience. Banking has traditionally been a very conservative industry, adept in the art of conducting business using ‘tried and tested’ methods against a backdrop of a fast changing, technologically dependant and borderless business world. In the recent years, the industry has rapidly opened up to the real business world dynamics which, together with increased competition from traditional and non-traditional players such as mobile phone companies, has opened a lot of opportunity for growth. My experience in working in a large indigenous regional bank has been an exciting journey in the interaction between the workplace that I spend the larger part of the day, and the business world with which I interact as I provide service to the bank’s clients. This is one key experience that has led to the choice and reinforcement of my professional objectives Banking has continued to present an abundant opportunity for growth and development in my career. Besides the experience of working in a rejuvenated banking industry, today’s bank customer is a much more enlightened individual or corporate entity, well aware of their rights, and ready to offer considered opinion about the service and product offering that they get from the bank. Banks have had to change radically to meet and exceed the expectations of these modern day clients. The interaction with these clients offers the opportunity to learn new ways of conducting banking business with the use of cutting-edge technology and best global practice, thereby making it an exciting experience. Through this interaction, I have consistently found new and exciting ways of performing the assigned duties, and opportunities to improve the customer experience to their delight. Banks appreciate that the most important resource besides their balance sheets and customer base is a versatile, skilled and motivated workforce. Many have put in place programmes that allow their workforce to improve on their educational and professional skills, in recognition of the fact that it is the workforce that will translate the material and intrinsic resources into the success that will ensure their continued success. There have been many career bankers who have taken up this opportunity, with marked improvement in their individual performance at the work place (career development) and the company performance (improved performance and business background growth). This experience in my workplace had contributed significantly to my choice of professional objectives, since I am assured that my employer has my welfare at the centre of their strategy Thus, my choice of professional objectives is appropriate and driven by the vast opportunities that the banking career offers 2.What other 2 factors would you like considered in evaluating your application' The two factors that I consider important in the evaluation of my application are my commitment to academic excellence in my studies at United States International University (USIU), and my drive to achieve distinction in my career as a banker. These factors are interrelated, and I will briefly explain each in turn. I have sought admission to USIU because I believe it offers a unique and high quality learning environment for the upwardly mobile professional of the 21st Century. My personal conviction is that I have the right aptitude and disposition to make significant change in the world in which we live, and one way of ensuring this is though academic excellence USIU offers a modern and much sought after curriculum, and this will make a significant and positive impact in my life. This, the backgroundrefore, will be my key driver to achieve academic excellence, because in doing so, I will be joining a select few who have had a chance to get the USIU Graduate education. This will be greatly supported by my key competencies, some of which are Being a highly motivated team player with the determination to learn and to succeed. Having excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Being self-riven and goals-oriented Being quick to learn new things and adapt to new environments My analytical and confident nature In addition to the above stated commitment, I will be in a position to attain excellence in my chosen professional objectives and obligations, in that I will have acquired the necessary skills to make a positive change in my career, both at the personal and organization level. Today’s business world demands a keen mind and the best skills to become the best in the chosen business line. My application to USIU is carefully made to provide me with the best education at the graduate level, and distinguish me from the rest of the players in my career. I am confident that my application, backed up by these factors, will meet with your favourable approval