Finance

With unemployment levels at 10 - 12 and the number of graduates set to increase this year, the odds of me finding a job are only 5.  The odds of me finding a job that I actually like are at 2.  These are not very good odds for me considering my educational attainment and my background.  However, if I take up my degree in finance at this academic institution, the numbers are different.  The time that I spend pursuing my education coincides with the downtime in the economy.  This means I increase my value at the time when demand is low.  When I finish this degree, the market has been estimated to have improved thus increasing employment rates and my chances of landing that dream job increase to 10.  This 8 difference is the reason why I am applying for my finance degree at this University.

Numbers dont lie, as a mentor of mine loved to say.  One will always be one and two will always be two.  There is no way to twist that around but there will always be a way to appreciate or use those numbers.  This is where my interest in finance comes from.  As I read about the collapse of markets all over the world, it becomes clear to me how people just massaged the numbers to draw in investors.  I have sometimes hypothesized that if those financial analysts had just seen the numbers for what they were this whole predicament could have been established.  This, however, is also where my drive of becoming a responsible and ethical financial analyst comes from and that is why I feel this University is the best fit to help me achieve my goals.

I realize that it is not enough to merely have a goal or a dream to reach.  It is also important to take the steps necessary to fulfill those dreams.  This is why I have the proper education and experience required to achieve my goals.  As far as academics go, I have been able to consistently maintain a respectable grade point average in my three (3) years at Kings College in London, University of London where I have been studying Business Management.  During this time, I have gained important skills that I know will be crucial to my success in the realm of business and finance.  This has been rather important to me as I have developed a grasp of the business environment that is integrative and broad.  I have learned various management disciplines and related skills that have also enhanced communication and essential transferable skills that I have, which I feel is key to succeeding in the ever competitive world of business.

Building on the academic knowledge that I have acquired in school, I also worked on developing other aspects such as bridging the gap between various techniques to link theoretical knowledge to good business practices.  This has been key to my understanding of the financial realm because it has enhanced my critical and innovative thinking and communication skills through different aspects of requirements of the course.  As such, I believe that I have, in my years of study, accumulated a significant amount of knowledge and training to succeed but not enough to excel, which is what I seek to do in pursuing my studies in finance at this school.

I have always believed that there is no better teacher than real life experience.  This is why I have made sure that I not only have the academic knowledge but also the practical application to supplement my development.  My personality, in my humble opinion, is best suited for this kind of endeavor (finance) because of my ability to multi-task.  During my past work experiences, I have often come across as witty and amiable.  Yet, I am no push over when it comes to working in a corporate or business environment.  I firmly believe that I can succeed in anything that I want to as long as I work hard at it.  I get things done.  The job gets done faster and more efficiently as and when the objectives are clear, the strategies acceptable, and the resources are available.  Of course, in the real world, these do not always happen.  To the extent that they happen and to the extent that I can make them happen, I go after them and manage to get the job done. 
My most important work experience comes from my experience as an intern at the Merrill Lynch Summer Programme in the summer of 2007 where I first learned about the different challenges of global finance. 

During this two week program, I had the wonderful opportunity to learn from different guest speakers giving a talk about different financial tools and also giving the general concept of what different roles in the company do and how their lives are.  I also met people from different countries where I learned so much, especially about the rapid economic growth in the Asian region, particularly countries like Taiwan, Korea and China.
 Little did I realize that this experience was going to lead me to working with a larger financial group called Billion Star Limited in Hong Kong where I worked as a junior accounting clerk for the firm.  During this time, I was responsible for handling the day-to-day paper work.  In addition, I also handled the date entry and assisting the accountant to prepare annual financial report required, such as cash flow statement and balance sheet.  I was responsible for the daily paper work and acting as a bridge between customers in Africa and suppliers in China.  I am proud to say that during the 3 months of employment in the company, I was able to further enhance my communication skills as well as my negotiation skills.  It was during this time that I realized that my most important character strength, in my opinion, is my ability to adapt, accept and learn.  My business acumen and knowledge is due to the fact that both my parents are business oriented and running businesses of their own.  This provided me with a closer view of what I need to accomplish at an academic level before venturing into a business of my own, particularly in this highly competitive field.

I also believe that an outstanding individual is one who is not only academically excellent but one who also shows balance.  While the emphasis on good grades has been pounded into our consciousness at a young age, I believe that the key to true personal development lies in being able to cultivate other talents and skills.  As such, I engaged in other activities that I felt would address this need.  As far as extra curricular activities are concerned, I trained myself to speak Mandarin and Japanese.  I also enjoy other sports, such as badminton and squash.  It is these things that I feel have not only given me unique opportunities in life but also a sense of destiny in that I am meant to accomplish something.

As I look forward to improving my skills and developing traits that are useful in the future, I also look forward to building a solid foundation that is built on fundamentals such as business and finance.  If I am to build my value, I would like this to be on education and not speculation.