My commitment to engage in a master’s program

My commitment to engage in a master’s program

At the tender age of 11, having conducted a six-day summer workshop for children and having earned Rs. 1200; I had uncovered the prima facie of an entrepreneurial streak in me. Being a fast learner and a perpetual question-box, with a reflection of confidence and elan; it did not seem unnatural to envision myself as a good fit in the marketing world. Having a penchant for writing (motivational writing and travel writing), also inspired by my mother who is a content writer; I yearn to strengthen my modus operandi vis-à-vis the creativity, dynamism and the relentless pace of change in the marketing industry. My commitment to engage in a master’s program right after my undergraduate studies is to accelerate my proficiencies and credibilities to full potential, before catapulting myself into the corporate world.

Having studied in Gnyan Dham School, one of the most distinguished schools in Vapi, an industrial town in south Gujarat, I got plentiful opportunities to hone my overall personality, and I did well in all my academic and non-academic pursuits. From winning oratory events like poetry recitation, debates and elocution, to attending month-long theatre workshops, to be a part of the school basketball team, to bagging a bronze in Athletics, to excelling in swimming, to acing handwriting competitions. My love for Garba dancing (folk dance of Gujarat), compelled me to bag the award for the ‘best dancer’ for three consecutive years. In 2011, I was elected as the Secretary of Interact club and supervised three major community service projects like old cloth collection, creative art competition, and raising funds for the downtrodden. That was when “service above self” became one of my virtues.

I was chosen to represent India as a long term Youth Exchange student in France (Rotary District 1760). It is one of the flagship programmes of Rotary International. During my 10 month stay there, I gained insights into the French culture, language as well as of the prevalent education system. Courses (in French) like Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Chemistry, History, Geography, French and Spanish were my majors in Science stream, in Lycee Adam de Craponne (a public school in South France). The curriculum was a perfect mélange of technical and business subjects. I tutored some of the lessons in English class. I was an avid participant of the Rugby Club, Ballet and the French Theatre club in the Lycee. This international exposure also fueled my passion for languages. Already knowing languages like English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati, and French; I earned the tag of the “girl from India who speaks 6 languages”.

I pursued my Bachelors of Business Administration, with International Business specialization; from Maeer’s MITSOM College, ranked as top 21st B-School in India. Affiliated to University of Pune; which is a premier education hub, the cultural capital of Maharashtra and also known as the ‘Oxford of the East’; I got wide-ranging exposure to all the core areas of the stream, but the subjects that got me absolutely to the brim were International Marketing, Study of global economics, International business practices in the service sector and German language. After having studied the foundations of International marketing, I further reaffirmed my desire to deepen my knowledge in the field of marketing.

“Education is about furthering yourself.” This phrase stands so true for me. While at college, I was able to discover my latent abilities. I found and developed a fine writer in me. The pen has always been my choice of weapon. Be it creating content for my mother’s office projects to seeing my articles published in the college magazine. The Writer’s web and the Pune International Literature festival were paramount forums. I was an integral part of the promotion committee of Enthusia, an inter-collegiate fest in which I was able to put my marketing skills to practice and raised registrations worth Rs 10000. Another noteworthy event was the “Youth to Youth Connect”, jointly conducted by Bharatiya Chaatra Sansad Foundation, where I interacted with the youth from around the country and devised effective plans to combat the issues of national interest at a grassroots level. These initiatives developed in me the much-needed confidence, present ability, adaptions and an itch to be the best in the competitive pool. They were the ultimate avenues to exercise my managerial competencies.

‘Responsible Luxury’ – A case study of ITC Hotels in India; was the topic of my graduation research project. I collected evidence on the responsible and sustainable practices of the leading hotelier group. In the process, I even learnt and shared simple tips like how one can follow green techniques at home. “Life is not about finding a home away from home; it is about creating a home wherever one goes.” Another milestone in life was when I interned with The Egyptian Society for Integrated Development (ES4ID), as a food service manager from May to June 2018 in Cairo, Egypt. The NGO adheres to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and is omnipresent in varied spheres of social welfare. Its activities ranging from providing home renovation equipment, marriage aid, a rehabilitation centre for the disabled, development of public hospitals and free charitable convoys, availing fresh drinking water and distribution of sacrificial meat to the masses. During the holy month of Ramadan, the focal initiatives were the distribution of around 60000 hot fasting breakfast meals and ration bags to eligible families, accomplishing the ‘Zero Hunger’ agenda. Also, specialized programs for training women for manual carpet spinning and production, with the highest quality of workmanship. The Egyptian summer will always be close to my heart. The ES4ID not only empowers the society but the youth as well. It was phenomenal, seeing affluent youngsters sparing their precious time and working for the common good. My sojourn in Cairo gave me ample takeaways like team management, strategic planning, optimal utilization of resources, coping up with culture shock, interacting people from all walks of life, learning the Arabic language and learning to work on a shoestring budget.

I want to study a program which amalgamates five disciplines – Marketing, management, communication, branding and strategy. I need not look any further than MSc in Strategic Marketing, which befits my career endeavours. Apart from feeding my intellectual curiosity by giving me a stronghold on a multitude of modules like Omnichannel management, sustainable marketing, insight and analytics, ABC of branding, integrated marketing communications,

qualitative research in the digital age and advanced marketing strategy; to my revving up my global career; to shaping me into a better millennial inside out.

Being a part of your university and associating myself, your experienced faculty will aid me in transforming myself into the brand which I already ideate. Being among highly diverse professors will compel me to become the best version of myself. Your university did the International presence and the unparalleled reputation of the school; the cutting edge research in the field of marketing will elicit the best of my potential as a career woman and excelsior.

The world is constantly evolving; so is the workplace. “The survivor of the future is the one who embraces change.” Embarking on this quest of limitless learning; will consolidate my fundamental understanding of marketing, strategy and management and enable me to evolve as a critical, reflective and game-changing marketer. This will take me one step closer to living my world dream and raison d’etre.