So, today I was at work digging through my Inbox searching for some old emails when I chanced upon this. A spoof of my friend’s wife Sasi’s SOP when she was applying for a Masters program at Oregon State University, circa 2007. We’d collaborated to come up with the unadulterated holier-than-thou version, which we presume helped her get in. Two days later drunk and bored out my mind, I read it again and was shocked “Oh my God! She can’t be that smart”. And so I “snazzed” it up a bit peppering it with more honest tongue-in-cheek admissions that surprisingly got a good amount of laughs from her, her husband and friends. That was three years back.
Its 2010 now. With her course and hard work in the rear view mirror she gave me the green light to go public with this, though she left me with a parting shot. “Move away from SOPs, resumes and cover letters. Spoof something better”
Point taken Sasi. Next time I’ll go after the “Declaration of Independence” or “Bill of Rights”
“I can”
Two weird words pasted on my father’s cupboard that have always made me scratch my head and wonder what the hell they meant. I dream of a vacation in the Greek Islands. I believe in Expedia (for great deals) and my dreams.
I was first introduced to the world of accounting and finance during my hotel management course at the Institute of Hotel Management, an institution that prides on admitting none on merit. But Dad likes to think my journey started at a young age when I was penny-pinching and helping my friends and family balance their checkbooks. Their three year intensive course “taught” me the various aspects of hotel management, providing ample opportunities to delve into financial planning. Fed up of all this number crunching, I enrolled for my Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) at Annamalai University. Followed by a six month internship (read jamboree) at Taj Group of Hotels that provided me with invaluable experience on how to get the perfect tan and how to be a hit on the dance floor, among other things. Of course, Daddy still thinks it meant day-to-day business operations and complementing my course knowledge.
I barely managed a passing grade, yet I was one among the seventy students in the country recruited as a Management Trainee by the Oberoi Group of Hotels, a top-tier hotel chain in India. Pinch me! Their two year program with several hands-on projects at their different locations helped me lose my sanity even further. After graduation, I was posted as an Assistant Manager at Oberoi Hotels, New Delhi with a diverse set of job duties. Making me wonder every waking day if I was better off helping mom in the kitchen!
I was required to effectively managing several crisis situations at work, such as fire emergencies, flood evacuations and even a workers strike. Of course, I did nothing of that sort, except step aside and take potshots at my co-workers who were doing the job. My “problem solving” and “leadership skills” were noticed and I was quickly promoted to Manager at the Oberoi Group of Hotels, Mumbai. Pinch me! Again!
As a manager my primary responsibilities included recruiting and training new personnel, logistics, preparing departmental budgets, to name a few. I was however more focussed on checking out the delicious six-footer hired a week before. As I enriched my “management” experience over dinner dates and movies, I was spurred to expand my educational horizons further.
I applied to the Executive Program in Business Management (EPBM) and after several layers of recommendations (dad - neighbor - neighbor’s friend - neighbor’s friend’s cousin) got selected in the top draft at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), a world renowned business school. Their one year program geared towards working professionals (and also free-loaders like me) afforded a comprehensive outlook on the various facets of business management, supplementing those with intriguing assignments relevant to real world scenarios. My modus operandi was simple. Hobnob investment analysts with discount coupons and free room service and get their case studies in return, which would help channel my efforts on accounting, financial planning and market operations. Not surprisingly, these provided a fillip to “mould my career” in finance.
Along the way I also met my future husband, Ananth, who owned a house, a bike, $10000 in the bank and was also reasonably funny. So I thought, “Why not!” and decided to latch onto him.
At this juncture, I strongly aspire to further my “knowledge” and “industry experience” into a Masters Degree. I also envision my career as one that will play a definite role in tackling challenges in financial institutions. Shrewdness, conniving, bribery, I’ve got the whole package. When I had to choose the right place for my graduate study, Oregon State University attracted my attention because of the excellent reputation of its MSFA program. I’m just kidding! It’s just 10 miles from home and I can get a free ride every day.
It’s a curriculum that caters to today’s fast paced global economy and one which is uniquely tailored to suit my needs. By the time classes start, I’ll have skimmed through it once, I promise. My diverse background and know-how as enunciated above would enliven classroom discussions. I know how to cook the perfect paneer butter masala and can point out the best nails spa in Portland. The eminent list of faculty members with their noteworthy qualifications is another reason I would like to become a part of your distinguished team.
"Hitch your wagon to a star", screamed a bumper sticker. I am, but, doing just that by applying for a Masters Degree in Market Analysis at your university. The knowledge and experience I shall gain at your institution will greatly benefit me in my journey along the tortuous, yet memorable path towards success. More so, it will finally get my husband off my back.
This is not the end of my statement. Rather, just the beginning. I am determined to succeed. I ought to thank my father for driving me nuts to put up a poster of my own on my cupboard. It reads thus:
"I can, and I will."
Greek Islands, here I come!
Sasikala Ananth
(Bringing more to the table than a Starbucks coffee and a glazed donut)
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