Master's Accounting and Finance Personal Statement

It was my first degree which convinced me that my real career interests lie in the financial sector and that a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance is the logical next step towards the realisation of my ambitions.  I was deeply interested to learn about the economic principles on which predictions about business patterns and probabilities are based, the microeconomic questions of how individual consumers and firms make choices as well as the larger issues of the relationships between the various sectors of the economy. I also very much enjoyed studying A-level mathematics and believe I have something of an aptitude for the subject, which is, I know, of the first importance in studying accounting and working in finance.  In my first degree I opted for several modules in accounting and finance, which I very much enjoyed and in which I achieved considerable success, earning a first in both modules during my third year.  I also became aware of how important the role of the financial expert is in modern business practice and of how accountants are central to the management process.  Firms depend on their accountants in the same way as they do their lawyers, and the weight of responsibility on the financial expert is considerable.  Precise and up-to-date knowledge and skill are essential parts of the armoury of the financial adviser, and an advanced degree is the most direct way to gaining the sort of expertise required.  I am aware too that the career prospects for a graduate of a Master’s degree course are extremely attractive.

Accountants and financial experts are increasingly filling top-level management positions and wielding greater power in corporate thinking and planning.  Furthermore the variety offered by such a career is very appealing.  One could move into many specific fields, including investment or merchant banking, insurance, pension fund management, government institutions and large multinational companies.  It is full of the prospect of both professional and personal fulfilment.

One area which has particularly interested me is that of corporate finance, which I also studied during my undergraduate course.  I found this an exciting area of business, involving such aspects as venture capital, private equity, corporate governance and the processes of mergers and acquisitions.  The scale of such ventures is inspiring and I am keen to learn more about the way decisions on investment and capital budgeting are made, about dividend policy, capital structure, enterprise valuation and risk management.  I look forward to a career as a financial adviser or consultant and my ambition is to become the sort of expert who can combine an understanding of markets with a knowledge of the sort of financial decisions facing companies in the immediate present.  As a preparation for a further degree I have spent this year since graduation working in the City of London for Deloitte in financial services, reviewing and assessing the suitability of insurance products. I have gained much knowledge of the banking and insurance industries and developed my analytical skills in the real working world, and I believe that this has given me a very sound basis of practical knowledge to embark on a Master’s degree in the subject. I am always keen to keep abreast of new developments in my field and follow news stories and reviews in The Economist and The Financial Times.

During my undergraduate course I held the position of treasurer in the University of Leicester Trading and Investment Society, which acts as a support organisation for both new and experienced traders.  I attended committee meetings, managed the society’s budget and arranged weekly meetings.  This was good experience of working with other people and allowed me to gain an understanding of how to manage time effectively.  I also took part in the debating competition run by the University, reaching the semi-finals, learning much about constructing arguments, speaking with confidence, presenting ideas to a varied audience and generally communicating clearly.

I enjoy sport and have captained a number of football teams.  I even played at professional level at the youth academy of the Dutch team PSV Eindhoven, which was good training in teamwork and determination.  I have lived in three different countries in the course of my life, which has helped me to be adaptable and responsive to new ideas.  I am multi-lingual, with Persian as my mother tongue, fluent English and Dutch and intermediate Pashto, and I firmly believe in the importance of language skills in an increasingly international world and marketplace.  I am ambitious and hard-working as a student and meticulous in my attention to detail.  I enjoy working with other people, but have the confidence in my own judgement to be equally happy operating on my own.  My commitment to my goals is total, and I believe I have the necessary qualities to make a success of the Master’s degree course.

Use this Accounting and Finance Personal Statement to help you with your application.