Sample Postgraduate Management Personal Statement

As a native of Thailand who has lived and studied in multiple international contexts, including Canada and the UK, I have witnessed first hand the way in which people’s social and economic context shape their lives in both developed and developing countries. As a country that exists in a ‘grey area’ somewhere between these two states, Thailand represents both challenges and opportunities when attempting to create a sustainable, equitable society. Having been bought up as the child of two dedicated civil servants, who have instilled in me a firm belief in the values of equality, dignity and human rights, I have worked hard to gain the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to contribute to the realisation of these values within Thai society.

A postgraduate course in Development Management from an internationally prestigious institution would allow me to integrate my previous academic studies and help me to develop towards realising my ultimate personal and professional goals. I am particularly attracted to the political economy approach of the course, which examines the institutional roots of development and non-development. I believe that this will allow me to gain the perspective I need to understand the way in which the structure of societies influences their economic development. This is particularly relevant to understanding a country like Thailand, which is not the most progressive state in the world and has many lessons to learn about integrating its traditions with its goals for the future. I am also attracted by the practical experience I will gain in the course, through the live group ‘consultancy project’ with a leading development agency. Gaining this sort of practical experience is entirely essential if I am to take part in the application of everything I have learnt upon graduation.

I have already shown myself capable of postgraduate study within the UK, and am currently working towards an MSc in Management at UCL, for which I am predicted a Merit grade. This course covers a range of management theory and practice, including Business Economics and Organisation Behaviour, Project Management and Business Strategy and Decision and Risk Analysis; all of which will prove highly applicable to Development Management. Studying this course will also allow me to return to my original academic interests in Development, which I explored through undertaking a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (International Relations). This course covered study of a wide range of international institutions and organisation, offering a truly global perspective on the field that complimented my own international experience of study and built a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge that underpins the more practical elements of management I have continued to study.

I am also aware that it is important to gain ‘hands on’ experience to gain a sense of the application of the knowledge and principles I have learnt in a real world context. In 2010 I undertook an internship at The Royal Thai Embassy in London, where I was responsible for providing a comprehensive support service to the First Secretary. This involved planning and organising successful arts and cultural events, analysing reports on bilateral relations issues between Thailand and the UK and proposing business strategy, and drafting correspondence to both organisations and individuals. It was a valuable chance to learn about cooperation and communication between states and to put into practice the International Relations knowledge I had gained up to that point.

I also undertook an Internship at the International Trade Service Department at Krung Thai Bank PLC in 2009, which offered an opportunity to explore international trade and banking from a financial perspective. This widened my understanding of all elements of international trade, including currency, import-export transaction and documentation, while also offering an insight into the unique management operations of partially state-owned organisation. This has prepared me for gaining further practical experience in a range of international institutions by offering additional knowledge of the complex relationship between the public and private sectors within the interrelated fields of Finance and Development.

As a hardworking and engaged student, I have also taken every opportunity to become involved in all elements of campus life. My four years as part of the faculty’s fundraising team during undergraduate study honed my ability to create and sustain relationships with people at all levels of industry and to exercise organisational and time management skills in the planning and execution of events. I have always been interested in engaging with a range of cultures and have explored this interest through membership of my university’s Model UN, which allowed me to gain experience of discussing and debating International Relations issues. I have also represented my university and school whenever possible, holding a number of secretarial and assistant positions in both faculty and student organisations and attending the World Youth Peace Summit (WYPS) in Bangkok in 2003 on behalf of my school.

As a passionate and engaged student of Development, I have not only continually proven my ability to perform in academic study of the field but have also shown a determination to gain practical skills and experience in line with my ambition to make an impact on the sector in future. I believe my unique experience of living, studying and working across multiple developed and developing international contexts, combined with my fundamental beliefs in the goal of equality of human dignity and rights, is responsible for sustaining this ambition. By continuing my postgraduate study in the field, I hope to reach a point where I can return to Thailand armed with the knowledge to promote business development, trade and investment in a coordinating role between the public and private sectors and the wider international business context. In this way, I hope to make my own contribution to Thailand’s continuing economic and social development towards becoming a society that expresses my ultimate values as one of its proud citizens.

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