My ultimate career goal is to lead a transformational innovation at my own company, pioneering new areas of business and uncovering the potential of my team in a new, unexpected way. Determined to pursue the most ambitious goals, I am confident that my past success in project leadership combined with managerial expertise enhanced through the Schulich MBA program, will help me translate my potential into tangible achievements.
Strange as it may sound, my career began when I was only 8 years old. Starting to cook in my aunt’s bakery, I received my first non-family job in baking at 12, progressing to the position of pastry chef. This part-time occupation continued through my high school years, during my undergraduate college studies resulting in a full-time job in patisserie Gourmet Privilege. In addition to cooking, this position offered possibilities for leading a team of six apprentices and co-op students, teaching them the intricacies of the profession and leading them through various projects.
Invariably successful in project implementation, I felt the urgent desire to explore the business aspect of the restaurant industry. This motivation led me to leave a generalized course at Concordia and switch to culinary school at Lasalle College. My decision proved advantageous for my professional development in the long run as practical knowledge obtained in Lasalle Program helped me develop and implement a series of initiatives to benefit the patisserie. For example, I developed a system of cost control recipe standardization system, greatly improving the efficiency and profitability of the operation and saving the company about $60,000 a year, and conceived and implemented a new health & safety program.
Achievements have always motivated me to strive for greater goals; and in two years I accepted the recommendation of a chef professor at Lasalle to enrol in a culinary apprenticeship at the Royal York that enabled me to lead a team of apprentices in Canada’s largest hotel kitchen. During this apprenticeship, designed as a way to expose young culinarians to the managerial aspect of the kitchen work, I leaped at the opportunity to organize various seminars and workshops to educate the staff on various culinary themes and cost control strategies. The most important asset of the program was the opportunity to see the big picture of restaurant management, offered by observation of department interaction and coordination during the visits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Prime Minister.
Continuing to pursue a clearer understanding of managerial work, I continued full-time course for Bachelor of Commerce degree after the completion of Diploma in Culinary Management at George Brown College. Although this education was challenging in combination with a full-time workload, I felt that thorough knowledge of culinary craft was absolutely essential for someone in a managerial position. Besides, working in the kitchen, I gained first-hand experience in managing the interactions between various stations and departments, substituting for sous-chef during his absence. Synergies resulting from my engagement in various aspects of marketing, accounting and purchasing and corresponding cross-training programs permitted me to develop more innovative initiatives. Among them was a revenue management program aimed at profit maximization as the hotel was reaching full occupancy, as well as external market and feasibility studies, helping clients in making decisions about restaurant business expansion. Graduating the apprenticeship and receiving Bachelor of Commerce in April of 2005, I was placed into Fairmont’s Management development program.
At the moment, thanks to my past success and ambition, I am considered for a vacancy in The Fairmont Assisstant controller training program, starting in 2006. Completion of this program would help me assume the position as assistant controller in one of the company’s newly acquired hotels that could later take me to the job of a controller, afterwards regional controller, and then as far up as my abilities allow. I can envisage myself as CEO of Fairmont or another rapidly evolving multinational company.
An MBA program would give me a competitive advantage in terms of managerial skills at this formative stage in my career. The management’s support of my decision confirmed by their agreement to finance my studies inspires me to develop initiatives at the company that would provide them with adequate return on their investment in my leadership potential. I do not expect wonders from the course; instead, I hope for a well-balanced managerial knowledge, skills in dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity, increased confidence and progress in decision-making skill.
I feel that with its strong international reputation, a diverse student body, demanding innovative curriculum focusing on “big picture” thinking, and a wide array of functional and industry specializations, Schulich is the type of school that will help me take my skills to a new level and to build a successful network of friendly and professional connections. Immersion in a demanding academic program will benefit me by providing a fresh challenge to my mind that has always been eager for a new trial, and communication with the business leaders of tomorrow will help me build lifelong relationships with Shulich students. The school’s focus on integrative thinking will help me further strengthen my ability to evaluate input from various areas and then integrate it into new business models instead of emulating someone else’s inventions. The post graduate executive services provided for the Schulich family will keep me up-to-date on modern business issues, helping constant adaptation to the rapidly changing environment. I am also thrilled with the chance to be guided by some of the nation’s most famous business leaders teaching in Schulich classrooms.
Dedication of Schulich students is remarkable, contributing to a competitive environment challenging one to use one’s full potential. Finally, the chance to study in Canada’s cultural and financial center will offer easy access to leaders of the corporate community and widen our perspectives, helping us to transgress the boundaries of our specific business areas.
Actually, all free personal essay samples and scholarship essays available online are plagiarized! If you need a quality customized essay written from scratch, you can easily hire professional academic writers at an affordable cost:
You will get a 100% non-plagiarized essay on ANY topic you need from CheapWritingHelp!