¶ … graduated from the University of Massachusetts in June of 2000, in the field of Finance. I began working as a substitute teacher at Botanic Gardens Children's Center, after which I took a position as assistant administrator at Liberty Mutual. After this I was able to use the skills acquired during my studies in the more responsible position of coordinator in charge of handling export documentation, accounts receivable and payable, equipment control and booking at Hanjin Shipping. My office is one of the smallest, but also one of the busiest in Korea's shipping giant. My duties as an export department representative are demanding, and my days seldom comprise only eight hours. Despite the pressure, I advanced quite quickly to achieve my current position in the company. Indeed my advancement speed is nearly two years ahead of what is considered to be typical promotion speed. My duties as Coordinator for Export include several routine tasks. I am for example responsible for administrative tasks such as documentation of accounts, equipment control and booking. I am also responsible for compiling and filing shipper export documents with U.S. customs, cross checking loading against shipper documentation, and updating inventory on a daily basis. Furthermore my duties included communication tasks such as contacting customers for documentation, overdue payments, and monitoring export documentation communication. These, among the other duties that I perform for my company, are important, but also mentally unchallenging.

While the amount of my duties is therefore challenging, I also feel that I am frustrated by the basic level of intelligence required to perform some of the more dull and routine tasks. This does not excite me, and I find myself needing greater challenges to meet the level of my abilities.

I for example have noticed many areas around the office that could benefit from improvements.

The problem is that my position...

I am obliged to make suggestions to my superior. My manager however has interests and focus that differ from my own, and therefore efforts on my part to make suggestions usually go unnoticed.
The above frustrations have inspired me to look for ways in which I could make a change in order to find greater satisfaction in my career. The opportunity to study at the Graduate School of International Studies not only falls within my area of work; it will also provide me with the advanced credit needed for increased authority in my workplace.

I found some of the elements of my previous jobs more satisfying than the generally routine tasks I perform now. Perhaps these could provide a springboard for new directions I could consider for my work in the future, after completing the GSIS course. In my work as Assistance Administrator for example I also had routine duties, such as daily cash processing and balancing, and processing restricted securities and commercial paper purchases. What was more challenging was performing special calculations and coding, for which my particular expertise was needed. While my work with children did not require any particular financial expertise, I did find it gratifying to help them develop their interpersonal as well as communication skills.

I have several reasons for applying to this school of study. As mentioned above, I want to improve myself to a level where I can advance my level of performance at work in order to be considered a peer among my managers. This will help me to take on more challenging duties, such as general improvement, at work.

Secondly, it would be very beneficial for me to be among peers in the program, with whom I can analyze and share my insights. This will help to shape me in my field of study and also to benefit from the insights of others. Together with this, I believe…