Marketing, Personal Statement Example

I come from a family that has always placed a huge premium on education and professional achievements. When I was young, the only professions held in high esteem by the society were medical science, law, accounting, finance, engineering, and computer science. I still remember how marketing and sales was perceived to be a job for those who could not finish high school or get into college. Like everyone else, I also started associating marketing with advertising and sales.

I have enjoyed reading and watching news since very young age because my father would often be listening to business news and my mom would regularly bring new books from a local library. These books would be on a wide range of subject matters including business, history, culture, and politics. After reading some books on successful entrepreneurs as well as companies that have become industry leaders, I started realizing that I and most of the people have very narrow view of marketing. Marketing is not only about advertising and sales but includes a wide range of activities from identifying opportunities and understanding customers’ desires and needs to providing them solution through products and services. I could not help but notice that American companies and businessmen have revolutionized the field of marketing like no one else which may be why most of the iconic brands in the world such as McDonald’s, Microsoft, IBM, Coca-Cola, and Hershey happen to be American. This realization inspired me to seek more books on the topic of business history and it was not long before I knew my career would be in the field of marketing.

I believe one cannot understate the importance of an appropriate learning environment which is why I have decided to pursue my college education in the U.S. and particularly at ABC University. Even now the field of marketing is primarily being revolutionized in America and it is only appropriate that I pursue my education where I will not only have access to a quality education under the leadership of world class marketing faculty but will also have an opportunity to gain professional experience with some of the leading multinational companies.

I understand that not all learning takes place inside the classroom and, thus, have made a firm personal commitment to continuous education outside the classroom as well. I regularly read books and magazines that cover the latest in the field of marketing and have been closely following some of the latest trends such as social media marketing. As mobile gadgets increasingly make inroads into our daily lives, the marketing field will continue to evolve. I believe we live in exciting times and are witnessing the death of traditional marketing strategies due to the emergence of digital media at the cost of traditional media. Marketing is becoming more and more a science due to the growing importance of data in guiding marketing strategies. This is why I also plan to take advanced courses in statistics to help myself prepare for future careers in marketing that will be more and more data-driven.

One of the changes in the global corporate world has been greater focus on the consumers. The geographical restrictions have eased up and competition continues to become more intense. As a result, the focus has been shifting from the products to the consumers which present both challenges as well as opportunities to marketers. My decision to pursue an academic degree in marketing has also been influenced by the conviction that the importance of marketing at management level will continue to grow and more and more marketing professionals will assume corporate leadership positions.

I am from Turkey which is a unique mixture of eastern and western cultures which provides me with unique perspectives. American culture is really popular in Turkey and Turkish companies have not been hesitant to learn from American businesses. But at the same time, they also take into account local cultural attributes to create marketing strategies that appeal to local tastes. It is not a secret anymore that more and more American companies are expanding into international markets in search of growth opportunities due to saturated local markets. Thus, I believe I will bring unique international perspectives into the program which should benefit my fellow students, especially Americans. More and more Americans will be working on international assignments due to globalization and my addition to the marketing program will help create more rewarding learning experience for everyone. Similarly, I also hope to learn from my fellow students including Americans as well as those from other cultures.

I have learnt from reading books and by meeting other people that we often learn most when exposed to different ideas because they expand our thinking horizons and force us to step outside our comfort zones. By coming to American to study marketing, I expect to be exposed to new ideas that may challenge as well as expand my notions on marketing. I am really excited at the opportunity to be part of this amazing academic program that has a strong tradition of producing industry leaders. I have no doubt I will also be a valuable ambassador of the university in the real world.