MBA at University of Leicester, Admission Essay Example

Working as a financial analyst has been a great experience, and I often need to collaborate with other departments with regards to forecasting and costing projects. I understand that cash management and financial planning are essential business functions, however, they do not exist within businesses in a standalone manner. I realized, after working for AB InBev for almost four years that I needed to expand my knowledge about managing a business, people, and resources in order to advance my career. The MBA postgraduate course offered by the University of Leicester is certainly the most suitable option for my career goals, as it offers a greater spectrum of management skills than other courses. Further, it is suitable for expanding my knowledge on corporate finance issues and regulations that are likely to affect my employer’s strategy in the future.

While I currently hold a B.A. in Finance from University of Missouri Columbia, obtained in 2009, I feel the need for updating my knowledge about new methods of forecasting, creating crisis management plans, assisting other departments with their planning and project development, and delivering change. I believe that the global economy is becoming more competitive, therefore, financial planning and assistance of the higher management in order to deliver new initiatives and finance them will have a growing importance. During my previous career, I have proven myself to be knowledgeable, a quick learner, and a team player. However, in order to gain full insight into other departments’ work and priorities, I will need the necessary leadership skills that I am planning to obtain through the MBA program offered by the University of Leicester, specializing in Finance.

After reviewing the course structure of the MBA program, I decided that I would like to make an application in order to focus on contemporary challenges faced by today’s businesses, such as globalization, governance, ethical issues, and in particularly leadership styles that impact the overall performance of the organization. Some of these areas I would like to study are covered by the main course content, as well as the optional modules, such as “Contemporary Issues in International Financial Reporting”, and “Financial Option Pricing”. I believe that understanding organisational behaviour is one of the most essential skills a manager can obtain in order to deliver positive change within the business. In order to gain commitment from employees, as well as other departments, managers also need to be able to effectively communicate their goals, vision, and higher purpose. Therefore, gaining a wider knowledge about managing businesses would make me a better collaborator and leader as well.

In my current position, I have volunteered for projects when I had to manage the processes from planning to execution. I enjoyed the experience when I was assigned to train several employees on new methods and approaches of cash management. I also became an EP Champion, bringing forward new approaches and presenting them to team members in order to improve work efficiency and raise awareness of the innovative methods. I believe that if I get accepted for the University of Leicester’s MBA program, I can improve my leadership skills further, making me a more effective manager, and a greater asset for my employer. I am particularly interested in learning new methods that enable businesses to create more value for customers, as well as act responsibly, benefiting all stakeholders, as well as the entire society.