Experience in Achieving Goals and Professional Growth - Essay Example

 Experience in Achieving Goals and Professional Growth I was born in Tehran and we moved to Sweden when I was 15 years old. Thus, I began to learn how to adapt to new places and people, and this was a lesson I have carried with me ever since. I spend my childhood partly in Tehran and partly in Stockholm Sweden. This unique background has given me several advantages in my personal life and professional activities. I am able not only able to adapt quickly to new environments, but also am able to help others make the best out of their differences. My unique background has enabled me to integrate groups of people from different cultures and countries. My family owns a Company that exports Persian Carpets to Europe and some other countries. My professional work started when I was 23 years old when I decided to work for my father in his company in Tehran. In the early stages of my work experience I mostly dealt with our customers in Europe. My ability to speak three languages helped me to build a relationship with our suppliers and customers abroad. By the age of 25 I was the sales manger of the company and we also had opened offices in Germany, Sweden and Dubai. As a company’s representatives I have attended many International Exhibitions abroad and have gained international experienced that has equipped me with the skills necessary to deal with foreign suppliers and customers. It seemed inevitable that we began to loose business due to the high expenses of logistics, a poor inventory system and the lack of IT technology in our operation, this became a larger and larger problem as time moved on. However, I continued to attack the problem even as others had given up hope. Finally after consulting with an IT engineering team we launched a new IT system for the whole operation. The results were tremendous, and ultimately the project was successful: we surpassed our saving objectives and I received an early promotion. In 1996 we started a business in Italy, but this time we had diversity of products and were ready to target a larger market in Europe. I moved back to Stockholm and was working as a representative in Europe. However the market in Scandinavia was not what we expected to be, the demand for our product was quite lower than we had hoped. Therefore we needed to find a new market with a quite good purchasing power. In 1999 finally we started our trade with Japan and in beginning of 2000 we opened our office in Osaka, Japan. Now my father runs the entire operation in our head office in Tehran, my brother in Japan and myself in Europe. Although my multicultural background and my international experiences have helped me to achieve my goals during my career, I have always wanted to get a degree in business. Finally in 2004, I decided to go to UK and get a degree in International Business. As a mature student there are some advantages and disadvantages, and I used my experiences from the real world to tackle the problems that arose during my degree. However it was not an easy task to go back to college at this age. However, I stuck it out, and I am now in my final year. It seems that I could accomplish my degree with an MBA programme, I also believe that an MBA programme can help me develop other vital skills essential to my standing as a professional. For example, I will benefit from the opportunity to further polish my public speaking ability and hone my skills as a negotiator. Now our Business is very successful and the experience was satisfying, clearly the skill I developed from running a business was beneficial. However, I feel that the initiative and entrepreneurial effort were the most important things I took from my work experience. I embarked on a journey towards MBA when I earned an undergraduate degree in International Business at The Manchester University. An MBA will provide the impetus and setting for honing my skills in the areas of negotiation, persuasion, inspiration, and professional articulation. I also see the MBA as a rare opportunity to gain heightened insight into other lifestyles. To run a business, I need to better understand the executive’s viewpoint in today’s corporate environment. I have already gained exposure to many aspects of the business "organism" and I understand how important it is to align strategic decisions at the executive level with tactical execution at the business unit level. The MBA will strengthen my understanding of this dynamic and provide me with broadened exposure to the intricacies of decision-making. In addition, the MBA will leave me with an appreciation for and understanding of the historical and predicted future evolution of the business community. Attaining the degree is a major step in preparing for a bright, successful future in the business world. I am applying to the Grenoble Graduate School of Business because its rigorous program, and good reputations, and it also has triple accreditations. Grenoble will allow me to develop the skills I have acquired so far. In addition, I am attracted by the school's close-knit student community and its emphasis on teamwork. Coming from a culture where teamwork is highly valued, I will no doubt benefit from GGSB team spirit. My past experiences, in fact, show that my potential is maximized when I am working in a cooperative, team-oriented environment Moreover, I look forward to interacting with the highly qualified, diverse student of the GGSB MBA programme. The programme ensures the intimacy necessary to learn from each other’s varying perspectives and background. I know I could both contribute and grow in this unique environment where all students are fully engaged. From my time working in different cultural environment, I have both developed strong team abilities and have seen the value and synergies of combining people with different backgrounds, knowledge, and experience levels. The dynamics created by these teams help produce the most innovative and creative ideas, whether in my own business or a GGSB classroom. As someone with dual Nationality and years of experiences working in two different business environments, I feel compelled to use my abilities to benefit my countries and company. My goal is to change the corporate culture in Iran, to expand and to devise the most effective system for our business. I want to take our business to new heights with modern management practices and techniques that would in turn help the country leap forward and reach at least the Asian standard. I want to help my company stay competitive in this free trade era. In short, I want to prepare our business and our country to face the challenges of the 21st century. In order to reach my goal, I need the proper intellectual equipment. I believe the MBA of Grenoble School of Business will offer me just that. The program will teach me different approaches to effective management of the operation in the global level. I also hope to develop more creative strategies for competition. By broadening my understanding of the global marketplace, I will be better suited to match our capabilities to the market needs. More importantly, I believe an MBA at GGSB will expose me to state-of-the-art business practices, conventions and techniques. I hope to make contacts with world-class companies. With proper education and training, and with time and further experience, I am certain I will soon be able to put my creative ideas into work. I was born in Tehran and we moved to Sweden when I was 15 years old, I grew up in two different cities; Tehran and then Stockholm. I developed early in life the ability to adapt to new places and people. I spend my childhood partly in Tehran and partly in Stockholm Sweden. This unique background has given me several advantages in my personal life and professional activities. I am able not only to adapt quickly to new environments, but also to help others make the best out of their differences. My unique background has enabled me to integrate groups of people from different cultures and countries. Since I was very young I travelled to many different countries, however my first experience in visiting a new country and new culture was in Sweden. Although it was a bit difficult in the beginning to learn the language and cultures, I really enjoyed it. However, it is much easier to adapt to a new environment when one is younger. But I think the key success to overcome a new culture is to be open towards new environment and you will learn plenty of new things As an individual I have learned the benefits of multiculturalism and diversity, and I firmly believe that students should take advantage of the new opportunity to experiencing a new culture. They have the opportunity to learn the language, culture and how they doing business in that particular country. I believe one can appreciate a cross-cultural environment and contribute to the group atmosphere, adding a unique appreciation of diversity. Witnessing the development of ideas from various experiences and backgrounds will provide a profound understanding and appreciation of other cultures. With intense enthusiasm, I will strive to comprehend the people around me, increasing my knowledge by learning from a wide range of distinct individuals at GGSB. Read More