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Text File | 1994-12-16 | 5.7 KB | 99 lines | [04] ASCII Text (0x0000) |
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- I believe that my undergraduate education has equipped me with a
- firm base of technical and analytical skills in the areas of computer
- applications and economics, supplemented by additional concerns for
- business constraints, policies and modes of communication.
- Thankfully, I've also had the opportunity to utilize these theoretical
- skills in "real" environments, where further insight and experience
- were gained as a result of time and effort expended. The combination
- of these instructive forces has helped me to achieve a clear
- conception of the type of career which requires my form of expertise
- and which I find to be stimulating and motivational.
-
- Computer systems analysis provides a means for applying problem
- solving techniques to various thought-provoking situations. By acting
- as a consultant, I'm determined to prove my capabilities through
- increased efficiency in operations, clearly documented procedures and
- the ease with which personnel adapt to changes caused by technological
- advancement. I aim to eventually move into a managerial capacity
- where my concerns and responsibilities will take on an internal
- orientation and allow me to enter the areas of long-range corporate
- planning and policy making.
-
- An essential ingredient in the achievement of these aspirations
- is confidence. I feel that Sloan's finely structured Master's program
- will provide me with more than just exposure to decision making tools
- and case experiences. It should enhance my ability to think about
- individual situations, deal with others and develop practical
- methodologies. Self-awareness of these abilities can be directly
- translated into confidence in a job position. I do not hold the
- common view of graduate education as a primary mechanism to change
- jobs; rather, I consider the experience to be an investment through
- which a career or position may be expanded. For this reason, I admire
- Sloan's balanced variety of courses and opportunity to broaden my area
- .pa
- of specialization. My research has also revealed a close knit,
- altruistic student body. Such an environment has special appeal for
- me since I am presently involved in undergraduate activities that
- strive for unity amongst students, faculty, administrators and alumni.
-
- As mentioned earlier, I've have demonstrated my leadership
- capacity and ability to perform in a business environment. One
- particular instance occured while working for the U.S. Army Corps of
- Engineers, where I was presented with a problem situation that left a
- considerable amount of responsibility under my control.
-
- The problem had been evident in the supervisory Public Affairs
- Office, which maintains approximately five thousand slides on hand for
- use in visual presentations. Unfortunately, the only means by which a
- slide could be retrieved for use was through its associated project
- heading in the file cabinet. Furthermore, there was no specific order
- inside individual sections; therefore, there was no way to distinguish
- between slides that were being used, those that were on loan, those
- waiting to be refiled or those that were lost. This manual system had
- been used for decades and its shortcomings were now readily apparent.
-
- Being the sole person in Public Affairs with a background in
- computerized information systems, my task was to study the current
- system and recommend an enhanced version to alleviate problems and act
- as a prototype for possible Corps-wide implementation. Embedded in
- this task was the evaluation of alternatives based upon cost/benefit
- analysis and feasibility studies on both technical and operational
- levels. I was also expected to provide formal documentation and a
- presentation of my findings to both system users and programmers.
-
- As part of my effort, I had to consult experts and journals in
- photography, database design, hardware implementation and various
- other specialities. Needs were continuously reconsidered and
- adaptations were unavoidable. The project culminated in a seventy
- page set of specifications which I prepared and presented to a
- programming team for appraisal. The system is now in its
- implementation stage and I am often called on to clarify important
- points or to evaluate programming concepts being considered.
-
- In retrospect, I view my experience as a systems analyst to be
- quite invaluable. Although there were many frustrating times due to
- either a lack of available information or requirement changes that
- dismissed much of my initial work, the chance to apply textbook
- knowledge to a real environment gave me renewed incentive to continue
- with my studies. Moreover, the opportunity to deal with systems and
- public information specialists gave me valuable insight into decision
- making processes and the importance of effective communication in a
- business operation.
-
- I have explored the possibility of working in the field of
- computer applications prior to applying to a Master's program.
- Additional business and technical experience would certainly be
- insightful and has potential for relevant accomplishments and self-
- satisfaction. However, I feel that graduate education presents the
- most desirable and strategic path for me to follow at this time. My
- reasoning behind this philosophy is that I feel that I have
- accumulated a significant amount of exposure to business operations
- and have acquired high quality knowledge and experience. Rather than
- accepting a position with the intentions of leaving at some future
- date, I wish to continue in the educational framework until I am best
- prepared to pursue my ultimate career aspirations.
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