• Sample statement of purpose
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• Statement of purpose guidelines
• Resume guidelines

Sample statement of purpose

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Sample SOP 1:
Glad to introduce myself as Mr.YOUR NAME, a Software Engineer at present, with 5 years of experience in Software Testing, Quality Analysis and Management. My career is my passion, and it holds my fullest devotion, dedication and commitment. I belong to the field of IT Services Management, which had been the dream I had, the obsession in me and the long term desire that had lingered in me for a long while. And finally, when I got into this, I could give nothing from me but the best. To add more value to the same, I have decided with the best thought of doing my Masters Degree from a reputed institution which would give me not only a degree but also a new style of learning with international standards, innovative methods of self-development skills and the ability of survival among the fittest. Hence, I was left with no other ideas and suggestions from experts, other than to join you, the Bolton University, which I believe should shape me and make myself qualifiedly fit for the IT Services Management skills and to the progress in the modern globalized cultures, technology and era.

I hold my Under-Graduate degree, B.Sc in Computer Science which I had completed in the period June 2001 to May 2004 from the YOUR University, Tamil Nadu. I pursued my UG Degree in the YOUR College, Rajapalayam. The syllabus covered here gave me immense knowledge on Software Development, Software Building, Software Techniques, Hardware Configurations, Mathematical skills and Personality Development. I was elected to be the Students’ Chairman at my final year 2003-2004 which had inspired me to know more about the management skills. I was an ardent speaker, athlete and player at my college and finally passed out with prominence winning the “Best Outgoing Student” Award at my final year.

As a starting point in my career, I got employed as a Software Test Engineer with the YOUR PLOYER technologies, Chennai during the period June 2004. It was here that my zeal had taken an initial contour. I was poured with surplus opportunities around me to learn, to explore, to build, to experiment, to renovate and to give a shape to myself. I learnt the concepts of IT services practically. I gained buoyancy in myself. And with that hope I moved to Accenture YOUR EMPLOYER Pvt Ltd, Chennai during the period August 2006. I was promoted as a Senior Programmer. From that time until now, I keep on renewing myself to the changes in the technologies, to the new ways novelty, the exciting facts of Software Testing and many more. I got certified with the National Stock Exchange of India in Financial Services and Capital Markets. I got certified with the IBM Services in Rational Functional Tester tool. I got certified with the HP Services in Quality Center – Defect Management tool and the Quick Test Professional tool. I am also certified with the International Software Testing Qualification Board, as a certified Manual Software Tester. I had won the Celebrating Performance Award from Accenture thrice, for having achieved extreme satisfaction levels from the clients, building my technical skills and for the professionalism I depict in my job.

But my journey towards success is still a few more miles away. I need to sparkle in my career with a Masters Degree in my relevant field – the Services Management, without which my career would not be fulfilled. For this to occur, I need your help, your support and your guidance. The Bolton University gives its students a degree with a dignified knowledge of survival amidst the global standards and also makes you learn the professional development skills in creative leadership. I wish to be a part with you to develop myself in many such areas. Therefore, I request you to accept my purpose and make me move ahead in my career with more confidence and venerable knowledge.

Sample SOP 2:
Discuss a situation, preferably work related, where you have taken a significant leadership role. How does this event demonstrate your managerial potential?

Aquent was in a perilous condition. The 1,800 sales representatives at the company had contracted far too many high-risk, low-profit project orders related to network construction. The resultant deficit at Aquent, one of the world's biggest communications companies, had swollen to nearly $150 million and threatened to bring the company down. To combat this problem, I joined a sales reform taskforce that implemented "Project Forward," a new oversight committee that would investigate the profitability of project orders and decide whether or not to accept them. It was a huge responsibility, and I was given the task of formulating the procedures that Project Forward would recommend to all sales divisions.
Despite a flurry of activity, two months went by with no results. The sales divisions failed to enact the new procedures I had designed, and the company amassed an alarming number of high-risk project orders. With implementation problems mounting, I knew it was up to me to find a solution.
One executive manager, angry over the lack of sales cooperation, proposed putting Project Forward into operation by force. Believing that we needed to grasp the cause of Project Forward's failure before we could implement an adequate solution, I proposed a different approach. I suggested that we simply ask the sales representatives why they neglected to carry out the new measures. After interviewing thirty-six sales representatives from all sales departments, I discovered that, broadly speaking, sales representatives did not understand the goal of Project Forward. Two other Business Process Reengineering (BPR) projects were competing for their attention, and the sales representatives did not know which projects pertained to their work. Moreover, since the members administering Project Forward each had their own existing posts and roles, they were too busy to manage Project Forward effectively.
Having identified the problem, I designed a solution. I created a task list that assigned roles to the project members. Then, I assimilated the other two BPR projects into our own, integrating all three into one, centrally-administered program. After creating an integrated process flow that was easy for sales representatives to understand, I held joint meetings to introduce the new measures to the sales people. In addition, resource managers were directed to assign two people to manage Project Forward full-time in each sales division.
Finally, I used motivational techniques to ensure that Project Forward was executed with vigor. Since I observed that we could not successfully implement the measure without changing the sales representatives' minds about the council's usability, I enthusiastically discussed the purpose of Project Forward at the joint meetings and through our mailing list. I showed the sales division that they owned Project Forward and should share in its establishment. As a result, the motivation exhibited by these representatives grew more and more intense.
Solving this problem taught me several essential traits that a leader must exhibit. A leader must clearly identify the problems that are hindering a project's success, and then he must address those issues by making every team member a stakeholder in the project's success. By raising awareness of a project's goals and purposes, a leader can then motivate his teammates to contribute. Leadership is centrally interactive, and only by working in harmony with an organization can a leader guarantee long-term success.

Sample SOP 3:
Describe your most challenging team-building experience. What insights did you gain as a result of this experience?

In April of 2001, two colleagues from Ota-ku and about one hundred volunteers gathered in Tokyo to address a growing problem in Japan: the "Digital Divide." Our plan was to establish a course in information technology and to leverage the 54.5 billion yen endowment of a national movement in order to train Japanese citizens in the usage of on-line resources. At the opening of the meeting, however, I was surprised to learn that the Ota-ku personnel who were to be managing the IT course did not have their own email addresses! They proposed to correspond by mail, not by email, and from that point forward, I knew that I had my work cut out for me.
To overcome a seemingly insurmountable challenge, I first assessed my resources. I analyzed the specific skills of each volunteer so that I could give them appropriate roles in setting up the course. Conducting this research, I found that the one hundred volunteers, unlike my colleagues at Aquent, had very diversified levels of training; some volunteers taught computer classes daily, while others had only recently mastered the basics of email. Despite differing levels of experience, all volunteers shared a common goal--to conquer the Digital Divide.
After investigating all of the members' skills, I created teams from small groups of volunteers, carefully distributing teammates so that their skills were equally divided amongst groups. Next, before the course began, I arranged for the teams to gather several times so that the team members could become acquainted with each other. Gradually, throughout the course, I continued to build unity within each team, and I watched team consciousness bud with each successive meeting.
The first course lasted for two days and taught essential IT skills to about thirty participants. An experienced computer teacher and I acted as the main lecturers while three other volunteers supported the students. Since many of the participants were women who did not work during the day, my first lesson addressed how to acquire restaurant coupons on-line. As one of our older volunteer lecturers described sound and picture files, and taught participants how to attach them to email, I noticed that the students were already realizing the pleasure of the Internet.
As the course progressed, I ensured that each lecturer contributed to the lessons by discussing his or her area of expertise. At one point, a volunteer became worried because he doubted that he could contribute. During the second session, I asked him to act as the main lecturer for the next class. Although he turned me down at first, he finally accepted my offer on the condition that I teach him lecturing techniques before the next class. Ultimately, he finished splendidly. Since his IT skills were not strong at first, he understood the fear and confusion that many of our beginners experienced, and was therefore able to deliver effective instruction to a wide audience.
By drawing on the unique talents of each volunteer, I succeeded in crafting an IT course that was richer than I had imagined. From the first time the volunteers shared their skills with the group, through each volunteer's turn lecturing, I cultivated a constructive atmosphere in which every team member could play an important role. As a result, each member was able to build on his strong points and to find an indispensable unity in the team. Today, I look forward to joining the community at XXX, another environment in which diverse individuals, with distinct talents, come together for the shared goal of their education.

Sample SOP 4:
Discuss the factors that influenced your career decisions to date. Also discuss your career plans and why you want to obtain an MBA.

Early in my childhood, the Internet became more than just a luxury--it became a necessity. My father moved from Singapore to Indonesia to start a textile company when I was four years old, leaving me alone with my mother. To alleviate the pressures of separation, I developed the computer skills needed for electronic communication and was able to remain in close contact with my father. This experience solidified my interest in information technology and exposed me to the enormous potential of this developing field.
In the summer of 1992, I exploited my knowledge of IT to help those in my community. I volunteered at a local library, helping people with computer and Internet-related questions. Also at that time, my father's business had launched many technological changes that led to the automation of its production line. These improvements had saved his company from bankruptcy. Visiting him and seeing how the new system had increased his profits heightened my interest in IT. I now live in Canada, where computers continue to play a large role in my daily affairs. I use electronic mail and Internet chats to communicate with both parents, and have chosen management information systems as my course of study. Information technology fascinates me not only because it makes companies more competitive, but also because it can bridge great distances to bring people together. I have much respect for and interest in the IT industry.
Personal satisfaction also plays a key role in my career decision. While monetary rewards are of practical importance, true job satisfaction springs from the opportunity to grow and learn within an industry. I enjoy acquiring new skills and information, which help me to adapt to the fast-changing world, as well as pique my interest in innovation. In addition, a career with open prospects would give me constant incentive to improve myself and to gain more knowledge. I currently volunteer for an on-campus organization, Job Web, in which I am responsible for posting employment opportunities on the World Wide Web, answering questions and preparing informative handouts. This position has broadened my computing abilities and has improved my interpersonal skills, which are crucial to any business endeavor. I enjoy the sense of productivity and usefulness I gain from the work, and feel it is a valuable experience for future employment.
Given the confluence of my personal and professional interests, my goal is to obtain a master's degree and then to work in an IT-related industry, either with a consulting firm or as a systems analyst with a financial institution. In addition to this, I plan to use my private time to attend computer programming courses in order to maintain a competitive knowledge of technology. When I have gathered enough experience and skills, I plan to launch a consulting company of my own.
Attending a Master's of Science program will smooth the path to these goals. Such a program will deepen my expertise and broaden my perspectives. Moreover, the MIS option will help me to hone my skills in IT areas that I have not yet encountered. As I have attended the University of Toronto for four years, I am familiar with and have confidence in the faculty professors whom I believe can help me become an IT professional.

Sample SOP 5:
Describe two events in your life to date that demonstrate your ability to do well in business.

My classmates called me "the alien," and they avoided me like the plague. As a young boy, I suffered from severe dermatitis, which filled my limbs with ulcers and scars. The true pain of my condition, however, was social; I was alienated from my classmates and lived a life of loneliness and isolation. Doctors predicted that I would never fully recover, but my parents refused to accept this. They encouraged me to hope for the future, teaching me that any obstacle could be overcome. I therefore took an active role in my health, trying many medications and herbs.
Approaching my loneliness with bravery, I came to view it as a challenge to be overcome. The summer after I graduated from primary school, my disease improved dramatically. Although my body remained riddled with scars, the ulcers vanished. The self-confidence I regained was profound; I realized that my personal will had led to this improvement. I began to seek out friendships at school, and I took part in activities like volleyball, Girl Guide, and Art Club. Through it all, my attitude toward challenges remained the same. In every examination or competition, I told myself that I could easily excel since nothing could be more difficult than what I had already overcome. By the time I moved to Canada, I had fully recovered both socially and physically. Moreover, I had learned to be confident and never to fear failure. This credo echoes through my personal life and gives me the inner resolve to succeed at any endeavor, including my professional pursuits.
Like my personal battle with dermatitis, I learned a great deal about leadership by overcoming adversity. While enrolled in an ESL program in Canada, I joined the Culture Club as a Special Event Director. I managed a group of six individuals in organizing various functions. I was the most advanced ESL student among the group, and I therefore assumed myself to be the most capable. I quickly learned my mistake. While preparing our first function, I was strict with my team members and often rejected their ideas in favor of my own. I performed most of their tasks myself, allowing them to assist me only in minor details. As a result, the function was not very successful. Few people attended, and we had problems with decorations and presentation. The setback disheartened me, and I spoke of it to the club's supervisor. She responded that she trusted my ability to succeed in the future. This comment filled me with surprise, for I realized that I had never trusted my own team members. Although they were weak in English, they had many valuable talents. I immediately changed my policy, allowing team members to choose the tasks they desired and to complete them on their own.
Meetings evolved into group brainstorming sessions, which yielded many good ideas. Most importantly, the atmosphere among us improved dramatically. We were happier and more eager to devote time to the program. I learned what true leadership is, and the experience undoubtedly improved my ability to handle challenging business situations.