Personal Statement for MSc in Human Resource Management at the University of Salford.
I am writing to support my application for a postgraduate place and, in this short letter, I intend to give an outline of those aspects my academic and personal background that have given me the confidence to apply.I shall also mention my character, and motivation and my career ambitions to show why I believe that I can succeed and do well on this course if I am accepted.It is easy to see the profeional and academic benefits of having completed a course of advanced study in a modern well-equipped university where the highest standards are demanded, I think there are other benefits and these attract me strongly too.I think that I shall also return with the ability to see my subject in new ways and to see research and development in a new light that will enable me to adapt easily to new social, environmental and economic conditions in my rapidly changing country.I will also come back with experience of working and co-operating with others from a range of different backgrounds and with many different outlooks on the subject, and on life, and I think this will be almost as much of an education for me as my work as a post-graduate.That is why I want to say something about my background, my preparation and my ambitions in this statement to show that I can benefit from all the opportunities and not only the academic ones.I found the web-pages, for the university and the course, helpful and informative, so I am confident about my choice.I have some background in the subject: we study it in depth, historical development and modern theories, on the PMP.Also, at my university, Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, I was able to take relevant options as a minor and these included management, accounting, economics and HRM.The balance between specialist skills and more general approaches to the subject of management, with an emphasis on the management of people in organisations, is an attractive feature of the course and I think this combination of broad skills and specialist knowledge will be very helpful as a foundation when I return and begin my career in HRM.I think that Salford’s emphasis on the importance of reflection and keeping up to date, with the “close aociation” with the Management & Management Sciences Research Institute and the Institute for Social, Cultural and Policy Research is important as succeful managers need to study new ideas throughout their careers and this is a good habit to encourage.Wide knowledge and a clear understanding of theory and good practice will be an advantage in a rapidly changing busine environment and the focus on critical and analytical skills means that knowledge will be accompanied by understanding and the ability to evaluate different approaches in different real-life situations. My interest in busine in general, and management in particular, began when I was younger.My father is a general manager in one of the largest construction companies in China, so I grew up listening to discuions of a range of subjects and, of course, the company kept expanding so the range of topics also grew and became increasingly interesting and, as the workforce grew, and companies competed for labour, HRM was a frequent subject.As I became more knowledgeable myself, I was able to join the discuions and learn more about subjects that really interested me.This was where my ambition to work one day in a multi-national or large joint-venture began. I have been lucky enough to have regular work experience in the field, working in the HR/Personnel department of my father’s company every summer since 2003, which is about a year and a half now, added together.I’ve enjoyed this and learned a lot about organisation, responsibility and teamwork and how important good HRM is.I have even dabbled in the free market, leading a group of my friends to set up a net service company (www.sxcnw.net) in 2006.So far we have gained 170 thousand registered users by now and we average 60 thousands visits per day. Overseas study, at an advanced level in English will be a challenge – and, of course, I want it to be demanding – and I knew that my interest, background and career ambitions were important but probably not enough to ensure a good start and succe in my studies.That is why I entered the one-year full-time Pre-Master’s Programme, so that I would be occupied with academic English every day, learning and developing all the neceary skills.The PMP is not just about learning facts and theories, of course.It is also teaching me how to study and learn in new ways.It adds to my confidence and motivation.Over the year we also do an intensive course in Management, International Busine and the UK Economy so I expect to be well prepared not only for the language, but also for the subject content.Finally, I think Research Methods will be valuable: hard work and endle patience mastering skills such as referencing; but at the end I will have written an original, properly referenced 5,000 word diertation.In conclusion, I believe I have the academic foundation, the high level of motivation, and the clear focus on my career plans to ensure that I will do well at Salford if accepted for the master’s course in HRM.
