Personal Statement
Applicant:XX  Application Program: Marketing

There is no denying that we are witnessing an exhilarating scene: with the vigorous economic development and constant perfection of market mechanism and system, China is emerging steadily as an active participant in world market system. In the mean time, a disharmonious yet rational voice is warning us: China is plunging into a game whose rules it is not very familiar with. In fact, because marketing has just made a start in China and there is no complete system available, the design of marketing strategies still seems rather immature. Therefore, China is in urgent need of marketing theories and experiences of the developed countries as well as a large number of marketing specialists who can rise to the challenge of an internationalized market. As a major step spurred on by this observation, I am making a sincere application for your Marketing program.

My decision to further my studies abroad has much to do with my undergraduate studies in Electronic Commerce which calls for online marketing from time to time. During my studies I have felt strongly that online marketing is virtually virgin territory in China. In contrast, as business activities around the world are entering the Age of the Internet, traditional marketing is shifting towards online marketing. With international companies establishing their online business centers, it seems the Age of Online Marketing is close over the horizon. Besides, Marketing has been one of the most important specialized courses in my studies. Therefore, I am well acquainted with the latest developments in marketing. With such a professional grounding, I believe it is a wise decision to switch my field of study to Marketing.

The comprehensive curriculum in University of XX has enabled me to acquire an overall understanding of electronic technology and business theories. Among my favorite courses is Marketing. During group case study in the course, thanks to my outstanding organizational ability and innovative capacity, I was elected group leader. We made comprehensive and in-depth analyses of the marketing tactics of XX, including its target customers group, marketing channel, customer service, product positioning, and advertising strategies. In order to know more about XX’s product position and marketing tactics in Chinese market, I contacted the sales personnel of XX China and got first-hand information. Through this case study, I acquired a closer understanding of marketing and reinforced my determination to further my studies in marketing.

As Electronic Commerce is an emerging discipline in China, teaching and research in this field will inevitably draw on the experiences of the developed countries. One of its benefits is that I am put at the international academic frontier at the very beginning. For instance, while learning “Corporate E-commerce Management”, our professor introduced a virtual online enterprise operating system, divided the class into groups and asked each group to conceive its own corporate strategies. My group worked out a plan to start an online hotpot restaurant. Thanks to effective marketing methods, our orders increased remarkably. In the mean time, we adopted new marketing methods and expanded our operating scope rapidly. In the end, our enterprise came out first in the class. Moreover, by taking the courses Database, Enterprise E-commerce Management and Supply Chain Management & ERP, I have laid some foundation in database management which I regard as one of my advantages to study marketing.

After systematic studies, I have chosen “XX” as the topic of my graduation thesis. After gathering a large amount of materials and consulting extensive technical literature, I have worked out an outline. The thesis will focus on the influence of marketing on supply chain. My argument is that marketing is actually a link in the supply chain and it has immediate impact on the success of the whole supply chain. I have consulted with my supervisor Professor XX over my topic and argument and have won praise and approval from him.

I have conducted fieldwork in every year of my undergraduate studies. In 2002, I made market surveys in XX Group to estimate the trend in the gold market; in 2003, I helped monitor the oil market and make market-developing strategies in XX; and in 2004, I had my fieldwork in the planning and financial department at the headquarters of XX Co. LTD, sorting out the assets of its branches and sub-branches. Besides, I am the deputy secretary of XX’s Swimming Society which is among the top ten associations on the campus. By putting up advertisements on bulletin boards, radio, and the Internet and offering low-price training classes, I have increased the Society’s popularity and doubled its profit which in return contributed greatly to our swimming team’s victory in the XX Swimming Games. In the process, I have acquired a closer knowledge of market, from the basic operations all the way up to the management at the top.

Despite the heavy schoolwork, I am an active organizer and participant in extracurricular activities. Thanks to my agile mind, great enthusiasm for work, upright conduct, as well as my experience as monitor of “Excellent Class of XX City”, I came out of fierce competition and was elected head of the organization department in the student union, dealing with onerous work in student affairs. For the IT Cultural Festival of XX, I have organized “XX” and “XX” which turned to be two unexpected highlights at the Festival. In addition, I have taken part in various public welfare activities, including the visit to a children’s village in suburb of Beijing. The parents of the children were all serving their sentences in prison. Along with my fellow student cadres in the organization department, I solicited donations on campus and gave them to the children and stayed with them for several days. Many of the children were moved to tears when we left. Through the campaign, I have gained better appreciation of teamwork and strengthened my coordinative and communicative skills. All of these are indispensable qualities for a successful marketing specialist.

Thanks to my outstanding performance in my work, I have received a series of prizes, including Excellent Student Cadre, Excellent Cadre of the Swimming Society, and third-class scholarship. Looking back, the only secret to my success is nothing but whole-hearted devotion. In my studies, I make the best of every minute available and complete each task with high efficiency and quality; in teamwork, whether I am the team leader or an ordinary team member, I would do my utmost and contribute to the whole team; in the student union and my class, I appreciate and learn from the merits of others and try to build a harmonious and enterprising atmosphere within the team. I am sure these experiences can increase my confidence in making academic success in your university.

My application for your Marketing program is the result of mature deliberation. In addition to its profusion of courses, there are various fields of study available. Thus, after taking the fundamental courses, I can choose, according to my academic interest, to dedicate my studies to communication management, e-commerce, and health care and acquire deeper understanding in advertising, public relations, and database marketing as well as the latest technologies concerning marketing. Yet I am more attracted to your strong faculty, lively teaching, and cultural atmosphere and patterns of thinking which are different from ours. Pursuing my studies there, I will be able to broaden my horizons, improve my understanding of marketing, enrich my knowledge and skills in online marketing, and grow into a marketing expert with both considerable professional caliber and an international perspective. All of them will help me display my prowess fully in marketing in China and make due contribution to the development and maturity of China’s market.