Tips Kuliah Luar Negeri (Chapter 2): Menyusun Personal Statement
Maksud surat ini adalah untuk menjelaskan alasan kita apply ke program tujuan, latar belakang kita, baik secara akademik maupun professional serta goal yang ingin kita capai dengan mengikuti program ini. Dari surat yang maksimal panjangnya 1,5 halaman ini (dengan font size normal loh ya, jangan sampe ngejar 1,5 halaman fontnya 8 pake paragraph single pula). Karna ini bukan ajang curhat perjalanan hidup kita, tapi tujuannya adalah memenangkan hati admission officers, meyakinkan mereka bahwa kita ni cocok loo di program ini, bisa berkontribusi loo, WORTH IT loo nerima kita di program mereka. Semacam tembakan lamaran begitu.
Saya rada lebai sih, jadi 2 halaman. Tapi tampak normal kok. Now, let’s have a look.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 1: Heading
Must have item: Judul yang jelas, nama dan contact kita (e-mail aja ya, nomer telp sama alamat ngga perlu, kan ada di online application form), tanggal, dan tujuan. Klasik lah kayak yang diajarkan guru bahasa Indonesia.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 2: Introduction
Awali dengan pesan straightforward bahwa kita mau apply program X. Nah, terus kenapa kita tertarik program itu. Kebanyakan candidate student akan melihat ini dari course structure yang dipresent di website. Duuuh, ngga kreatif amat. Tapi kalo mau agak ngga kreatif Cuma ngga ketauan2 amat ngga kreatifnya, cari deh program lain di univ lain yang bicara hal sama dengan bahasa berbeda. Nah. Bisa tu diconto. Tapi ini harus truthfully dari hati dan akal kita ya. Oya, meskipun apply ke similar program ke beberapa univ, saya selalu customise Personal Statement saya ya. Ngga sekedar copas and edit univ tujuan saja. Karena yang menarik buat kita dari setiap program kan memang bisa beda2.
Di bagian ini, saya mulai menyinggung juga mengenai relevansi program dengan latar belakang saya, dalam hal ini, bukan akademik melainkan karir professional.
I wish to apply to MSc Operations, Project and Supply Chain Management Course at University of Manchester for the September 2014 intake. I am particularly attracted to this program by the strong emphasize on international exposure and comprehensive module capturing operation management in manufacturing sector and transport system as well, which are very relevant to what I am currently doing in my professional work.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 3: Personal Background
Dalam satu paragraph ini, ceritakan latar belakang akademik dan karir profesional kita. Nah, kalau memang membanggakan, perlu dihighlight juga. Untuk SCM dan operations program, nama Toyota kan termasyur nian dengan TPSnya, saya singgung lah. Di sini juga saya tunjukkan, sedikit personal character yang jadi kelebihan saya dari rangkaian cerita pengalaman saya .
I earned a bachelor degree with a specialization in electrical engineering sub-majoring telecommunication from University of Gadjah Mada in 2005. I spent the last eight years with working in Procurement. The first seven years, I was responsible as a component buyer in Toyota, the top leading automotive company in Indonesia. Having studied its well-known production system, Toyota Way, the typical sourcing strategy and sole Japan culture, I decided to move to American company, Kraft, or now called Mondelez in 2012, as indirect material buyer. It brought a real excitement to experience a lot of different way of thinking and new challenges as what I handle is completely different to what I had In Toyota. Changes always improve my adaptability, endurance and learning on the fly spirit.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 4: Alasan (Tripod Theory)
Nah, berikutnya saya jelaskan alasan saya apply ke program tersebut. Saya percaya, suatu argument akan kuat jika dibuktikan dengan 3 alasan. Di case ini, meliputi akademik, profesional dan personal. Tripod itu, meskipun kakinya timpang 1 pun, bisa tetap tegak berdiri. Ilmu ini juga saya pakai untuk wawancara, propose ide saat kerja, jawab exam dan lain-lain. Kadang juga buat ngeles sama suami. Haha. Tiga alasan. Case yang terakhir sih 3 excuses, hehe.
Di sini saya jelaskan, knapa saya harus enrolled di UoM SCM program, karna saya pikirkan Negara saya. And this is sadly true. Saya sedih loo, pas interview beberapa candidate karyawan di perusahaan lama saya, fresh grad Indonesia kok ngga banyak yang siap kerja ya. Kurang ada semangat kompetisi. Ngga yakin. Soft skillnya kurang terasah, kecuali sebagian kecil. Sementara rekan2 dari Malaysia, Philippine yang saya temui dan fresh juga, kok pede luar biasa.
Inget jaman saya masuk Toyota dulu, emang cupu banget ngga ngerti apa2. Bertahan dan berkembang karena mentoring yang keren, juga passionate-nya saya membabat semua challenge. Jadi memang buat saya, penting menambah tenaga pengajar dari kalangan professional. Ini juga terinspirasi bang Handry Satriago GE yang sharing-nya super kece itu.
Benefiting from the global scale companies, I have been exposed to a wide range of technical knowledge and essential skill and broad network that I surely want to share. Most lecturers in my country come from academic background, not industrial practitioner. Student soft skills, mainly in engineering field, are not well developed during their study. If this goes on and on, graduated Indonesian student with bachelor degree will lose their competitiveness in winning a job. It has encouraged me, not only to hold a managerial position in a global company like now, but also to have the capability to share what I experience to education sector, as a lecture. However, I understand that my professional experience will not be sufficient without a fundamental understanding of business management which I expect will be developed through this program.
Lalu saya singgung lebih detail mengenai point of interest saya dari program tujuan, dan saya hubungkan dengan future goal saya dalam karir. Kata hubungkan ini penting ya, intinya semua yang kita tulis harus koheren, berkaitan satu sama lain, seperti cerita yang mengalir. Nah, kalo gini baru nyadar kan, pentingnya baca novel, nonton film, membantu kita berpikir koheren.
Logistics has always been my point of interest in indirect material category. A well-designed supply chain system and management is a major factor which highly impacts company’s productivity. I find it very challenging to develop a system which needs to be uniquely created to different sectors of industries and market. I believe that I can improve my technical capabilities through this program, so that I can pursue more promising professional career in a regional scale, to be SEA logistics sourcing leader.
Terakhir, saya cerita mengenai alas an yang sedikit personal. Tetep dong, saya masukkan perspektif kebangsaan. Negara maju tu paling seneng kalo terlihat komitmennya bantu Negara berkembang. Makin merasa adidaya mereka kalo bisa support. Jadi, ya saya tunjukkan dengan sedikit bumbu statistic, yang menyiratkan betapa saya sudah melakukan riset kecil2an untuk berargumen.
Furthermore, I am a woman, a wife and a mother. To continue pursuing my master degree will inspire my daughters, other woman in my family, my community and in Indonesia generally. Presently, only 4.9% of total population is holding bachelor degree, and only 1.3% is woman. It is also very rare to have women in managerial position in a company or government sector. So, I commit myself to be a change agent, increase the number of woman with higher education and eventually will strengthen the sustainability of nation development. In fact, I might be the first woman in my family to hold a master degree.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 5: Puji dikit deh tentang Negara tujuan
Ini perlu2 ngga juga sih, Cuma saya emang mau jujur. Saya pingin punya global qualification. Jepang pernah bahkan embedded, American cukup lah mencicipi. Nah, European belum. International exposure ini penting dalam bidang study saya. Plus, jujur lagi, saya mau travelingnya juga. Tertier reason sih. You may take it or exclude this part.
Another driver for me is obviously England. Experience had told me that the more changes, the more I learn. I went from Engineering to Procurement, from Japanese to American. It is time to discover Europe. In fact, many leading global corporations like are based in this country. There is a wide opportunity to explore to such companies through Internship or thesis collaboration. The international student population which must come from such several backgrounds and perspectives would be very fantastic. Moreover, Europe has an extensive variety of culture in art, architecture and offers quality of life which is very interesting to me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 6: Why am I a suitable candidate?
Jawab pertanyaan ini sepede2nya, sejujur2nya, sejual2annya. Marketing yourself. Dan jangan sembarang jualan kompetensi ya. Baca program description baik2. Make sure you know what kind of candidate they are looking for.
I consider myself to be a suitable candidate for this program because I am highly-motivated, focus to my goal, and surely a unique individual which can enhance the experience of my classmates with my understanding of :
- Toyota Production System, which I believe has become one of the best production system that had been emulated by many manufacturing corporations in the worlds
- Toyota Way of Problem Solving
- 7-step of sourcing strategy in FMCG perspective.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Part 7: Conclusion
Make this part very simple and short. Ya iyyya lah, run out of space.
I believe that above best practice sharing would make the program a lot more interesting by having a class assembled with diversity.
Thank you for your attention and consideration. I look forward to your positive response.
So, that’s it. Feel free to make it your very own way. Good luck!!
