Mr. Rituparna Roy Chowdhury Flat No. B-4, 1st floor, 4/10, Bijoygarh, (Near Bijoygarh P.O.

), Kolkata 700 032. India. +91-94321-00756/ +91-98686-39414.

rituparnaroychowdhury@gmail.com journalistdelhi@yahoo.co.in

These links on www.rediff.com, explain how to write good essays/SOPs http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/jun/07study.htm http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/jun/08abroad.htm http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/jun/09study.htm http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/jun/23gre.htm D. If you can spend one day as someone else, who would it be? Why? If I were to spend one day as someone else, I would love to don the mantle of a financial analyst. I am a very ambitious person, and always look for a brighter future. I am also a risk taker though not a gambler or a speculator. But I love exploring the opportunities of tomorrow which may seem invisible today. A days work as a financial analyst will not transform me into a financial wizard. Neither is my ambition to become a financial wizard. I only want to acquire the vision of a forecaster of the future. When investment decisions are taken by financial consultants, they look at the micro and macroeconomic factors of the economy, the fundamentals of the company, market sentiments and investor behavior and fancy towards certain shares. Our biggest drawback is that we dont think much about the future. But we must realize that all that we do today is towards a future goal, and unless we look at the future, it is impossible for us to constructively plan our work today which directly impacts our path of progress. For instance, I find very few people going for post-retirement financial planning. Since, we dont visualize how the economy would shape up after two or three decades, or what would be the cost price indexes, we are not bothered about how to sustain ourselves in old age. My long-term goal is to be a consultant and to be so, I need the mindset of predicting the future. The way IT has revolutionized the work

processes and has given rise to new products, product lines and product profiles with the convergence of technology, it has always been the first movers who have made fortunes out of it. Whether it is the hotmail experience of Indian technocrat Sabeer Bhatia, or that of google, as a consultant too, I need to see the opportunities before anybody can perceive and put it to practice. The way technology has come up, no body can say in whose favor the dices would turn. Even a decade ago, it was unbelievable that Indias service sector would get a huge boost because of a significant portion of the worlds back office operations and business process outsourcing shifting to India, and that it would cost the English speaking economies dear with rising unemployment in their countries. The unpredictability of the systems can best be explained through the trading of the stock markets. When one is selling a scrip, another person is buying it at the same time. This in turn explains that while the seller feels he has been able to sell the share at the highest saleable price, the buyer too feels he has been able to acquire it at the lowest buying rate. Yet amidst such uncertainties, the eyes that can see the right picture of future emerge as winners. My aspiration to be a financial analyst for a day is just for acquiring that winning vision. 2.1 Evaluate your application and provide a critical assessment of it. Outline factors that might differentiate you from others from a similar background. 500 words. My application portrays the picture of an ideal MBA aspirant who holds a sound academic record and is highly innovative in thoughts; and believes cross functional approaches are the best mode of learning, a reflection of my broad vision. My bachelors in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, one of the most prestigious scientific research centers of the world has provided me with a strong background of science. I am having a good GMAT score of 710 as well. Again, my work experiences in sales, marketing, production and operations for FMCG major HLL, has enriched me with ideas of managing a business enterprise. Moreover, my candidature clearly indicates my eagerness to learn things from the grassroots levels rather than look at things academically. While being selected for the first job through campus interviews, I deliberately chose a rural posting for training. I have been born and brought up in Siliguri, a small town of eastern India, as well as stayed in New Delhi and Kolkata. Hence, I had the opportunities to see the urban markets and their consumer psyches. So, now I wanted to learn the rural markets. I am a person who always looks for newer opportunities. The rural markets had all along being treated with less importance by FMCG and consumer durable companies. Of late, however, studies have revealed that rural

India, which constitutes about 60% of the total population, is the emerging market. This is because of a saturation point that certain products are reaching in the urban areas, and secondly owing to higher disposable income along with the spread of education, giving rise to consumerism among the rural populace. Even at a top educational institute, when we were about to close down our global online education system because of tremendous agitation against outsourcing, all of my colleagues feared retrenchment. But rather being perturbed, I came up with the idea of offering the services at a retail level. It was primarily at my initiative that we started marketing it to individuals with free classes and were able to convert a large number of them as clients. And this ensured no lay-offs. My long term goal of opening a 24 x 7 x 365 basis call center offering information related to global education needs is unique and explains my entrepreneurial ideas and my foresight in understanding the future, when classrooms would be replaced by cyber schools. I definitely satisfy the leadership traits that all b-schools look at. I get along with people very easily, from the ranks of shop floor workers to the ranks of Directors. In fact, I enjoy working in a group, as it is the best medium to gain through the exchange of knowledge and skills. Overall, I am a candidate of huge merit, innovative, hard working, having fancied but realistic goals in life. Considering my personality traits, academic record and professional performance, I am an ideal candidate for management studies, and would be an asset to the class of ISB, if admitted.
Statement of Purpose I am a computer science and engineering graduate having seven years of experience in IT sales, service and consultancy. I am highly ambitious and always dream big. I passionately explore newer and unknown fields and love taking calculated risks. This has helped me grow tremendously, as a leader, as a team player and more importantly, as a responsible human being. I take pride in myself as one who looks at every problem as a golden opportunity and steps his foot forward at the most appropriate moment to provide a solution and leave the impressions of leadership through innovativeness. My ultimate career goal is to open my own consultancy and emerge as a business leader in the field of emerging technologies and consulting. I strongly believe in innovation and professional excellence, and my motto of work is to use my novel thoughts to add commercial value to all available technology. I was born to a middle-class family with my father being a police officer. Thus, right from the beginning my father inspired me to get through the country's prestigious Civil Services and bear the much coveted IAS or IPS bureaucratic tag attached to my name. However, as I was destined for a career in engineering, I cleared the engineering entrance exams to become a technocrat today. I still would regret somewhat that I could not fulfill my father's dream, and also something on which I too had set my eyes on. However, the handsome salary that I draw as a result of being an IT professional negates much of that feeling. This incident makes me accept failures with grace, and rejoice with what we have won rather than moan for what we perhaps had lost. With only such optimism can one move ahead. Otherwise, we will perish under sorrows of anguish. I have been climbing the professional ladder very fast. In this process, my maturity into a business strategist is the most significant accomplishment I have made. I

have acquired the knack of identifying newer and emerging business opportunities, which is so crucial for anyone venturing into any business. When I joined FTD a Singapore based Regional MNC dedicated to EDA and embedded field in Oct 2002, I had little awareness about the Embedded Tools and its market. Immediately after joining I started learning the Embedded Technology as I understood that learning the technology was more important than learning the specific tools if I were to grow in this domain. Next, I started moving around the market and came to know through sources that an In-circuit Emulator (ICE) was not working in Central Research Laboratory of Bharat Electronics Ltd (A premier Ministry Of Defence, India Unit). As I was aware of their problem, in the first visit itself gave them a standby unit even though I did not even know that they would be buying the product from us. This initial help of ours was taken as a gesture of excellent client relationship and he got an order from them for 10,000 USD for the quarter ending March 2003. At Mistral, we faced the problem of very few prospective clients who could be approached for the Embedded line of products, which the Company represented in India. One of the verticals, which was growing very fast, was that of Networking and the Consumer Devices and we had a specific product for that which had been introduced in India shortly before that. I along with my team conducted various seminars and user-conference across India to create awareness for this product and ultimately we generated USD 1 Million in revenue for the company. I have learnt a lot about commercial requirements from an operational point of view through observations and experiences, but fully understand the value of theoretical knowledge of technology management. For instance, once during a technical presentation on Reliability Analysis Tools in GE Industrial Systems, I was unable to give a detailed analysis of its utility from the cost perspective based accounting management principles, although my presentation on the technical aspects were very well received. Hence, I aspire for MBA from a leading European b-school today. My MBA study would enable me to see technology from a more business oriented approach. It cant be an overnight affair, but I would gradually acquire that maturity, vision and far sight. Till now these approaches have been very simple and were based on my previous experiences. I can then combine my informal knowledge with formal business education and suitably aid in bringing out the hidden business potential of technology. It would also help corporates bring about greater efficiency in their existing work structures and systems. In quest of this endeavor, my job in the immediate post-MBA phase would be to identify potential change in the wind direction of technological progress, both unilaterally and through convergence. My field of work involves dealing with Telecom Value Added Service Providers, Network Equipment Manufacturers, research and development labs. We provide solutions to client requirements and hence have to continuously customize according to their needs. This requires huge managerial abilities to think how to implement every technological upgradation in their existing systems. Hence in the short term, I would like to work for a consulting firm and try to narrow the difference between theory and practice of business processes through its understanding. It would be an opportunity for visualizing how convergence can be utilized to the hilt in my area as I keep growing professionally and in vision. The evolution of IT and the convergence of technology have transformed business processes, theories and practices worldwide. In this backdrop, with my technical background and a desire to learn about todays business strategies, Nyenrode MBA would show me the direction of the wind and perfectly mould me. It would give me the ideal launching pad for sailing through to discover hidden treasures that the wave of technology is blowing with.

I always believed in adopting a different approach. While my friends and colleagues pursue MBA studies from the US, UK and Canada, I chose Nyenrode in Netherlands over the other popular destinations. And even my perception of education and learning differs from others. In my understanding academic learning constitutes only a part of the entire exercise. For we learn much more through our observation and the circumstances we are in. Academic theories enhance our knowledge, and therefore, is a must. But only a diverse set of experiences can enable us to think how our knowledge can best be converted to constructive and beneficial assets. Nyenrode International MBA is truly international in terms of the nations involved. The way it has nurtured talent for 60 years is worth mentioning. It ideally addresses my concern of joining a school, which has a combination of theory and practice, and always remain focused on the real world of management and the marketplace. It would be a truly learning environment for me and see the European Union much more closely than just Europe. Moreover, Netherlands is one of Europe's social, cultural, and financial hubs. It is home to commercial giants like Unilever, Philips, ABN AMRO and ING, and the number one destination for foreign investment, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Even it is a country that had the world's first stock exchange, first central bank, first multinational (in the United East India Company), apart Europes biggest port, and one of the world's busiest airports symbols of robust global trade.

But even a bigger learning opportunity would be to study how all the member states of Europe unified under the banner of European Union and Euro. So the question that arises is, did emerging technologies play its role to unify the continent? That would bring about deeper thoughts in me to study how technology can rotate and revolve the earth in the days ahead.
At the same time, I am also keen on learning a European language. This opportunity would enable me to pick up Dutch. However, there would be some hurdles in my adventurous journey. Initially, it would be difficult for me to adjust in public life in a non-English speaking country. The cost of living in Holland is also high and would affect my finances to a certain extent. Even adapting to the socio-cultural life in the new land would be a slight problem, although not a hurdle. I can adapt to many a new situation and never hesitate to change myself wherever required and be part of the mainstream. I love crossing hurdles and enjoy the thrill of exploring newer zones. Such opportunities, in fact, rejuvenate me with huge sporting spirits. My contribution to the class of Nyenrode too would remain significant. I would bring in a lot of wealth for the entire fraternity to share and learn. My seven years of experience in sales and marketing of EDA/Embedded and Telecom domain of IT would definitely enrich everybody from any domain whatsoever, of how in an IT-driven world, sea changes in communication and data are revolutionizing business processes, systems, structures and models. These are key domains in IT being focused in the European region. This could be used in the discussion in the class when they will talk about the paradigm shift in the focus of leading European Telecom companies for the Indian market. On the EDA I can talk about how the semiconductor majors are running away from making India as their fabrication house. Rather they just concentrate in India as a design house. And how these design houses were the first example of outsourcing or BPO what we talk today.

On the personal front too, I can bring in the much-needed breather through my instantaneous sense of humor, which we may need at times in the midst of serious issues.

Why is Nyenrode the university you have selected for attaining your MBA? Please discuss the primary advantages and disadvantages you perceive of the program I always believed in adopting a different approach. While my friends and colleagues pursue MBA studies from the US, UK and Canada, I chose Nyenrode in Netherlands over the other popular destinations. And even my perception of education and learning differs from others. In my understanding academic learning constitutes only a part of the entire exercise. For we learn much more through our observation and the circumstances we are in. Academic theories enhance our knowledge, and therefore, is a must. But only a diverse set of experiences can enable us to think how our knowledge can best be converted to constructive and beneficial assets. Nyenrode International MBA is truly international in terms of the nations involved. The way it has nurtured talent for 60 years is worth mentioning. It ideally addresses my concern of joining a school, which has a combination of theory and practice, and always remain focused on the real world of management and the marketplace. It would be a truly learning environment for me and see the European Union much more closely than just Europe. Moreover, Netherlands is one of Europe's social, cultural, and financial hubs. It is home to commercial giants like Unilever, Philips, ABN AMRO and ING, and the number one destination for foreign investment, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Even it is a country that had the world's first stock exchange, first central bank, first multinational (in the United East India Company), apart Europes biggest port, and one of the world's busiest airports symbols of robust global trade. At the same time, I am also keen on learning a European language. This opportunity would enable me to pick up Dutch. However, there would be some hurdles in my adventurous journey. Initially, it would be difficult for me to adjust in public life in a non-English speaking country. The cost of living in Holland is also high and would affect my finances to a certain extent. Even adapting to the socio-cultural life in the new land would be a slight problem, although not a hurdle. I can adapt to many a new situation and never hesitate to change myself wherever required and be part of the mainstream. I love crossing hurdles and enjoy the thrill of exploring newer zones. Such opportunities, in fact, rejuvenate me with huge sporting spirits.

The Essentials Of Being A Writer

Writing is an art, and like any other form of artistic expression, it is a spontaneous outflow of ones feelings. It is a reflection of perceptions and opinions on specific issues or subjects that are very close to the writers heart. A

good writing is overall judged by how articulately and with what degree of cohesiveness and subtlety those thoughts have been portrayed for a comprehensive understanding of the communicative message. The ability to find a good subject is the most important issue here, as unless you have a suitable topic, what would write on? Apart from the subject matter, it also has a strong academic aspect from the point of view of grammar, text and vocabulary. Thus, the first and foremost step in striving for success in writing is to see through the core of things and perceive different phenomena in abstraction. On doing so, you reach the realm of oblivion; lose your identity as a writer and as a human machine. Thereafter, whatever you see, whether a scientific or a nonscientific phenomenon, you can transcend all your barriers of learning and knowledge and tread into a different universe altogether, undaunted by the unknown new domain you have landed in. For, now you are empowered with the forces of utter self-realization, to unveil the hidden virtues discreetly lying dormant in you, enabling you with those extra-ordinary attributes to comprehend myriad subjects, theories and occurrences with ease that may seem impossible with the naked eye. A new vision engulfs you, and you turn into a child of imagination. Most importantly, it brings out the true thinker in you. It is indeed, extremely difficult, to elevate your mental horizons to such levels all of a sudden. For that, you need to study and understand the conflicts of life, and annihilate yourself into the beauty that exists within the joy of happiness or the agony of pain in suffering as we crawl along the path of livelihood. Whether it is the visage of a luxurious 5-star hotel or a road-side shanty; or for that matter the flying supersonic jets and a crematorium, all these are bright and dark portraits between the inter-mingling of dreams and reality of mankind in their enduring struggle for existence. These unending confrontations should submerge you and be the fount of your communicating link between you and all that is beyond you. While perceiving the theme is important for any form of writing, the ability to pen down the thoughts with excellent written communication skills is of equal importance. The secret to mastering this art is no overnight affair but requires tremendous toiling which would include voracious reading and continuous writing habits. The more you read and whatever you read from any discipline of study enlarges your imagination from a wider spectrum. The language used; the varied styles and subtleties; different forms of expressions; words, idioms, phrases, adjectives all of these get registered in your subconscious mind. Here, you should assiduously note down all new words or the paraphernalia of language you come across, and this should be an unending process there is no end to learning or refining or even redefining your verbal ability to set new standards in writing. Style is another important aspect of writing, and therefore, having a feel of how they differ depending on the type of writing is also important as you

grow as a writer. For example, the approach of an advertisement copy would differ from that of a journalistic copy, while the technique used in compiling sociological texts would invariably be contrasting with literary texts as well as with those of science and engineering studies. Gradually, you can adapt yourself to these formats and create your own style too! Reading has to be supplemented by writing, and as you keep writingyou gradually start gaining control over the language, and it keeps maturing in a progressive manner with the aging of the clock. If you turn back to whatever you had written say even a year back, you would notice the distinct difference. Another extremely helpful tool is to get your work read by another person to find out the flaws and ways to improve on the same. Since an author is inclined in a particular direction, only somebody with an independent mindset can suggest the best modifications for the piece. Seasoning your writing is a must, as any piece of writing has enormous scope for improvement. For writers of almost every genre, the mind saturates at a specific level while writing, thereby affecting the overall creative strength. Therefore, one needs to spread out the work over a period of time by completely forgetting what he has written on the first day and take it up only after a few days. In this process, the writer gets the time to think consciously or unconsciously of what he had worked on, which in turn, brings new ideas the next time he takes it up. This opportunity should also be used for embellishing the article to make it look more colourful. But writing is not merely for the sake of writing or for self-appreciation. Seeing it in print is something that really enthrals any author, and more so if any reputed or premier publication carries it. This would obviously instil confidence in you, in your abilities and the potential you hold for success. Therefore, one should keep dispatching ones work regularly to different journals, even if on most occasions they are not carried or returned with a euphemistic apology letter from the editor. The picture may not be rosy for budding writers. Its a long drawn process and one has to face innumerable hurdles, which may make him extremely frustrated. Initially, when you start, you stand nowhere and often people may even demoralize you by stating that they are not up to the mark. But you have to ignore all such remarks and have a steel-firm determination to struggle and reach the heights of success which would happen only after a considerable time-frame. After the long wait is over, your writing skills mature and you start receiving the acclaims. Then you can proudly proclaim, I am the Writer.

By :- Rituparna Roy Chowdhury