Essay 1

If we were to admit just one more student, make a compelling argument as to why that student should be you by describing an (only one) achievement in your personal / professional
life that you are most proud of. What did you do that sets you apart from others? What did you learn?
(400 words max)

For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them
- Aristotle
In Jan 2014 I made a decisive switch from a business development professional
to becoming a client management specialist. The move was not only aimed at
diversifying my career prospects but also was a significant step towards
comprehending each and every aspect of the public relations industry.
The move proved to be a great learning experience as it benefited me in
understanding the different nuances of the elaborate communication strategies.
But as they say, every opportunity comes at its own cost and this was no
different as the transition from working in a large organisation, where the
infrastructure and links were in place to now working for a boutique PR agency
with a small 3 members team emerged as an arduous step in my career. As I was
assimilating the work process and was trying to excel at it, another challenge
surfaced from family front.
It was around March when my grandparents moved in with us, due to the rising
health concerns of my grandmother and I was in the middle of a very crucial
client acquiring pitch process. As my mother was busy taking care of her parents
and was in the middle of finalising the dates for her sons marriage, as a
conscientious daughter, I had to assist her and also as an independent and
competent woman was expected to shine at my workplace and outdo the
expectations.
During all this, we at THRS were close to getting the client onboard and this was
going to be a remarkable achievement of my career as I was responsible not only
for generating this lead but also getting the client onboard. My seniors and
colleagues reposed their faith in me by assigning the sole responsibility of
managing and servicing one of the most important account of the agency.
I had to organise the demanding new job with a newly acquired client, the ailing
grandmothers doctors visits and preparations of my brothers wedding. Initially
it seemed to be a perturbing experience and caused doubts over my ability to
handle and absorb it all as I couldnt neglect any of these duties. But with all my
learning and abilities, I successfully dealt with this fascinating yet strenuous
period of my life. This was a life altering experience as I not only rediscovered
myself but also learnt how to administer pressure and multi-task. I familiarised
myself with the modern concept of work-life balance which many professionals
fail to direct.