New Job Position example essay topic

Why a graduate degree? Kim Jones MB 417-COM 515 Thomas Byers December 4, 2003 Am I up to the challenge of graduate school? After a series of life events I guess I am. I will attempt to walk you through some of the reasons for my procrastination the last 18 years.

After graduation I was very energetic and enthusiastic like many graduates. Obtaining an advance business degree was a personal goal I set after receiving my undergraduate degree in August, 1985. I immediately got a position with Ford Motor Company and began to plant my feet there to go on and start my career path to the executive offices upstairs. I still wanted to obtain my MBA, but work was demanding, and night classes at the end of the day just would not fit into my schedule.

I put my advance degree plans on the back burner. In 1991, I married my husband Larry, who is just as enthusiastic and career oriented as I am. Within 30 days of our marriage, we relocated across country to California for my husband's job. Since then my life has been a series of relocations to different parts of the country. The first five years of relocating were exciting. Packing up the household; jet setting from one end of the country to another; learning new things, meeting new people, and was always in a new job position.

Timing was always a factor on a new job; I put off taking classes until I was acclimated to my new position and new hometown. As life would have it, I would settle in at my new position, and before I could settle in, it was time to move or plan to move again. Now that 12 1/2 years have passed, I literally traded in my career for my husband's career to blossom, and he has excelled enormously. I have no regrets about our decision to approach our lives and his career in this manner. If I had to do it again, I would do it the same way.

It truly has been an adventurous life so far. On the other hand, I still had not retrieved my degree from the back burner, were I placed it in 1985. As we fast forward to October, 2001, it finally happened; I was assigned to do my first group project. I am rather sly, never the person to volunteer for group assignments because of my lack of interest in group research, oral presentations, and written proposals.

I was aware of my weaknesses in those areas and tried to avoid the task at all cost. I fore filled my duties as a part of the group, but I was not content with my performance. I asked for help when I needed it, and everyone was good about helping me, but I was not equipped with the right tools to do a good job. I compared my work to other members in the group, and I did not feel my work displayed the same level of expertise. I needed more advanced training to be dynamic in my position for future group assignments. My skills definitely needed updating.

It would be another two years before I would find time to consider taking graduate courses. Fortunate for me, I was not summoned to be on another group project. Not until recently has my desire to get my MBA been so prevalent and necessary in my mind to obtain. As recent as June, 2003, I was laid off from my position with a local company as a result of reduction in workforce. This was a life changing event. It was very difficult to find gainful employment.

I was interviewing constantly in most situations for a job with 50 or more candidates for one position. I was always told, your skills are good, you have an undergraduate degree; I was pleasant, and enthusiastic but other candidates might have a better chance due to an advanced degree. Finally, I said this is the day I get my desire to earn my MBA from the back burner. I called the admissions office for information on graduate programs at the University of Phoenix. This is why I am pursuing my graduate degree: I would like to be the best at oral presentations, research, writing winning proposals, group projects and management decisions. Last, but not least to give my self esteem a huge confidence boost.

I have been out of school for 18 years; the world has changed, the way we conduct business has changed. I would like to feel like I am keeping up with the changes and obtaining my MBA is the right step; in the right direction to excel in today's business world..