Please give a brief evaluation of yourself as a leader.
Becoming a leader in the business world has been my goal since high school. In order to succeed at any goal, one must first find a path to reach the goal, and then embark on that path. My path to becoming a leader began in high school. While studying in high school, I demonstrated great dedication, a trait necessary for a leader. I mastered several different disciplines. I passed Advanced Placement tests in Art History, Chemistry and Physics, and graduated in the top 5% of my class. I also had the opportunity to exercise actual leadership skills as President of both the Science Club and the Business Club.
At the State University of California at Los Angeles, I continued to serve leadership positions while remaining committed to my studies. I won first place in the Phi Beta Lambda 31st State Leadership Conference in Management and Information Management. Although I worked 36 hours a week at two part-time jobs, in addition to participating in this conference, I as able to maintain my grades. I joined the General Education Honors Program. Upon entering the working world, I found that the value of leadership is priceless. The climate has changed drastically, from a cooperative, serene learning environment to a place where only the fittest survive. Luckily, my leadership training from high school and college has paid off. I was quickly promoted from purchasing agent to procurement supervisor.
As a further step in becoming a business leader, I recently accepted an offer from Rain Bird to be a buyer/planner. In this role, I am in total control of two product lines that make about $15 million in sales each year. Although I have learned new ways to manage labor and products, in this new position I have finally found my leadership qualities to be inadequate. I need to discover how engineering changes, climate changes, and marketing promotions of Rain Bird and its competitors affect my product lines. I want to learn how information systems enhance and ease business transactions, and how to be more productive and efficient in this global economy. After consulting several fellow co-workers who have studied in UCLA's FEMBA Program, I think studying there would help me continue on my path of success.
What do you consider to be your most important personal and professional accomplishments?
I have made my most important personal and professional accomplishments as a member of APICS, the Educational Society for Resource Management. A co-worker introduced me to this organization. At first, I was reluctant to join because I thought, "I already have a degree in operations management; why do I need to join an association in which I would learn nothing new?" As time went on I found out more and more about this prestigious organization and gradually discovered that by contributing to it I could improve my managing abilities. I quickly became certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM). After about a year, I was appointed director of the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of APICS, which is the most cherished accomplishment I have to date.
Running a chapter is like running a small business. There is a national body, like a government, which establishes by laws and rules to which we have to adhere. We have to market ourselves, capture customers(members) and make them happy by offering our products and services. We book classrooms and sponsor workshops on different aspects of manufacturing for members and non-members. Every month we have a joint meeting with the Anaheim chapter which features a renowned speaker. We also create and publish a newsletter every month to update our members about APICS and the latest manufacturing trends. Sometimes we solicit companies in the San Gabriel Valley about the possibility of offering APICS classes onsite. The greatest challenge in directing an APICS chapter is in financing all of the chapters activities.
The most valuable benefit I have gained from being an APICS director has been the ties I have developed with fellow directors and members. In APICS, I continually meet new colleagues. They come from large and small companies, and in positions from receiving clerks to vice presidents. We all meet to discuss the latest trends in manufacturing and job opportunities around the area. By learning from each other, we can improve our companies' bottom lines. As an APICS director, I have learned a lot about marketing and finance. I would not have been able to gain such valuable knowledge without hands-on experience.The entrepreneurial abilities I have developed in this position will prove useful as I move further along my path to business success. Why have you decided to enter the Fully Employed MBA Program? Why is this the appropriate time for you to begin?
There are many reasons why I believe this is the perfect time for me to start the Fully Employed MBA Program at UCLA. With regard to gaining knowledge, I have been learning continuously since high school. During high school summer breaks, I took SAT workshops, and in college, I took classes even in summer quarters. When I graduated and started working, I studied to become CPIM- certified for APICS. Starting the MBA program now is the next most logical step in my career.
In terms of career advancements, I am also pushing myself to the limit. I was quickly promoted to a supervisory level at Rain Bird and to a directing position at APICS. I want to keep my pace on this fast career track. Starting the MBA program now will surely open doors to upper management positions within Rain Bird. With regard to personal goals, I have wanted to go to UCLA since high school. I got accepted by the undergraduate school but financial difficulties forced me to choose a state university. Getting my MBA at UCLA will be a childhood dream coming true. Last but not least in making this the ideal time for me to pursue an MBA is the great support from people around me. My wife believes getting an MBA will improve the quality of our lives; my parents think that with an MBA I can be an exemplary model for my brother and sister; co-workers that are already in the FEMBA program told me the program is excellent and the experience worthwhile; and my plant manager, who is a FEMBA alumna, told me it was the best two and a half years she ever spent in school. With my high expectations and support from others, I am confident that I can succeed at UCLA. I am ready to start the FEMBA program this fall.