Below is the Sample Essay for INSEAD Business School
Give a candid description of yourself (who you are as a person), stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary (maximum 500 words).
Journeys are the roadways to novel things in life. It is not the destination but the very path of reaching it that ensures optimum learning for one. My locomotive journey is one of the major factors that contributed to my growth and development and culminated in my confident persona. Being a son of a civil servant we kept on moving from one place to the other every three years. This meant many new beginnings for me. I have studied in 6 schools so far situated in different Indian states. The starting of a new phase in life was difficult as I found myself in the pool of a different culture altogether. Initially, it seemed like swimming against the current but with little time, the tact of camaraderie, and my friendly nature, I managed to stay afloat. The very situation which seemed difficult initially began to look natural gradually and it became easier for me to go with the flow thus winning many friends and earning a good relationship with my teachers. Eventually, this became the pattern of my life and it came to me naturally to adjust and make the best of what was provided to me. At this point, I can comfortably say that I don’t have a comfort zone. Instead, I try to create one at every new place I visit. Additionally, what I am particularly proud of is that in this era of specialization, I can call myself a polyglot as every place instilled in me its language and culture in its subtle way.
This quality enhanced my adaptability and ability to learn quickly. Things came to me relatively easily as compared to others. I have always been keen on taking up tasks that challenge me and I work best in multicultural group activities. This factor was strengthened when in college I took up the task of conducting various events and fests. Each had numerous people involved in it. My skills helped me approach the situations from a different angle thus helping me achieve what was required and it was approved by my teammates which reinforced a sense of independence in me. I learned that an emphatical understanding is very crucial to handling diverse environments. Though there was strife, mismanagement, and sometimes people lacked the vigor to work hard which seemed like a drawback in a team of 50 students I knew what was required hence I changed my approach from being assertive to presenting the situation as the person wanted to see. The fest was ISO certified and had multiple global performers involved thus it was needed for me to be as comprehensive and patient as possible because that’s how great feats are executed. When you’re dealing with people, one size fits all does not apply to such situations. People are complex beings hence one has to know how to get things done. This enabled me to perform the tasks with efficiency and achieve what I planned not just in my college but professionally too. I am glad I got to see these finer points as later on I worked as a Solutions Advisor where I had to demonstrate customer demonstrations to various clients/prospects and take the feasible requirements only.
Later on, as part of the research internship, I went to remote parts of the country and was taken aback by the sheer disparity and unawareness among children there. They were unable to identify the missile man of India which came as a rude shock to me. I felt the need to work for society all the more. I realized that I carried the potential to change the world hence I consciously worked to promote education for underprivileged kids. I have worked as a core member of the National Digital Literacy Mission of the government, along with being a participant in beach cleaning activities. I believe each one of these tasks has proven conducive to my growth.
Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned (maximum 400 words).
‘The Dynamo’ (2017) is the name of the award that I received as a token of appreciation for my consistent hard work. The name fully describes my journey from being an employee to a rising star. I contributed to a Sales Solutions consulting project for improving client acquisition by 40% and increasing projected revenue by 80 million dollars. I was part of 8 client acquisitions across the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and India. It was while preparing for these demonstrations I observed that at certain times code functionalities were not relevant to the innovations in the FinTech field. I initiated the revamp process for the same and it did yield the expected results thus giving me a sense of confidence that I can work well under pressure and later on helped me take up the challenge as a solutions advisor for a major Malaysian client in Kuala Lumpur.
Achievements are worth celebrating but one learns through failures. It was in my college that we planned a grand opening that involved stellar Lantern festivities. The lanterns were meant to be the star attraction as it involved about 2000 lanterns being lit up and allowed to take off lighting up the night at the venue and creating a wonderful spectacle. We were very sure of this hence posted the news of the same on our various social media platforms. Nevertheless, it came as a surprise when the college authorities objected to the idea. We expected a footfall of 20,000 people and this cancellation meant an abject embarrassment for us and the name of our college society. Eventually, a different time slot was decided for it. However, I would say that it was my shortcoming to deny the enormity and seriousness of this matter. I tried to do everything myself and couldn’t manage. I firmly believe that a critical aspect of leadership is the awareness of when to escalate a certain matter without waiting for it to become an unavoidable obstacle to progress. I learned a lot through this event.
Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (maximum 300 words)
Society moved towards development via wheels. My interests too rolled on wheels but these were flat and carried the potential to change. I am thankful to my grandmother for giving me her time and the coin India produced 1500 years ago. Numismatics intrigues me and I have collected coins from 60 countries. With my expanding collection, I feel the need to trace history. I believe these little metal discs act as tangible relics that allow me to touch past times and draw associations.
Besides this, it was during my college days I got to interact with international magicians and assisted them with backstage acts. I got to see a lot and learned a few of their tricks which enthralled the audience. Currently, I am interested in cardistry which is a recent trend in the cards section. I also have a quirky habit of enjoying challenging things like bungee jumping and other such sports. Living in Malaysia gave me just the opportunity and I went ahead with various kayaking and bungee jumping events. I even have a courage certificate for the same. At this juncture Kintsugi is on my list, it teaches a person to reassemble broken parts with gold. I read about it and felt the need to learn this skill. It is something peaceful and creative.
Right now all I wish for is that I get to meet people who have a proclivity for novelty in life with whom I would love to share my unusual interests.
