What are your short-term and long-term career goals, and how will an MBA from UCLA Anderson specifically help you achieve these goals?, Sample 2

I am pursuing an MBA at UCLA Anderson to gain the management training and business expertise I need to excel in management consulting and, eventually, to return to public service to be a catalyst for change.

An Anderson MBA will allow me to move to the private sector, where I plan to work as a management consultant at a leading firm. The top consulting firms have developed active public sector practices that advise government agencies, and my analytical skills and public service experience make me an ideal fit to contribute to socially-important, effective solutions. Specifically, I would like to apply business expertise to innovative projects focused on economic development, strategy, and public finance, so I can help government entities more effectively fulfill their commitments to the public.

Since I was a child, my parents and I have discussed newspaper articles we felt were important, and I have always been drawn to news about the government and the economy. Exposure to these news headlines, particularly the economic reports, has inspired me to become an influential leader in our government. As an employee of the United States Congress, I support economic analysis in critical policy areas, including labor and gender issues, and have seen how outside consultants can bolster the government’s strategies and capabilities.

My long-term plan is to return to the public sector as a Director in the White House. I intend to follow in the footsteps of UCLA Anderson graduate Lezlee Westine, who served as the Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush and Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. Although office titles change with transitioning Administrations, I am passionate about the current Office of Public Engagement, which is “the embodiment of the President’s goal of making government inclusive, transparent, accountable, and responsible.” Within the Office of Public Engagement is the Council on Women and Girls, which aims to support females through legislation and coordinates all federal agencies to ensure they uphold their responsibility to help advance women. I am dedicated to making sure that women have the opportunities to succeed, especially as contributors to the labor force. As a Director of a White House program, I would be able to challenge the status quo and contribute to the execution of a more efficient and transparent government.

I aim to attend Anderson to learn from inspiring faculty who are influential across business sectors. I follow the Anderson Forecast, as it is at the forefront of essential communication between business and government. I have tracked the work of forecast director Edward Leamer, whose analysis “Who Can Save Us? Wall Street, K Street, or Main Street?” provides insight into the contributions of the public and private sectors to the domestic economy and reflects the intersection of spheres I aim to influence. I am excited about interacting with UCLA’s world-class faculty, and also attending the weekly seminars held by the Global Economics and Management Center on the International Political Economy.

I am very enthusiastic about UCLA’s recent program overhaul, and I plan to complete the consulting track with specializations in Sustainability and Global Management. I am eager to jump-start my learning with the core curriculum and prepare myself for a successful summer consulting internship. UCLA’s commitment to experience-based learning through its Applied Management Research Program appeals to my desire for practical interaction with the business community.

It is my goal to contribute to my community throughout my career, and Anderson’s focus on sustainability and social responsibility will contribute to my development as an altruistic leader. I plan to be active in the Anderson chapter of Net Impact, to which I will bring a unique public policy perspective and a vision of working together to enact responsible social change. Along with involvement in the Anderson Student Association, I plan to participate in Anderson’s Challenge for Charity because of its excellent record of community contribution and its focus on lifelong social responsibility.

An MBA from UCLA is the critical springboard for my career as a community-conscious management consultant and, eventually, for affecting responsible change in the public sector. I am determined to become an influential leader who not only affects newspaper headlines but also positively impacts communities.