HEC Paris MiM – Sample Essays & Recommendation Letters

HEC Paris MiM Sample Essays – 1

HEC Paris MiM Essay 1: What is Leadership to you and how do you recognize a great leader? Please include personal example(s). (600 words max)*

During the 2007 economic crisis, both my parents lost their jobs. Slowly, we ate up through all our savings to buy necessities such as food or electricity. Everything that my parents had built until then had turned to dust. I remember my parents hunting for jobs and not hearing back from anywhere. Out of this extreme financial crisis in the family was born the business of essential oils.

It didn’t become a successful business on day one. My mother being a biology teacher and dad a mechanical engineer, they were entering an unfamiliar territory of business to make ends meet. They started by setting up a clear goal: to develop a brand. For that the product range was developed and tested by us, brand logo was designed, trademark resisted and a brand statement set up. Next came setting up an office space with computers, desks and chairs, and then uploading the entire itenary of products developed on various e-commerce sites such as Amazon. An accounts department was set up, employees hired for every role and marketing strategies being put into place. My parents wore multiple hats and played multiple roles from managing finances, supporting customers or managing employees to keep the business afloat. 

They rose to the occasion and did not give up. They made mistakes but they learned as they went ahead. Turned our economic crisis into a successful business of selling essential oils all over the world with an employee count of 50.

To me this is a classic example of leadership.

Not giving up in the face of adversity and uncertainty.

Putting structure to a given problem, solving it smartly step by step.

And having a direction, believing in yourself and rising to the occasion.

In March of 2019, an aspiring team from our college was looking for a girl team member to participate with them in a coding competition titled Smart India Hackathon (SIH) – the biggest and the most distinguished event of its kind in the country, with very lucrative cash awards, some of which are awarded by the Prime Minister of India. Hundreds of thousands of teams participate in this competition from all over India.There were about 20 teams in one of the many competition centers. A portion of the competition was where officials who presented the problem statement came and talked to the students who were working on that problem. In our case, doctors from MAX Healthcare came and asked “How are you folks planning on achieving the stated objective?”

What we had strategized in advance to deal with the problem statement was dismantled in the first 4 hours of a 24-hour competition when the MAX Healthcare doctors rejected our idea. In that moment, I stepped up, taking the lead and was able to put a structure to it. Together we came up with a new plan, I advised everyone to stay calm and brainstormed on a new path. I guided everyone and delegated tasks based on what everyone can do best to make best use of our time. I intervened whenever there was conflict. One was doing logic, one focused on machine learning and Myself was focused on frontend and android application. Though we did not win, we did reach the grand finale and secured our place in the top four positions. I think this experience has taught me the team work spirit and how a leader steps up in the face of uncertainty, chaos and time crunch and achieves something.

HEC Paris MiM Essay 2: Why are you applying to HEC Paris and this program? Please include your career goals in this essay (450 words max)*

I am a Computer Science Engineer with a great passion to solve real world problems using technology. When the COVID hit and there was a dearth of testing kits, I developed a Covid detection solution using X-Ray scans.  As a part of internships with regional governmental bodies, I have also built intelligent Traffic Lights systems, and algorithms to predict forest fires that operated at 87 percent accuracy. Through these projects, I have honed my analytical and problem solving skills. 

For the last 4 years, I have spent a considerable time supporting my family business. I was assisting our Chartered Accountant to manage the company books, and balance sheets. This is where I was first introduced to the field of Finance. Curious to learn more, I self taught the concepts of Finance using Coursera and Linkedin Learning. This understanding also helped me to build an automatic stock trading algorithm, that for Reliance, that minimises losses and maximizes profits. Reading the Financial Times and debating over stock market and other topics with my father were a common occurrence. My interest in intersection of finance and technology led me to winning the best project  award in a national competition for developing an effective equity selection model based on business headlines scanning over 5000 new articles in a week to predict trend lines and movements of the stock market.

My goal is to get into the finance industry as a full-fledged finance professional. To get there, I need deeper knowledge of finance and business concepts. Therefore I want to pursue an MiM in the short term, which will impart the necessary knowledge and skills to make a career in the Finance Industry. 

HEC has an extensive course layout focusing on finance, from pre-programme to electives, catering to my every various facets from Corporate Finance to Financial Accounting. Outside the classroom, HEC provides me opportunities to participate in case competitions and a chance to deal with real world business problems through projects. I also wish to join student-run Finance Clubs to get exposure and an insight into how the corporate world operates, specifically finance functions, through networking with alumni and industry experts. 

Most of all, HEC’s diverse class profile is something that is very important to me. I am a person who believes in peer to peer learning and I want to spend my time at HEC with other fellow students, sharing my experiences and learning from theirs, together building a strong understanding of the subject in the real world. I am looking forward to this enriching experience and making strong connections with fellow batchmates, whom I know I can always rely upon for guidance and support in future. 

HEC Paris MiM Essay 3: In recent weeks what business issue or news topic have you found inspiring and why. (300 words maximum)*

In recent weeks, the rebranding of lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret caught my attention. This brand went from their classic pink decor and racy lingerie to a new motto, “including all women.” They expanded their size lines to accommodate more women, focused more on empowering women and their comfort over racy lingerie sizes that fit the women that were considered to have the ideal supermodel figure. 

This news inspired me because it reinforced my belief that the fundamental quality any business leader should possess is to be inclusive of all people. More importantly businesses should realise that it is these very people, who have been neglected, form the core part of the society. Playing fair and just, not discriminating against their colour, culture, size, religion or anything else. 

The rebranding of Victoria’s Secret is a small but monumental step in this direction. I was particularly impressed by their new brand ambassadors, throwing over the old “angels”. The new brand ambassadors are activists, athletes and entrepreneurs. These women are from diverse backgrounds all sizes and colours, cis and trans, and many proud members of LGBTQ+ community. As someone who identifies myself with this Queer community, this news made me feel valued and included. 

I believe that for any business to be successful, that business needs to accommodate everyone. The products should reflect everyone, so that they can picture themselves using that product, feeling good about themselves. In today’s age, you cannot disregard anyone, any of us could be filled with immense potential. So to completely utilize this potential to create something wonderful in this world, business leaders should include everyone.