Oxford Said MBA Sample Essays

How do you fit with Oxford Saïd’s mission? Maximum 500 words.*

After seeing Professor XYZ message, I believe Said Business school mission in its XX years of existence has been working towards solving world scale problems and preparing business leaders who would find ways to improve the world and create impact in the society. In my 6 years of professional career as a technology consultant, I have been continuously striving to solve technology problems for our clients which can help them create a positive impact their societies. Since my childhood days, I have been awestruck by technology and passionate about developing applications. When, I graduated in 2010 mobile first revolution was at its cusp of revolutionizing the world. I joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and opted to work in a mobile application development team because that’s I was passionate about and it always fascinated me how we could solve several everyday problems with innovative mobile apps. My first big ticket project where I truly believe, I solved a world scale problem which benefited the society is when I worked for British telecom. Exorbitant costs of international calls was a common problem faced by corporate employees working in global teams.Explain the situation a bit more STAR. Situation action task and result We developed mobile applications for British Telecom to address this problem. These applications reduced the international calls costs by 70% without using the internet. I was responsible for developing this application on BlackBerry devices. After 6 years as a technology consultant, I want to upgrade my skill set and take up new challenges. Post MBA, I aspire to become a Technology Product Manager and be responsible for delivering products that bring a positive change to business as well as to the society. I want to enrol in an MBA program that not only gives me a 360-degree view of business but also helps me better prepare to understand and solve the problems faced by the world. Professors Peter Tufano’s video was truly inspiring and I find Oxford’s MBA program to be in perfect sync with my targeted goals and desired learning from the MBA program. An MBA from Oxford will provide an opportunity to learn from an international faculty body and to interact with the best minds would broaden my perspective. Additionally, I can contribute my valuable insights to Technology OBN leveraging my vast mobile technology experience and help my classmates network with the connections I have. With the insights gained from multicultural experience in India, I believe that the diverse student community at Saïd and the broad Oxford community will be an informal learning platform, which would enhance the overall learning experience and give me the exposure to tackle world scale problems. As more organisations adopt mobile-first strategy, techno-managers, as opposed to classical managers, are better equipped to adapt to changes in the mobile landscape. I think equipped with the right set of business fundamentals from an MBA I would be able to create impact for people, businesses and society and fulfil Oxford’s Mission. In my pursuit to make a difference to the society, I will continue to do my best in educating girl child in India.

Other questions from Said

Describe below your immediate post-MBA plans: 1000* characters

Post MBA, I aspire to take up the role of a product manager in a technology firm such as Amazon, Google, or Microsoft. I specifically intend to take up this role in a firm that primarily operates in the mobile space to leverage my knowledge of mobile application development. In the past 6 years of my career, I have acquired vast technical knowledge in the mobile sphere. I want to utilise this knowledge to lead pioneering mobile technology products. An MBA will give me the business management knowledge required for a product manager’s role. So far I have led unidirectional technical teams only, an MBA program can help me gain the skills required to manage cross-functional teams in a product manager’s role. The accomplishment of my short-term goal will facilitate my long-term goal to lead a group of product managers and handle a portfolio of products. Not to be a C-suite executive ?

Preferred Sector post-MBA
Technology sector

Preferred Location post-MBA
United Kingdom

How does your preferred sector in your preferred location recruit MBA talent?
Describe the research you have done so far. 1000* characters

After talking to Saïd alumnus PQR and current MBA student Ashutosh Gandhi, I understand that apart from campus visits by companies to recruit students, networking events such as alumni reach out, and club activities help students land in their desired jobs. Student treks help the students reach out to prospective employers in different locations. Participating in case competitions is another way that makes students visible to employers. Most importantly, an internship is an excellent way for an MBA student to prove his/her mettle to prospective employers. For example, doing the Amazon PMT internship would be a great opportunity for me.

How do you meet these requirements?1000*

Although Majority of my experience comprises of application development, I have had a few very good opportunities in my career to take up product management roles for a brief while. One such opportunity was during my year-long onsite stint in the XXXX UK. I was working with the client on-site implementing the product we developed. That’s experience with our direct customer helped me understand the user’s point of view. I could incorporate several design changes in the applications which enhanced the user experience. Elaborate what else you did which might support your claim of being a product manager. As a Product Manager is the voice of user inside the business, my skills will accentuate my candidature in/for my target firms. With my strong technical background and the skills i acquire during my MBA, I believe I will be competent to take up a product management role.

What do you plan to do between now and starting your MBA to prepare and maximize your chances of success?1000*

If selected, before starting my MBA, I would start networking with Oxford’s alumni and current students as they would provide valuable insights, suggestions and connections to help me achieve my desired goals after MBA.
Simultaneously, I will widen my network within the technology industry so that I can start leveraging the Alumni Network and my current network in parallel to maximize my chances of landing in my targeted firms. Additionally, I will ask my manager to assign me a leadership role apart from my technical role to improve my leadership skills. Furthermore, I plan to take an introductory course on Accounting and Finance that would help me during the rigorous one year program. I would also do an extensive research on internships available in my target firms.

Should you not be successful in securing your first choice of role, what is your alternative? 1000*

As a first choice, I intend to take up a product management role in a large technology firm that operates in the mobile space. In case I am not able to crack into my first choice of role, as an alternative, I would take a broader technology management role against the relatively narrow mobile scope. I will be willing to consider joining a promising technology start ups in Europe or developing economies of south east Asia. For example Urban Clap in India.
 As a further alternative, I shall also consider taking up a technology consulting role in firms such as Deloitte, Accenture etc. With my undergraduate degree in Computer Science and my 6 years of multi-domain experience in the IT sector, I am confident I can make a switch into my alternatives very comfortably.

Please list your main responsibilities, your most significant challenge and your greatest achievement: 5000*

Didn’t manage to work on this yet. will do in morning

Please give a specific example of when you have had to apply leadership skills in a voluntary capacity. Maximum 150 words

A year ago, two trainees joined my team. Though they were technically proficient, they lacked soft skills, especially communication skills. They came from a remote village of India and were having difficulty in interacting with other colleagues in office. They mostly kept to themselves and pretty soon started feeling left out. I understood their problem and helped them interact with other colleagues. I convinced them to join Toastmasters club, which helped them immensely. Also, I have been organizing weekly knowledge sharing sessions in which each trainee gives a 30-minute lecture on his/her current project to fellow trainees. Today, the two trainees (who are not trainees anymore) effortlessly take client calls and are more confident than before. Though we don’t work for the same team now, they never fail to invite me when they are speaking at a Toastmasters meeting.

Sample Essay
What should Oxford expect from you? (500 words)
Client Profile:
– 6+ years in analytics and big data.
– Post-MBA Short-term Goal – Consulting

Initial Draft:
I am a firm believer of my philosophy that an individual fired by the power of
passion and determination can bring about a change, a change that can inspire
lives for generations to come and keep one alive for a time period greater than
a lifetime. My belief in this has been initiated and reinforced by the way I have
leaded my life. Being the first woman in my family who has stepped out of
bounds of house to become the youngest team lead in my current organization
was neither easy nor comfortable, but my passion kept me going, and now I
have inspired a new generation of girls in my family, still studying but
dreaming to be someone much more than a house maker.
Passionate about data crunching, data visualizations and gaining insights from
those visualizations, I have driven innovative visualizations initiatives for the
Sankalp NGO. Based on the blood donation drives data I have come up with
insights for streamlining blood donation drive process. I am highly enthusiastic
to build insights from Oxfords clubs and classroom data for helping the school,
current students and future aspirants. Working at leadership role at a young age I carry with me an insight to overcome hurdles faced while working with cross cultural teams from nations like China, India, US, Canada, Germany, Japan and South Africa for both Government and Non-Government clients. My 6.5 years of job has given me rich experience in Analytics and Big Data having worked in diverse domains including Retail Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Real Estate Analytics and Supply Chain Analytics. I am quite eager to help my peers in building the understanding on analytics, a core subject at SBS. I am also equally inclined to offer technical help to professors in Management Science research area. Along with this I am eager to take up sessions to broaden understanding of the technology sector and technology management roles for candidates, part of Oxford Business Network for Technology and Media group. Having studied in a missionary convent school has not just given me inintellectual outlook, but has also given me attitude imbued with social,
moral and spiritual values. The values given to me by my school, has not
only helped me in my personal but professional life as well. In my earnest
efforts to give back to my school, I along with a group of other alumni have
taken the onus to raise funds for the school, so that the quality of education
does not suffer with the rise in cost while a meagre rise in funds. We also
take our time out to give career guidance to the present day students,
mostly using online channels of communication. While at SBSI would love to follow my passion for mentoring. It would be my sincere effort to devote my time to mentoring new entrants. I would want to lead an initiative to start an online chatting interface for guiding candidates looking to apply at SBS. I am positive I will be able to do this effectively, as I have successfully mentored over 1500 fresher during last 5 years. Designing boot camp training sessions and leading a cell of ex-students and professors to give career guidance to fresher from my undergraduate colleges, has honed my mentoring skills.

Our take on the initial draft:
I am a firm believer of my philosophy that an individual fired by the power
of passion and determination can bring about a change, a change that can
inspire lives for generations to come and keep one alive for a time period
greater than a lifetime. My belief in this has been initiated and reinforced
by the way I have leaded my life. Being the first woman in my family who
has stepped out of bounds of house to become the youngest team lead in
my current organization was neither easy nor comfortable, but my passion
kept me going, and now I have inspired a new generation of girls in my
family, still studying but dreaming to be someone much more than a house
maker. The idea in the above paragraph is great, but the first couple of sentences are a little dense. There could be a better way to communicate the same thought. Passionate about data crunching, data visualizations and gaining insights from those visualizations, I have driven innovative visualizations initiatives for ?X?NGO. Based on the blood donation drives data I have come up with insights for streamlining blood donation drive process. I am highly enthusiastic to build insights from Oxfords clubs and classroom data for helping the school, current students and future aspirants. Working at leadership role at a young age I carry with me an insight to overcome hurdles faced while working with cross cultural teams from nations like China, India, US, Canada, Germany, Japan and South Africa for both Government and Non-Government clients. My 6.5 years of job has given me rich experience in Analytics and Big Data having worked in diverse domains including Retail Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Real Estate Analytics and Supply Chain Analytics. It might be better if the client were to touch upon professional experience first and NGO experience later. I am quite eager to help my peers in building the understanding on analytics, a core subject at SBS. I am also equally inclined to offer technical help to professors in Management Science research area. Along with this Iam eager to take up sessions to broaden understanding of the technology sector and technology management roles for candidates, part of Oxford Business Network for Technology and Media group. Having studied in a missionary convent school has not just given me in intellectual outlook, but has also given me attitude imbued with social,
moral and spiritual values. The values given to me by my school, has not
only helped me in my personal but professional life as well. In my earnest
efforts to give back to my school, I along with a group of other alumni have
taken the onus to raise funds for the school, so that the quality of education
does not suffer with the rise in cost while a meagre rise in funds. We also
take our time out to give career guidance to the present day students,
mostly using online channels of communication. While at SBSI would love to follow my passion for mentoring. It would be my sincere effort to devote my time to mentoring new entrants. I would want to lead an initiative to start an online chatting interface for guiding candidates looking to apply at SBS.
While stating any pioneering idea, it is important to check whether anything similar already exists, and whether it is feasible (based on the limited information the client would have at hand). The client might want to rethink this contribution. I am positive I will be able to do this effectively, as I have successfully mentored over 1500 fresher during last 5 years. Designing boot camp training sessions and leading a cell of ex-students and professors to give
career guidance to fresher from my undergraduate colleges, has honed my
mentoring skills. The client has structured the essay well. In each paragraph, the client first talks about what she has already done ( i.e, relevant background) and then goes on to talk about what she will do at Oxford. Overall, this is a great first draft. There is only a little re-ordering and language editing required
to bring it to its final shape. Final Cut (after multiple rounds of reviews and drafts): My grandmother never went to school. My mom is a graduate but has never worked. For the most basic personal needs, they had to depend on their
husbands or fathers. But it is their support that has made me who I am: the
first woman in our extended family to ace college, work in a multinational
company and earn an independent living. This has inspired a new
generation of girls in my family, still studying but dreaming bigger. My
professional experience has been equally enriching and challenging. Ive
worked with clients from diverse domains (government & private) and
geographies (North America, East Asia, Europe, South Africa) and can share
my learning about cross-cultural communication and management across
time zones with my peers at Oxford.Studying in a missionary convent school has embedded in me social, moral and spiritual values. In my earnest efforts to give back to my school, I led an alumni cell with the vision to raise funds for the school?s betterment. Our efforts raised xxx to purchase computers & educational aids for the school.I am committed to be a part of fund raising community while at Oxford andwould like to take up activities such as reviewing applications for raisingfunds for charity. Oxford?s alumni ambassadors and current students have been quite helpful. I particularly benefitted from the Nikhil Nair?s chat session because it was beyond what can be found online. Training 1500+ freshers during the last 5 years has honed my mentoring and training skills. At SBS, I would love to follow my passion for mentoring and start an online chat session for Oxford aspirants. As an Oxonian and a Bangalorean I will volunteer for OBA Bangalore chapter to assist both students and alumni visiting or working in the city. I?d also love to be a part of the Ascent Mentoring Programme to assist female candidates in building their career. As a member of training and placement committee during college, I was
actively involved in organizing recruiting events and mock interviews. I?d
love to help out similarly at SBStoo. I have applied my knowledge of
analytics to areas outside of work. My analysis of data from the blood
donation drives conducted by the NGO ?X?offered insights to streamline the
donation process and we implemented these for better efficiency. I am very
enthusiastic about deriving data-driven insights for SBSsuch as analyzing
Top 5 clubs in which students are most interested, steps required to make
other clubs more attractive while utilizing funds optimally based on student
interest, trend analysis of job opportunities for current students etc.
For me, an MBA needs to be a transformative experience that urges me to
think higher. Through SBS?GOTO community, I will exercise my intellect and
problem solving skills to analyze issues and ideate solutions. I firmly believe
that the best way to learn is to collaborate and share. I will do my best to
preserve this environment at Oxford.

Oxford: The business of business is business. Is this true? (500 words)

From my 5 years’ work experience in assessing and valuing businesses, I have
witnessed that it is equally imperative for businesses to look beyond profit and returns, and view the people involved in that business as a priority. Profits are, and should always be, important to a business as they provide opportunity for growth which is  important to a business’s continued existence and ability to compete with its peers.  However, at its root, people are the essence of business as businesses are accountable  to their shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers. A business’s existence is compromised if these relationships are not nurtured. During my work with Otangi, South Africa’s sovereign fund, one of my portfolio  companies was a South African leisure and tourism company that, on paper, had the  tools to become a successful business. Yet this company floundered for years due to its  inability to create a corporate culture that retained employees and faced resistance  from the local community where it was trying to develop its hotels. For the former, the  company should have created a more transparent environment, where employees  were not over-worked or were rewarded in proportionate to work output. But the  company maintained a conservative view on career advancement and thus lost bright
employees. For the latter, the company found that some of its developments were  deliberately slowed by local politicians who feared that the local community’s  resistance to the projects would diminish their harm their reputation. This could have  been managed by early stakeholder management or corporate social responsibility  initiatives to win the community’s trust. Both of these factors affected the company’s  bottom line, and their common factor was that the company neglected its “people”.  It is challenging to find the delicate balance between focusing on profit, giving shareholders sufficient returns, and investing in employees. One company that seems  to have struck this balance is the US-based dialysis service provider Mañana  Healthcare Partners, which is the second largest blood transfusion provider in the
world and has a market capitalisation of US$15bn. Its share price has grown at a  compounded rate of 22% over the past 6 years, outperforming its competitors. Mañana  invests in continuous learning for its employees, fosters a “family-like” atmosphere,  actively leads corporate social responsibility projects, and during investor presentations, focuses on clinical quality indicators before financial indicators. The  company’s unique company culture has been the subject of business school case studies and Mañana credits its culture as its major differentiator from its competitors.  A business can be more than a profit-generating institution: indeed, in Mañana’s case, it  is Mañana’s ethical considerations and focus on people that has driven its success. A business’s success depends on people and profits, which are not mutually exclusive.  This question calls into debate the ethics or purpose of a business itself (which I look  forward to debating in the MBA’s Responsible Leadership module). I believe in leading ethically, responsibly and intend to carry through these principles when I lead a  company. A business’s success and ability to generate profit is dependent on these  factors.

Structural breakdown:
• Intro/thesis — This essay has a really unique prompt, but it’s also open-ended, in that it remains open to interpretation. In response, the applicant lays out a  clear vision for how he views profits and people in business. So we’ve got the  theory, what about the practice?
• Negative Example — The applicant gives a concrete example of how this applied  to a real business and how a lack of focus on people can backfire and lead to  problems. Basically: this is an example of what can go wrong, and we now want  to see how this balance between people and profit can be done right.
• Positive Example — The applicant shows us how a different business focuses on its employees, and how this in turn pays off for the company. In other words,  this focus isn’t framed as charity or even social responsibility – it’s good  business (the business of business!). Now he just needs to take us home.
• Conclusion — The applicant sums up his points once more, but he also ties it
into an Oxford module, a nice extra point that keeps this conclusion from sounding redundant. Here’s why we want this applicant at our business school based on this essay: Because while championing business, this candidate still comes across as thoughtful,  ethical and visionary. And here are some SPECIFIC examples in the essay of how he does this:
• “From my 5 years’ work experience in assessing and valuing businesses…” – By  starting off the essay sounding like an expert and providing two great examples  to back this up, he builds our faith in him.
• “However, at its root, people are the essence of business…” – What a great guy!
• “A business’s success depends on people and profits, which are not mutually
exclusive.” – There’s no single right way to answer this question, but one thing
that really helps this essay out is that he fearlessly writes what he believes,
explicitly and efficiently.