My Goal to Pursue a Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications

It’s 10:25 am as I sit in my local coffee shop, the sound of rock music plays faintly in the background and the smell of brewing coffee fills the air. A line of people is starting to form as conversations and laughter fill the silence that was once here. The server brings a latte to my table and greets me with a smile. Her contagious smiles makes me grin as the warmth of the hot cup radiates through my body. Surrounded by so many distractions and noise, the eco-friendly cup mesmerizes me and captures my attention. As I take a sip and begin to analyze it, the liquid fuel begins to run its course and the neuron sparks awake the creative genius. I quickly start to compile an array of questions. Why did they choose these colors? Why stamp the shop’s name on the cup? Why this specific font style? It is in this very moment, as I sit here confidently analyzing the packaging, I know I wish to pursue a Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications.

While staring at my cup and analyzing its branding, the foam leaf the barista created slowly dissolves. I quickly start to think back to my teenage years and how I struggled to make decisions because of the of the fear of failure. It all started when family and friends would ask, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I struggled with this question for a very long time; the trepidation of being in the abyss of not knowing what I want. I never understood how people could choose one career path and be perfectly okay with their decision for the rest of their lives. I wanted to be an actor, a lawyer, a doctor, a human resource manager. My father told me if I wanted to be successful I needed to pick a career and stick with it. His words caused me a lot of uncertainty and doubt growing up. It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized I had a choice. I decided I would muster the courage to make changes in my personal and professional life. I couldn’t let my father’s mentality and the fear of failure stop me from exploring new opportunities. At the start of my sophomore year in college I took a leap of faith and began to take different courses jumping from major to major to learn about different fields. I finally found my passion when I took a creative strategy course and instantly knew I wanted to pursue a career in marketing and communications. The course made me think like a journalist, marketing professional, advertiser, and a CEO. I realized how a degree in communications would have multi-faceted roles which fascinated me. My drive to succeed and goal-oriented nature are some of my strongest qualities. While in college, I research, planned, and strategized objectives to help me reach my goals. Although, my professional experience in marketing communications is still expanding, it’s my passion and drive that motivates me to excel. Georgetown’s prestigious national reputation is matched only by its notorious academic rigor. That rigor, however, does not deter but rather entices me to attend. I’ve always been able to juggled multiple task at once. I maintained a 3. 87 GPA throughout college while working both a full-time and a part-time job.

My ability to learn quickly from mistakes is why I no longer fear failing. I’ve come to realize it’s okay to fail, it’s inevitable; and rather than running from my failures, I embrace and learn from my mistakes. It takes courage to see when another course of action may be beneficial. While working with HCR ManorCare I broke barriers, helped create an internal marketing campaign and certification award that the company quickly utilized throughout the nation. After approaching my supervisors with new concepts, I helped increase customer service ratings by 15% and this past fiscal year and helped our sales team increase admissions rate by nine percent regionally as a result. I’ve had my fair share of mistakes but I learn from them. I ask questions when I do not know how to approach a situation and accept criticism from my colleagues. I listen, process and use their feedback to my advantage to enhance my performance and deliver high-quality and results-focused content. I’ve conducted marketing research, created creative briefs, authored content for press releases and email marketing, produced promotional events, assisted with brand activation and marketing campaigns while remembering to hold the integrity of my company’s mission and values to establish an innovative approach to grow. I found my time with HCR ManorCare rewarding and challenging and, while I gained a broad-based marketing and management experience, I aim to sharpen my skills by working with leading professionals with real-world experience.

Georgetown’s Masters of Professional Studies provides interdisciplinary case studies and client engagement interaction. I learn best from a hands-on approach and look forward to learn innovative cross-channel communications efforts from working professional to fulfill client needs. Access to Georgetown’s resources will further my knowledge of multifaceted components of education, ranging from how advertisers think and create content, learn how direct mailing can affect consumer purchases, the importance of social media platform reaching targeted audiences in today’s digital world and, primarily, obtain a deeper perspective on branding and strategy. I know Georgetown’s program will help me reach my goals and increase my overall effectiveness both personally and professional. My only regret from college was not taking the opportunity to intern. If admitted, I plan to take full advantage of Georgetown’s extensive resources and available internships while attending school full-time. I plan on using my internship experience to help me gain exposure, perception and knowledge I can apply to my future career goals.

Once I graduate, I plan on pursuing a career in public service and use the skills I learned from Georgetown to become a communication specialist for the federal government. Feeling fully caffeinated, my emotions intensified, I look up to see the once busy line at the register is gone. As laughter and conversations leave the door the coffee shop is greeted once again by silence.

This statement, lastly, is a chance for me to convince you that I can and will succeed in this program. I hope the admissions committee finds my statement of purpose, professional and academic strengths commensurate with the requirements of Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications. Today is the day, I won’t let the fear of failure bring me down.