International Business & Modern Language Personal Statement Example

Over the past 2 years, I have discovered a passion and interest for business matters stemming predominantly from the IB economics course and understanding how the theory plays out in the real world. This was further emphasized through the work experience at Société Générale, a multinational French bank and, Soma House, a start-up fitness business.

In both instances, I was able to gain insight into business-specific challenges and opportunities. At Société Générale I was able to develop my own marketing plan while at Soma House I had briefing sessions with the founders understanding the complex nature of launching a business.

The marketing plan developed as part of the Société Générale work experience was particularly fascinating as I learned about the intricate nature of a go-to-market strategy for a new product, considering profit and loss analysis, sales team engagement, and target market studies, all of which are key to the success of a new product rollout. Furthermore, my interest led me to reading books such as, 'How I Made It', a compilation of the success stories of multiple entrepreneurs.

The study of economics has fuelled my enthusiasm for macro-level concepts. However, I find myself gravitating more towards specific business-related concepts. This was confirmed when investigating university courses and looking at course modules such as business analytics, management, and finance which caught my attention. Business management appears to be more tangible with decisions and strategies having a direct impact on a business which aligns well with my natural interest.

My course choices have a strong international aspect, which reflects my European background and education including a strong focus on languages including German and French. I have had the opportunity to experience different cultures through both, my upbringing in a family originating from Germany and Austria and various exchange programmes including a four-week stay in France.

Aged fourteen, this presented a tough challenge but at the same time taught me independence and resilience. I believe that the world will grow ever more together and as such, businesses need to work across cultures. This is where I see future opportunities for myself, and where the combination of business skills and a multicultural mindset can be of an advantage.

My desire to experience new cultures was also reflected in my choice to participate in the Lesotho charity project which is one of the schools' extracurricular activities and the only international option. It meant that I had to raise £1,500 to fund the trip and contribute to a charitable donation. To achieve this, I committed to running 50kms in one week in under 5 hours.

This was purposefully an ambitious goal to inspire sponsors to support the challenge with generous donations. Taking the learnings of one of my business experiences, I developed a marketing strategy using a fundraising page, social media as well as friends and family and their connections to achieve my target. Sadly, the trip to Lesotho was recently cancelled due to the continued pandemic, however, the raised funds will still be donated.

In my last two years studying for the International Baccalaureate and throughout the pandemic, I have become a more focused and mature student. Learning the lessons from taking GCSE Mock examinations lightly and receiving rather disappointing teacher assessed grades, the rather demanding IB Diploma with its six courses and three extracurricular tasks requires applied thinking, hard work, and strong organizational skills which I believe is reflected in my predicted IB grades. I would also like to think that I am a team player and very tenacious, as shown by my DofE award and my 13 years of playing football.

I would be delighted to study this course enabling me to create a strong foundation for my future career path.