Essay 1:

What are the 2 or 3 strengths or characteristics that have driven your career success thus

far? What are the other strengths that you would like to leverage in the future? 

When I was a kid, my ma used to narrate a story about two artists –one who sang in the

bathroom and the other who regaled the public, and taught the skill to many.

At the end of it, she would ask me:

“Though both were equally talented, who do you think was successful?”

I remember picking the second one for the answer. Since then, I’ve come to believe that one’s

knowledge and skills are useless, unless put to good use.

So, what are the strengths which make me feel blessed and successful?

Here are some:

(1) I’m a quick learner. Within two months of joining the organization as a fresher, I got

myself ISTQB certified (a certification conducted by the Indian Testing Board) and

contributed towards testing activities for a large Financial Services Industry (FSI) client. I

also undertook certifications to understand projects from the process perspective, soon

after joining the firm. Noticing my interest, my manager gave me an opportunity to work

with the Project management team. Since project management was a niche skill at my

workplace, understanding these tools gave me an upper edge over my colleagues at the

same organizational level and I found myself being consulted in this domain, across the

service line

(2) I articulate ideas effectively and propose logical solutions to tackle situations. To

elaborate with an instance, our clients asked us to deliver test scripts covering a new

functionality. An estimate of around 400 scripts was proposed. I analyzed the

requirements and presented a method to cover the same in just 35 scripts. This solution

was very well received by clients and in turn helped save time and effort for the team.

I’m also involved in the audit of client deliverables and was awarded a ‘Spot award’ for

conducting quality reviews and for suggesting process improvements.

(3) I believe in ensuring people satisfaction. As the lead organizer of a corporate event which

focuses on facilitating fun-interactions between employees, I had the responsibility of

organizing shows for over 1500 employees. Noticing the lukewarm response to this event

in the previous years and determined to make this a success, I sent out surveys to

understand the expectations of the participants and made arrangements to address the

same. As a result, this event was immensely successful and attracted maximum

participation. For my efforts in arranging this event and taking it to success, I was

awarded another spot award.

While I have been able to use a few strengths to my advantage, there are some which remain to

be tapped to the fullest potential.

As a ‘personal’ blogger, I believe that I could further exploit this tool to share my professional

experiences, provide consultation, gather new ideas and learn new technology. Being a member

of the Toastmasters Club has given me the exposure to speak before an audience with

confidence. While I’ve been able to work well in teams, I would like to use this skill in

motivating and leading successful teams in future.