CSC Essay1
Disclaimer: Someone at IBM asked me to post this for the benefit of those who are applying for Corporate Services Corp next year. This post in not meant to bore you or give any funda. Its just my way of giving back to my team at IBM. I had written this long essay, however at the time of submission I realized that the word limit was in Characters and NOT words. Nevertheless, having written the essay, I thought that it would be a good idea to publish it here! Content Copyright- Anil Kumar
What are your personal and professional motivations for joining the Corporate Service Corps and why are you applying now?.
During my undergraduate studies I was involved in various community initiatives. Through my volunteer work with the Indian Coast Guard during Malpe Beach Coastal Clean Up drive, I learned the importance of preserving our heritage and maintaining nature’s delicate balance. I learned the importance of saving valuable human lives through the blood donation during college. This made me a more responsible and compassionate human being. In final year at college, when I co-organized the University wide Anti Smoking Awareness drive, I learned valuable lessons in leadership, negotiation and team work. All these engagements have helped me evolve as an effective leader and a team player. I was able to apply these learnings to my work when I joined IBM as a Graduate Hire. I was able to connect and network with my team in a better way and took a lot of initiatives leading OPAL and other change management initiatives in the Kraft Account.
At IBM, I was involved with the On Demand Community wherein I worked with the IBM group that went to Old Age homes and Orphanages. I organized a talent show at Anand Ashram where the elders and the kids of the ashram got an opportunity to showcase their talent. I learned lessons in team work and compassion through action and at the same time widend my network at IBM in an informal setting.
Last year when I returned from an assignment in Zurich, I fell sick. With Swine Flu in news, i voluntarily decided to get myself tested for the flu. Although I tested negative for the flu, I was grieved by the sorry state of official sources of online information on Swine Flu. I took the initiative to bridge the information gap and created the website www.swinefluindia.com . In June 2009, when Swine Flu started to spread in India, people started searching on the Internet and found our website very useful. Over a period of 7 months our website received more than 140,000 new visits and 340,000 page views from 90 countries. Our website is the first search result for the keyword ‘Swine Flu India’ on Google and Bing search engines. I learnt the importance of leading from the front, collaborating with stakeholders such as media, doctors and government. Most importantly, i learnt how technology could be use as a tool to serve the society.
Early this year, during Christmas and New Year 2010, I travelled to the flood affected district of Raichur in Karnataka to work with the government officials. I deployed IBM’s disaster management package, ‘Aasare’, for flood relief operations. I was there for six days and learnt how to work with the government. I gained immensely both personally and professionally form this initiative at IBM. I learnt practical lessons in negotiation, client relationship building, working in a challenging environment, problem solving and collaboration. I was able to create a positive brand image of IBM in the minds of the government officials and could contribute to IBM’s ‘Smarter Planet’ strategy. The challenges and experiences helped me become a better and more effective Consultant.
At CSC I will gain from the peer to peer interaction with Future Leaders enhancing my network and cultural sensitivity. I will be able to apply and sharpen my problem solving skills and leverage my work experience in India to solve the problems and challenges of the developing world. The CSC initiative will give me an opportunity to apply creative and out of box thinking as innovation is key for success in the emerging markets. I will learn to identify business opportunities in these markets by developing my business acumen and marketing skills. With the crucial Kraft and Cadbury Integration project in the pipe line, Kraft Account Team is looking to groom the next generation of leaders to lead the various global projects. The CSC program will catapult me and prepare me to take up the challenges and leadership opportunities in my account and at IBM.
What are your personal and professional motivations for joining the Corporate Service Corps and why are you applying now?.
During my undergraduate studies I was involved in various community initiatives. Through my volunteer work with the Indian Coast Guard during Malpe Beach Coastal Clean Up drive, I learned the importance of preserving our heritage and maintaining nature’s delicate balance. I learned the importance of saving valuable human lives through the blood donation during college. This made me a more responsible and compassionate human being. In final year at college, when I co-organized the University wide Anti Smoking Awareness drive, I learned valuable lessons in leadership, negotiation and team work. All these engagements have helped me evolve as an effective leader and a team player. I was able to apply these learnings to my work when I joined IBM as a Graduate Hire. I was able to connect and network with my team in a better way and took a lot of initiatives leading OPAL and other change management initiatives in the Kraft Account.
At IBM, I was involved with the On Demand Community wherein I worked with the IBM group that went to Old Age homes and Orphanages. I organized a talent show at Anand Ashram where the elders and the kids of the ashram got an opportunity to showcase their talent. I learned lessons in team work and compassion through action and at the same time widend my network at IBM in an informal setting.
Last year when I returned from an assignment in Zurich, I fell sick. With Swine Flu in news, i voluntarily decided to get myself tested for the flu. Although I tested negative for the flu, I was grieved by the sorry state of official sources of online information on Swine Flu. I took the initiative to bridge the information gap and created the website www.swinefluindia.com . In June 2009, when Swine Flu started to spread in India, people started searching on the Internet and found our website very useful. Over a period of 7 months our website received more than 140,000 new visits and 340,000 page views from 90 countries. Our website is the first search result for the keyword ‘Swine Flu India’ on Google and Bing search engines. I learnt the importance of leading from the front, collaborating with stakeholders such as media, doctors and government. Most importantly, i learnt how technology could be use as a tool to serve the society.
Early this year, during Christmas and New Year 2010, I travelled to the flood affected district of Raichur in Karnataka to work with the government officials. I deployed IBM’s disaster management package, ‘Aasare’, for flood relief operations. I was there for six days and learnt how to work with the government. I gained immensely both personally and professionally form this initiative at IBM. I learnt practical lessons in negotiation, client relationship building, working in a challenging environment, problem solving and collaboration. I was able to create a positive brand image of IBM in the minds of the government officials and could contribute to IBM’s ‘Smarter Planet’ strategy. The challenges and experiences helped me become a better and more effective Consultant.
At CSC I will gain from the peer to peer interaction with Future Leaders enhancing my network and cultural sensitivity. I will be able to apply and sharpen my problem solving skills and leverage my work experience in India to solve the problems and challenges of the developing world. The CSC initiative will give me an opportunity to apply creative and out of box thinking as innovation is key for success in the emerging markets. I will learn to identify business opportunities in these markets by developing my business acumen and marketing skills. With the crucial Kraft and Cadbury Integration project in the pipe line, Kraft Account Team is looking to groom the next generation of leaders to lead the various global projects. The CSC program will catapult me and prepare me to take up the challenges and leadership opportunities in my account and at IBM.
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