Undoubtedly, being educated is one of the important impetuses for success in life, and most importantly in building a career. Therefore, getting a university degree, leave alone a masters degree, is seen as a significant step towards realization of the dream of success. It has always been my desire to work my way through to the top level of the ladder of education. After attaining my first degree, I saw it as a stepping stone towards reaching this desire. Besides, my ultimate goal is to become one of the best scholars in my career. In my career, I have been involved in dealing with people facing various challenges in life. Thus, for me to serve others or help them deal with these issues, understanding them physically and emotionally is a crucial factor. Furthermore, I desire to increase my knowledge of organizational development, how groups within an organization react to strategic design, and focus on how organization functions together. It is because of this experience and my long-term desire of reaching the highest possible level of education that has triggered my get-up-and-go to pursue the M.S. in Applied Psychology Program.
The program would help me achieve these goals in various ways. To begin with, psychology is all about studying the behavior, performance, and the emotional processes of people. Primarily, psychology entails studying a person; a close examination of whom and what a person is, and why people behave and think the manner they do and how this can affect the relationship with other people. Undertaking an advanced degree in Applied Psychology will be a great opportunity for me to further study people, which will be helpful in my career. Equipped with this knowledge, I will be at a better position not only to help people deal with challenges they are likely to face, but also it would improve the way I relate people because it would be easy to understand them.
Furthermore, Applied Psychology program would help in improving my decision-making skills. Throughout my career, I have been faced with the responsibility of making decision in different occasion. Undoubtedly, making decisions concerning myself, on what is the best for me, has never been a problem; and so is the case for any other individual. However, it becomes a big challenge when one is called to make decisions over other people or on issues that would affect other people. It requires an understanding of not only their needs and why the need such needs, but also their personalities and how the needs could be met. This is where Applied Psychology program will become in handy, because I would have learnt important psychological aspects of people. It will help me in making intelligent decision as well as avoiding stressful circumstances. Particularly, I will be able to analyze how those to be affected with my decisions will act and react to the decisions that I make. Similarly, the program will improve my communication skills, because I would better understand those that I deal with and how to handle them to be on the same page regarding an issue at hand.
I have various key experiences that have contributed to my commitment to apply psychology both in organizational and business context. For a period of 4 years, between 2009 and 2013, I worked as the CEO of Pasadena Scientific, now Miller & Shaw- an Accident Reconstruction firm specializing in auto accidents, slip and fall, accidents, ballistics cases, and product liability claims. Besides, initially I worked for Keith Miller & Associates as a Human Factors consultant and as an HR Consultant. Before joining Pasadena Scientific, I worked as an HR Consultant for Marsh, the world's largest life insurance brokerage and I managed a population of more than 700 associates in the High Net Worth Division, between 2008 and 2009. As a Human Factors Expert, I conduct technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony toward the resolution of commercial and personal injury litigation involving human factors/ergonomics, safety and risk perception, warning design, product design and development, industrial/workplace safety, roadway safety, driver performance and night vision, and premises safety. I analyze how people perceive risks; the adequacy of warnings; the open and obviousness of hazards; the effects of lighting on visual perception and driver performance; the ability to hear audible warnings against background noise; and the effects of aging on human performance. All these experiences made me realize how important the program of Applied Psychology is to advancement of my career.
Finally, it is evident that the M.S. Applied Psychology program will not be easy, but I have no doubt I will be successful because I have the required attributes and the stamina to face the probable challenges. There are various institutions offering the same program, but in strongly believe that in USC I have chosen the best among the many. With the help and guidance of the highly experienced professors in USC, in addition to my hardworking, I am confident that success awaits me at the end of the program, given an opportunity.
