The fundamental core of how world market flows is finance. Finance function is common to all businesses, and it branches out its services to the main business function to operate in true & fair manner. Finance as a subject has always intrigued me. I have always been fascinated with the economic world and the idea to analyze each aspect of financial industry. Thus, I am willing to continue my education and focus on finance because I believe that finance is a rewarding and stable career option that will prepare me to engage actively in a broad range of industries. Fortunate to have born to the parents who believe in the constructive contribution of education in one life. This has inspired me to carve path to attain an independent and self reliant life.
Born and raised in a lower Income class, orthodox joint family, where no female has attended graduate school before, nor it was challenging to claim right to education but harder to think of career ahead. These aspects of this pre–defined destiny always bothered me. But considering my performance in academics, my family headed for higher education. Since then, education & knowledge are a gateway to my own identity and independence. I was determined to get educated and be responsible for my future. Not only I had to fullfill my dreams but also I needed to be financially independent to support my family and the academic and professional goals of my younger siblings. Today, not only is my family proud of what I did, but it has also inspired other women in my family to challenge the status quo and be responsible for themselves. And I wish to take forward this journey of academics and knowledge enrichment.
I secured admission to Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya (RPVV) School by securing 3rd rank and completed my senior secondary education. These are schools of specialized excellence run by the Directorate of Education, Government of Delhi for meritorious students. Post schooling, pursuing a bachelors in commerce from Tier 1 college, Shri Ram College of Commerce at the University of Delhi, ranked among the best commerce college in India.
During my days in RPVV School, I started leaning towards Chartered Accountancy (CA). I was always good with numbers, teachers noticed my analytical and problem–solving skills and guided me to pursue CA as a career option. CA is the most desirable profession for all commerce aspirants in India. During my CA articleship, I learned the importance of balancing academics with professional life. I practically worked with various corporate and non–corporate clients on a variety of financial aspects of businesses including auditing, taxation (direct and indirect), financial reporting, and compliance reporting.
I always relished learning new things and I continued pursuing another related finance course along with CA. Apart from my CA degree, I have completed a CS (Company Secretaries) course which provides deep insights into the procedural aspects of all forms of businesses. It enabled me to know the process right from incorporating an entity to its quarterly and annual filings with respective government departments. During my training with the company secretary firm in Delhi, I gained wide experience in the application of laws (statutory/regulatory/local state laws/municipal laws), company laws, taxation laws, Foreign Exchange Management Act, and drafting of documents for the company including the charter of company, resolutions, board reports, minutes of meetings, etc. To gain knowledge in US Tax laws, auditing, cost and management accounting, and financial reporting I am currently pursuing a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) course.
As an individual with a strong desire for learning, I always wanted a job that is intellectually stimulating with a wide spectrum of challenges. Keeping this in mind, I began my career with a consulting firm to get a hold on crucial aspects of finance functions in any business. Later, I worked for USA–based MNCs in India in the domain of finance and taxation and worked in collaboration with global teams for reporting purposes. I got opportunity to represented my organization before revenue authorities for assessments, litigation matters, and various refund claims in direct and indirect taxes in front of Tax officers. Also, being in a key managerial role offered me to work on matters other than routine business activities like assisting custom officers and obtaining SVB orders and analyzing APA agreements.
In today’s global world, businesses function in a collaborative atmosphere, regulated by rules of domestic and international borders. Considering the use of global business services, having formal education will provide a better understanding and deep insight necessary to be able to understand and serve effectively and efficiently.
This leads to my motivation in joining the Master of Finance at The University of Iowa. I believe the MoF provides me with the best opportunity to broaden my perspective on the financial aspect of the business and the economy. I have great admiration for the curriculum and appreciate the diverse range of topics dealt with in your distinguished Master’s Program. I am deeply interested in gaining an intimate understanding of data driven decision making, Corporate Financial Strategy and financial modeling & business valuation. So far, my experience is majorly confined to risk analysis and compliances w.r.t taxation and corporate governance policies. I wish to take my academic admiration further to build myself for the intricacies of financial world to bridge the gaps in advanced level understanding of strategic corporate decisions.
The MoF program offers the highest degree of intellectual stimulation augmenting the knowledge of a student with its unique multidisciplinary approach toward finance. I believe the rigorous education imparted by the best minds in finance will help me hone my skills to perfection and widen my horizon. Also, I find the work of professor Artem A Durnev very interesting; how he relate economic influences with foreign investments.
Therefore, I believe that pursuing MoF from Iowa university will act as a catalyst in making my professional and academic aspirations a successful reality. I hope to eventually reach the leadership position, setting financial agendas, and determining policies. I am raised on value that include actively contributing to my country’s GDP and future. Someday, I would also like to build financial strength in India by running my own financial consultancy company.
To sum it up, I am an academically able student with a high level of commitment and diligence. I have an academic background and some professional experience that is highly relevant to the program and, most importantly, I have a genuine passion for finance. With my professional and academic knowledge and keenness to learn deeper insight into the subject, I believe I can add significant value to my profession.
