IBM Corporate Service Corps Indonesia 9 - Throwback - about the Essays.
It is all about to embrace your thoughts, your beliefs, your emotions and heart to write something inspiring to touch and connect with yourself and the readers.
As part of the IBM CSC application process, you have to respond three Essay questions, and as I mentioned in my last post you have to answer carefully and thoughtfully, since it is the way to show in a few words who you are, your challenges, your achievements, your passions, your dreams.
The essay questions were a big challenge for me, because they were not about to answer and that’s it, they required time, energy, concentration, and also some specific CSC requirements such as use a storytelling approach, a character limit for each essay, address all the points of the questions in the answers.
I remember that time, when I was thinking about how to start my essays, several ideas came up, and it took long time but at the end the inspiration appeared, and I did it!
Then I asked for some feedback about my essays and my dear ex-roomie Ximena Hernandez and Ana Hentze were willing to support me! My special thankful for you guys!!
For all what it is behind this effort, I want to share what I wrote down, I hope you enjoy as much as I do.
Essay 1.
Selection to the CSC is extremely competitive. We look for applicants who are ready to stretch themselves and contribute their highest value to their CSC host organization and community. Please visit the CSC external websiteand review information about past CSC projects. In the context of the program's triple benefit, please tell us why you should be accepted to the CSC, and also tell us about a past CSC project that sounded especially meaningful to you.
What are you doing for others? This question has made me think deeply and reflect. Life has rewarded in different ways my purposes, my dreams. I believe it´s time to give back and share myself in an extraordinary manner, such as being part of the CSC.
For 5 years, my country has experienced the benefits of the CSC. Several projects have brought real solutions to our society, and it makes me feel grateful as a Mexican and proud as an IBMer. From my perspective, the most meaningful CSC projects are related to hunger, particularly the GFN partnership and the project to achieve hunger eradication and increase capacity in critical areas in Mexico. I realize how much we can do providing our knowledge, experience and leadership to create valuable projects, helping to increase the number of food donors and improve its reach to more vulnerable citizens. I believe that each IBMer who has been part of these projects, receive more than expected; their lives, leadership and development could no longer be the same. It´s clear how IBM develops new markets and global leaders.
With this on mind, why should I be accepted? Because I´m passionate in everything I do, I challenge myself all the time, and I don’t take anything for granted. I´ve had feedback from some peers, superiors and clients, they stated that I am an achiever, strong teamwork player, and most of all they view me as a positive,optimistic, self-starter who excels under pressure and meets deadlines. It´s my personal brand which supports every single aspect of my life, a brand which is excelled and rewarded for achieving business objectives and having happy clients.
I´m inspired and determined to use all my capabilities in helping others, because everyone deserves a happy and healthy life. I will feel privileged to be part of this exceptional program and make a difference in other people lives, while achieving a memorable experience where I will be able to discover, share and learn from other cultures and from life.
Essay 2.
Tell us about a time in your personal life when you were challenged beyond what you thought your capabilities were. What did you learn about yourself from this experience and how did you grow from it?
There is one lesson that explains how I went beyond my capabilities to achieve a goal. It was doing one of my passions in life: Skiing.
It happened in Lake Tahoe, my first ski trip, I was totally excited for the new adventure, I started very enthusiastic, but without any preparation of ski warnings or lessons; You can imagine how the first day was, a dangerous experience. I took the lift chair, but I could not sit on it properly, the chair continued moving ahead, I tried to slide myself, but I couldn’t and at 2 meters high, I fell down; fortunately, I was not injured. I felt demotivated and scared to try again, in spite of that, I decided to move on, but doing better. Then I moved to the beginner zone to observe all the people specially the children, they were trying very hard to accomplish their goal, and the inspiration came back, and I got more self-confidence, so I decided to start again. At the end, I was able to ski in the intermediate- advanced slopes.
My lesson was the importance to prepare and be ready to take risk. In order to achieve something special and extraordinary, it is required to establish a plan, validate your own skills and talents, keep a strategic mindset, maintain discipline as one of your major values, design the starting and finishing of your purpose and, be prepared for the unexpected, anticipate and evaluate different scenarios, as one of our 9 practices defines: Think, Prepare, Rehearse. With this in mind, accomplishments will come true.
Today, I am a passionate skier, it has been 12 years of memorable days in the snow. Every time the slopes challenge me even more and I have learned that experience is not enough. I need to take lessons at every level as it is always possible to improve and there is always another bigger challenge to tackle.
Essay 3.
If you are selected to the CSC, how would you use the experience to fulfill the IBM Practice"Restlessly Reinvent - our company and ourselves"? Please highlight how you think the CSC experience will enable you to contribute to IBM's business transformation and your development as a leader.
Spread the news “Clink, Clank, Think”. It happened in 1955, when the magazine Time used this headline to cover the IBM Model 702 Electronic Data Processing Machine release. World was amazed about “the giant brain” – as they called it.
When I think on that moment, and how people were delighted about something that today is our legacy, I think of the ways IBM has changed from “thinkpads” to a Cloud and Cognitive Company with Watson. Then I look at me and review, how my life has been changed and transformed along the time? I realize that as well as IBM, I have been staying curious, moving forward, beyond my resistances, my fears, I´ve been reinventing myself.
For 16 years of professional career, I have had different challenges and learning of the importance to readapt and improve my leadership regarding business strategy & objectives, corporate culture and operations. During this time, I have been getting a better version of myself, developing my talent and skills for managing projects, developing new soft skills such as coach, getting outstanding education a MBA, and looking for new agile ways for managing projects getting the Scrum Master Certification.
Nowadays, IBM is transforming itself, and I am part of it and responsible for it. Restlessly Reinvent means changes, innovation, adjustments, flexibility and speed, I believe that CSC experience will bring me those disruptive attributes for a new mindset, and how to lead my projects, set clarity of purpose, create a productive environment and inspire my teams to do great job.
I´m willing to challenge my own thinking and reimagine myself as professional, and I believe that CSC is the opportunity which will able me to achieve it and, welcome new ideas, challenges and leadership to contribute and excel IBM´s transformation.
