Could anyone please comment on my statement of intent? Any suggestion will be truly appreciative.

Upon graduation from university, it has always been my ambition to develop a successful career in the finance industry in general and in the field of corporate finance. However, there seems to be a barrier to my entry into today’s rapid changing financial world, since my major at undergraduate level is international economics, which does not sufficiently provide me with specialized knowledge of finance and financial analysis skills. I subsequently decided to take up the Level 1 of the CFA program as a temporary solution to initially familiarize myself with finance topics, and tried my best to seek for a position in an audit firm so as to obtain relevant work experience serving for my ultimate purpose of building up a career in corporate finance and governance.

At this point in time, I gradually come to realize that a master degree with a concentration in finance will unlock countless opportunities for me to officially enter the finance industry, and distinguish my profile among other counterparts’ in Vietnam. To be honest, I have been seeking for a full-time degree program of a globally renowned institution that can incorporate not only in-depth classroom studying and training in advanced finance education, but also real-world experience and hands-on interaction with business world needed for a successful professional career. The program at Melbourne Business School comes with this advantage, and I am confident that this program will help me develop a greater understanding of various areas of financial knowledge and financial industry as a whole.

Examining the school’s degree structure for master in finance program, I learn to know that in addition to opportunity to work with and learn from the world-class faculty, I will have opportunities to dive deep into applied economics, data analytics, and leadership development, opportunities to put theory into practice through exciting, up-to-the-minute finance projects and case studies in finance, such a great preparation for the job market, and opportunities to build worldwide relationships, identify your career path, and transform a quantitative education into the ability to drive results. More importantly, according to my research, Melbourne Business School’s reputation in finance is second to none in Australia, and your school also has a strong history of placing students with the world’s top financial services firms, particularly in the Asian Pacific area. Besides, Australia, one of the world’s biggest economies, provides a conductive environment for holistic development of an individual as a professional.

Furthermore, another reason why I am determined to pursue a specialized degree program rather than an MBA is that I wish to train myself to become a senior expert in a specific area in the first place, as opposed to receiving a generic training, which is more relevant to experienced managers. I consider a master’s degree in finance as a must have at this point in my career is also partly because it will greatly contribute to broaden my opportunities in the finance industry in Vietnam, which is currently in short of high skilled finance professionals. While the finance industry in Vietnam is still under established and developed, the career outlook in this field seems to be bright and promising. The banking and financial environment in Vietnam entails difficult challenges for the government as well as for financial managers in private companies. The securitization of state-owned enterprises, and significant M&A transactions have seen a steady growth in Vietnam from 2003. Given the global context and Vietnam finance industry, I believe that obtaining a master program in finance from a renowned institution and being able to capitalize on the strengths and advantages of such a rigorous and comprehensive graduate program will bring me a definite advantage in the job market.

Academically, I have always demonstrated an ability for solving quantitative issues. I won a first prize and second prize in the provincial contest for gifted students in math when I was in high school. I was also then accepted to the high school for the gifted, one of the most prestigious high school in Vietnam, with the specialization in math and information technology. I earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Foreign Trade University, the school requiring highest score for traditional university entrance examination in Vietnam until now. My degree in economics, on the surface, seems to bear little relationship with my long-term academic and career goals in finance, but in fact it does provide me a solid foundation in business analysis, and immerse me in the global economic landscape. I also learn how economic principles dictate the markets and how the markets, consumer trends, industries, and the global marketplace impact our global economy. As part of the four-year undergraduate program, I am equipped with fundamental knowledge of many banking and finance-related theories and concepts, as well as obtaining familiarity with statistics and data analysis. I am in the process of becoming a regular member of the CFA Institute by qualifying their predetermine conditions, including obtaining professional relevant work experience, holding a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, and successfully passing Level I of the CFA exam. I am going to sit for Level II of the CFA exam next June. The CFA program helps to provide me with a formal education in the field of finance, and open doors to opportunities for me to build career in corporate finance. In the first place, the CFA program seems to work to my advantage during the test for the position of audit assistant at my current company. Thanks to the knowledge and skills in financial reporting analysis and corporate finance acquired from the CFA program, I has been able to convince the manager of the company, despite an absence of education in accounting in my resume at that time.

Currently, I am working in the capacity of an audit assistant at a local auditing firm. My primary duties entail providing significant help to senior auditors by performing preliminary data processing and analysis, participating in the physical inventory counting at the end of fiscal year and the audit fieldwork stage at the client’s place of business, and ensuring the collection and duplication of necessary documents required for the purpose of making audit file. I am also responsible for analyzing the client’s year-end financial statements, including statement of financial position, statement of profit and loss, and statement of cash flows, to determine materiality levels for audit planning purposes. The calculation of materiality levels will subsequently be reviewed by the auditor-in-charge. In addition, given the limited time in relation to the number of clients during the audit season, I assist the senior auditor in preparing draft of audit report, translating the audit report into English, and communicating with the client’s accountants for resolutions of outstanding issues.

Apart from academic and career interests, I also have diverse experience in extra-curricular activities and community involvement programs. When I was at university, I had an opportunity to participate in CET Green Summer Program, which is essentially a volunteer program annually held in Ben Tre province (Mekong Delta) and another province in the Central of Vietnam for American and Vietnamese students. During the program, I, and other Vietnamese students, worked alongside American friends to build two houses for poor families (one of those has three members suffering from mental problems, I remember), repair one kilometer damaged village road, teach village children various subjects in English and Vietnamese (I and my roommate were responsible for science class; we instructed the children on making candy and performed the infamous Diet Coke and Mentos experiment, just to name a few), and successfully organize a Fun Run contest and Cultural Exchange Musical Performance to call for donation from philanthropist and businesses in HCMC. In addition, upon graduating from university, I am still keen on engaging in community activities and charity programs. For instance, I was recently introduced by a co-worker to a charity organization, whose activities have brought free yet healthy vegetarian food to poor and homeless people in HCMC. Every Sunday, I pick up free vegetarian food packed in plastic boxes at the location of the organization, and go around specific areas of the City assigned to me to deliver those meals to needy people and families.