Motivation Letter for a Master Degree EU University

Hello,

I've been reading all the motivation letters and advice from teachers I have found in this website and I thought they were so useful so I'm here to post the letter I will be sending to the University I'm applying in Belgium. Something to consider is that I wrote the letter in my mother language (Spanish) and then I translated it into English so maybe some bits are not written as an English speaker would do so I would like to get some advice on what I can change or make it better.

Dear Sir or Madam,

To whom it may concern,

I am applying to your Master's programme in Communication Studies that starts next September. I come from Lima, Peru and I hold a 5 year Bachelor degree in Communications Science with a speciality in Advertising and Public Relations from the University San Martin de Porres, one of the best private universities in my country.

I worked for more than 3 years in the Online Marketing and Advertising industry in my home country before I start travelling, so at a first moment when I started my research, I knew I would like to continue with my studies in Communications and especially with a focus in the Media. I have always known that studying abroad is the best thing to do to fuel a career. My main objective is to develop an international career, either working in Media Buying Companies or Online Marketing Agencies or even in the Communications area of a multinational.

First and foremost, I chose to study in Brussels because it is quite an international city and as a non-European, I was looking for a programme that I could afford and have an enjoyable student life too, as I learned this city can offer me that. Last year I had the chance to live in Brussels for a couple of months so I looked up different Universities there and that is when I decided I wanted to study at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Not only because it is a well-known university and I acknowledge that it stands out from other universities in Belgium. Moreover, as a further matter the Communications programme that it offers it’s unique and complete among other courses. In addition, I am very attracted to the European approach that this programme offers because it means we will be able to revise different ways of working according to certain European countries. When I visited the VUB Campus I had the opportunity to talk to a member of the Administration Board and a Communications graduate with whom I could debate about the programme and the learning experience.

A very important point to keep in mind is all the topics that are covered in the Master. From what I have observed, I am very familiar with the field of study and I have enough experience in the media industry to understand most concepts but it is important to highlight that the way situations are handled in Europe and the way companies communicate with their stakeholders is quite different from where I come from. I am sure that this Master will allow me to expand my knowledge about media worldwide, to communicate with different markets in Europe and to learn about new policies that traditional and digital media should be following in 2018. As well as gaining real experience, this master will also give me the opportunity to take an internship in a Belgian company during my year of studies, I think that is going to be a very challenging method to show what I have been learning and a way to test myself in a different work environment.

I am sure that every new skill I will acquire not only will reinforce the previous knowledge I already have but will give me a broader view of the international media that I did not know at first-hand. I will have an insight into the new media that is emerging and will generate changes in communication in the coming years. I am very interested in Internet training too, I believe that Europe is one step ahead of any other continent because of its open but cautious policies that allow the discovery and testing of new technologies, which I believe in other continents are not possible. I will learn to use more modern tools than those used in my country and I will also be able to observe what actions are taken in times of crisis or when specific problems arise regarding the handling of data of the users and their privacy, I believe that this is a topic that we very really need to improve in Peru. From my point of view, I think both myself and the companies hiring me will benefit from this Master because I will be combining my knowledge of the local and international market, since I will be picking up the know-how of some processes carried out in a very different continent to mine and at the same time I will have the advantage of learning all of this in such an international language as the English language is. I consider that all of this together, will give me an added value among other job competitors and will also be very attractive for the companies that will hire me, after all, I will bring modernity, professionalism and openness to the table.

I started my professional practice before I finished University. I carried out activities in different sectors: public relations, social media, corporate social responsibility and advertising, so by the time I graduated I already had a considerable amount of experience. Later on, I worked in the field of digital media and advertising for about 3 years and a half. I went from Media Assistant, doing small office work, to Digital Analyst, loading Google search ads and Facebook social ads. Finally to become the local Sales Director of a regional Media Company that has Online Video as the main product and was launched for the first time in Peru. We could accomplish the most difficult task that it was to consolidate the product as the main competitor of Youtube. After this point, we became the second online video company in Peru where the media agencies considered investing. I enjoyed this experience very much because I learned a lot, I met the sales goals that the company had imposed on me and they were very satisfied with my work, which prompted me to look for ways to continue growing professionally and as a person.

I consider that I got very far in my career in my country but I had the feeling that I needed to take time for myself to fulfil the dreams I had always had since I was little: to travel the world, live in Europe and become fluent in English. In the last two years, I have accomplished some of those dreams, I succeeded in speaking this beautiful language and I was able to live in different cities around Europe. I have learned about distinct cultures and lifestyles that broaden my mind and enriched me as I never thought I would. So this experience has pushed me to keep going forward and challenging myself to achieve more goals in life. And now one of them is to look at my academic side and dedicate myself to it for a while and I think that this master is the first step to reactivate my career and expand it. However, I am aware I will only be able to achieve it if you give me the chance to do it. * (Maybe I will delete this because it is to direct).

Overall, there a number of reasons why I wish to enrol this program as you can notice, though, I would like to conclude this letter by thanking you for considering me and giving me the opportunity to apply.

Thanks for reading!!

Ana