University Letter of motivation

The only gift that I have conserved till date is a bicycle, which I received at 4. The thrill of zipping down the narrow lanes and feeling of power beneath my legs has been permanently etched in my memory. Since then I moved to mopeds to bikes to cars along with which my curiosity to understand the working of these machines grew further. To quench my thirst and desire to understand the actual functioning and mechanisms of these underlying systems, I opted for mechanical engineering in my undergraduate studies.
I earned a first class honors in fundamental subjects (such as thermo, mechanics, design) of mechanical engineering. With a strong footing in core subjects, I opted for electives such as Internal Combustion Engines, Automotive Engineering, and Solar Energy, Rapid prototyping to diversify my knowledge to include fields that are intricately related to Mechanical Engineering.
In an effort to implement theoretical concepts into practical application, I directed my final year project. The project titled “Automatic Retractable Start Stop Support Systems for Mopeds”, aimed at providing support wheels for two-wheelers. In particular, the side wheels were retractable when not in use and extendable for assistance in stop-start driving, slow speed operation and parking. The system was developed with recycled material from the college workshop with the objective of reducing the overall cost of the system. All the components were fabricated and assembled on campus and tested on a Moped. This was a highly cost-effective and innovative project that was well appreciated by all the scholars of the dept and was inducted as one the top projects at the University of 2010
Upon graduation, I started my first job as junior Engineer at Thermo Treaters India Private Limited, an O.E.M. supplier for several Indian Defense organizations. Working at the heat treatment department gave me valuable practical experience with various heat treating furnaces and heat treatment processes. I also had the opportunity to interact with customers and understand aftermarket demands. The experience gave me a clear understanding of importance in manufacturing quality while maintaining lower costs and keeping up with customer demands.
This experience led me to my next job as a Purchase Support Associate at Volvo India Private Ltd. Working at Supplier Quality Development (SQD) for a new truck project ‘Asia Value Truck, I got an opportunity to work not only with Indian SQD team but also with their counterparts in China and Thailand. This experience gave me a clear understanding of planning, coordination and execution at a large scale international level. My responsibility was assisting the Dept Project Coordinator in monitoring and reviewing the APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) activities to ensure smooth running of the project. In this dynamic environment, I gained valuable practical experience on planning and quality, especially the core values of APQP esp. for this Asian project-cost, time and quality. My interaction with the Supplier quality engineers, Buyers and Design engineers gave me a hint of difficulties and challenges faced by them to strike a balance between cost-effectiveness and Quality.
It is my desire that a Master’s degree will become the stepping-stone for all my future endeavors in the field of Mechanical Engg. I look upon graduate studies as my first step into research in the private sector or in academia. Hence in my preparation to pursue higher studies in Germany, besides maintaining good academic profile and gaining relevant work experience I have completed Level A-1 at Goethe Institut, Bangalore and Level A-2 is in progress.
The graduate studies will facilitate me to learn advanced theoretical concepts and simultaneously put my knowledge to practical use. I believe that as a student with a proficient background in mechanical engineering, practical experience in a private sector and diverse research interests, I would make an excellent candidate for the Master’s program in Mechanical Engineering at the University of xxx.