Looking back at
my experience of about one year and a few months since I joined KEC
International, an Indian MNC, as Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) in its Water
Business Unit, I proudly say that in such a short span, I have been equipped
with so much technical knowledge and skills in Project Management. I have gone successfully
much beyond expectations of all. It has been my probably excellent performance
that in spite of being the junior most, my company picked me up to develop as a
coach by my company’s consultant, McKinsey, for analyzing & redrafting
the planning process in different business units for proper execution and close
control.
My company had
decided to adopt Primavera in its Water Business Unit around the time I joined
this company. Considering my technical savviness & high intellect since I
topped my induction training as well, my company in all likelihood experimented
with me for making me to learn and implement Oracle’s Primavera (P6 8.1
Enterprise). It was the beginning of Primavera in this company consisting of 4
Sub-Business units (SBU). There was palpable skepticism in top management
echelons at that time about effectiveness of Primavera. During the testing of
my project, it was found that for proper co-ordination of Design, Procurement
and Construction can be done by use of it. It was also noted that resource
loading the activities not only helped us in present project but also become a
data bank for similar condition project for future tenders. Management was
particularly keen about the dashboard of enterprise version to see overall
health of Business units and individual projects to provide a correct picture
of business which in line helped then to take critical business decision. It was my successful implementation of
Primavera that my company now has decided to adopt it in all of its SBUs. I’m regarded as a harbinger of Primavera in my
company. I have attended two trainings on primavera
since then, in which I got the topmost score. For me also, it changed direction
of my life.
Further to it, it
is again recognition of my capability that I’m regarded as an effective cross-functional team member
who gets indulged with any new project since the start during project planning,
cascade the same plan to years, months and week for timely project execution by
comparing it with the baseline, its tight monitoring & control and
appropriate feedback. My work includes preparation of project plans in
consultation with all stakeholders and updating them as and when required. I prepare earned value analysis (CPI, SPI, CV
and SV) to judge project health which is reported to the top management,
resource utilization S Curves, risks and obviously, plan for the next month. My
job also includes cross-checking the data which is being formed by putting
actuals with EPR system. My part of job also includes to update functional
stakeholders of project to know about look ahead plan and activities they have
to undertake for timely completion of project. That also mean that it is
important for me to raise a red flag when any claims (due to client’s delay) is
possibly due. I also have to prepare draft of letter to client to update them
of possible delays if client need to provide us approval for drawings or other
obligation. Finally, I also conduct preliminary negotiation with new
sub-contractor, discussion T&C, targets, resource requirement (machine
& manpower) to achieve targets and finally preparing work order of the same
after the sub-contractor have been finalized by my project manager
I have been
involved in 3 Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) projects of
Non-overflow section of Dam, Intake well structure and Sewage Treatment Plant
(SBR Technology) with 153 km of RCC pipe laying work. As the projects were EPC in nature, my
company understood that they would require advanced level planning and any
co-ordination/communication gap between design, procurement and construction
will lead to delay in the project.
It was an honor for me when my company, in spite of my
being too junior, recommended me to develop as a coach by McKinsey on analyzing
& redrafting the planning process in different Business Unit for proper
execution and close control. In all, 25 people from the entire organization
were recommended. This project is a process re-engineering (a process
undertaken once in a decade & only 20 people are selected as coaches from 4
of its Business Units) in which McKinsey is our consultant. Everyone in the team is having an
experience of at least 8 year except me. I've only one year experience. It
is probably credit to my professional capability that McKinsey also selected me
for this project. During the course of this very exercise, numerous boot-camps
and discussions with international experts, I could see that I’m participating
in this exercise on equal footing as all others. Even one McKinsey expert
remarked that I have full control on planning & project execution processes
in my Business Unit.
I have also successfully gone through a 7 day training on Project
Management by one of the top MBA institutes in India, namely, SP Jain Institute
of Management & Research (PMI
registered Education Provider). I
was awarded the “Well Done Award” from the Executive Director, Human
Resource of my company for implementing learnings of this training in my daily
routine and sites.
With all above achievements in such a short span & observations
by my senior & experts, I got clear direction of my future career. I’m a person most suitable for Project
Planning, Coordination, Generating Ideas, Monitoring and giving Feedback.
Incidentally, I could also observe that I possess majority of requisite
competencies for the field of Project Management.
By background, I’m a Civil
Engineer from one of the top private engineering college of India, namely,
Ramdeobaba College of Engineering & Management, Nagpur, Maharashtra State.
I have scored First Division in my Undergraduate studies. During my
engineering, I have certain original
kind of assignments to my credit-
1.
I have assisted Prof. Moshe
Alamaro of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on his research for
reduction of evaporation in the water reservoirs. I was lauded by him for the
effort. I did the quantitative analysis on possible benefits and total
reduction in evaporation based on each state in India (Ref: Letter of
Appreciation attached).
2.
I did my final year project
thesis on “Morphological Analysis of Upper Wunna watershed” to determine type
of soil, erosion etc. by using GIS (ARC GIS).
3.
I received appreciation and
award for my presentation on “Scope & Future of High Speed Railways in
India” (It was presented in a national level technical symposium).
4.
Presented my research work on
“Effect of Non-Standard Curing Tests on Compressive Strength of concrete” in a
national level symposium on Civil Engineering (2010).
5.
I was given an opportunity to
work on a project of an earthen dam for the purpose of ground water recharge.
It was my first hand on experience.
6.
Learning of PERT & CPM and
other basic concept concerning projects came to me quite naturally. In fact, it
was my easiness in presentations & discussions on Project Management, which
fetched me my present job.
Initially, I got a view that I should get into Environmental Engineering
discipline taking that this is my area of natural interest. However, now on
analysis, my earlier success with the Water related assignments were basically
my natural interest with the Project Management. Now I know without any doubt that working on
Projects comes naturally on me and it ought to be my field of future career.
Put together, I did my Undergraduate Studies in Civil Engineering creditably
well. I have been good in academics, practical, various projects and
assignments.
Besides I have
varied interests. Volunteering & helping people is my trait. I volunteered
UNOCHA during Libya crisis. Some of the relief operations were planned by the
concerned UN agencies, based on my team’s inputs. As a mark of recognition, I
received the best UN online volunteer
team award from UN. I also volunteered to work with an American NGO named
Humanity Road and received US
President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2011 for my contribution. Also, in India,
I’m managing a debate platform on
Twitter for spreading knowledge & highlighting important issues of the
society. This platform has featured a number of the top personalities of India.
I remained active in the college events from my first year till the date, again
due to my tech savviness. I was part of technical team (computers) for almost
all the major events at my department and college level.
I’m equally good
in handling disasters. To give an example, on death of a top political leader,
Balasaheb Thakrey, Mumbai came to a standstill. Due to shutdown of all kind of
public transport, I started an online spreadsheet for car-pooling. It helped
over 250 people during the 3 day shutdown. People were able to reach airports,
hospitals & other necessary destinations. I received numerous mentions in newspapers for this initiative.
I know that there
are bound to be people having better academic qualifications than me. But it is
actual performance and deliverance on ground which finally matters. I have established my working
credentials, my intellectual capability, fast grasping & good decision
making capability. I feel that I have all attributes required for an
effective & successful Project Manager. That is what finally makes me to
apply for Construction Management so that my academic knowledge &
associated practical skills becomes among the best.
Arizon State
University is a premier institute and Construction Management program of the
university is billed highly prestigious and intensely academic & practical
oriented. Faculties for the program are highly learned and well known. I
sincerely urge the Admissions Committee to take note of my accomplishments and
my preparedness for the program. By the time I come for the program, I will be
completing my 2 years in my current organization and same should be given due
weight age of further attenuation of my experience.
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