Huy Pham's Portfolio

 

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

I am a student from Vietnam, focusing on business and foreign investment as two of the main resources to develop. According to that fact, the combination of Master of Science in Management and my undergraduate background in law will give me an advantageous opportunity to have a good job.

I have working experience in Vietnam as an investment specialist at a law firm which was established by well-educated partners with solid knowledge studying in France in which the legal system is somewhat the same as the system in Vietnam. The firm is supposed to be successful because it runs on the basis of legal knowledge and the partners do not lack of that type of knowledge but the firm’s performance is still only mediocre. I realized that it is the result of employee change, lack of long term strategies and poor leadership. From that experience and the fact that Vietnam has a society appreciating business, it inspires me to broaden my knowledge in management.

I gained an undergraduate degree in law at Hanoi Law University – the most prestigious institute teaching law in my country and now I want to expand my knowledge in business through the master program in management because it will be a great combination for me to understand the two most crucial aspects in life. At a glance, there is no connection between law and business but understanding well both fields may help to increase opportunities in finding a good job. As my experience in practicing law in Vietnam, some conflicts and difficulty which can be avoided by legal savvy are very difficult and costly requiring the help from related ministries. With a law background, it can also reduce risks in doing business. Furthermore, I want to have experience of studying from the United States and the advance of developed countries and Mason is the university which provides the Master of Science in Management program that meets my goal. Not only does the university provide new, innovative and mainstream outlooks on what is happening in the business world today as fundamentals for me to seek opportunities both inside and outside of legal industry but the program is also designed with internship opportunities and a week of global experience, which are precious practical experiences. Besides that, the program is designed flexibly for a wide range of undergraduate backgrounds.

As the period of studying at INTO Mason through Management of Information Technology and Analytical Statistic for Management, I am able to see how the full program will be. It not only covers basic knowledge in management but also provide students a strategic view, analytical skills through real business cases and practical management skills. The two courses above are beyond my expectation when I can both study through context and improve critical thinking skills as Statistic course equips me to analyze information and IT Management course provides trends of technology with a view of business perspective. With my logical and critical thinking developed throughout the time at law school and a good set of skills from natural science such as math, physics and chemistry – which were my main focus during high school, I strongly believe in the success when I pursue the Master of Science program.

The United States will give me an opportunity to extend my network with internationals and Americans. Other than studying in class, building connection with peers and professors through class discussion and group work is also my goal to improve the proficiency of English and to become an insider of my classes, the management major and School of Business of George Mason University.

With the degree of Master of Science in Management program, I plan to take part in an internship after graduation through OPT of F-1 Visa for a year then find a full time job in the next two or three years through H1B Visa. In particular, I want a position relating to the master degree in an US law firm. It would definitely broaden my view both on the legal practice and management practice. These experiences would be a treasure for me when I come back to Vietnam. At that time with a global view of business and practical experience, I believe that I will have more chances of being employed at a good company with a good position. Particularly, I want to find a job that allows me to apply both management and legal knowledge and skills. The long term goal is to gain as much practical experience as possible to run my own business in the future.