please review my first draft of my SOP - Interactive Design

[colorsilk30]

Hey y'all!! I need help writing this SOP - it is the only essay asked for in the SCAD application, so i need to make sure it covers the basics while still showing myself off...I am at a loss. Writing is not my strong suit, so I really don't know how to make this work...Please keep in mind this is just the first draft, there are many changes to be made.

 

I have always wanted to further my career in a direction that would give me success and satisfaction. I also know this doesn’t necessarily mean making more money, or being in a higher position of power. About a year and a half ago, as I was working as an Claims Assistant at a massive insurance corporation, I realized that I was never going to succeed until I figured out what it was that I wanted to do. After weeks of reviewing my strengths and weaknesses, I realized that for me to have a satisfying career, I needed more educational experiences.

Lets go back a little, so that I can explain my decision. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Technical Communication, which can either focus on the technical writing aspect, or the multimedia and information design aspect - I chose design. Now, this may sound cheesy, but at my time at Mercer University, there was so much to learn within my field, and there weren’t  enough classes available for me to truly feel at ease in a work environment. Once I graduated, I knew that I would really have to work hard to keep up with employees that had been working for 5 years or more in the same field. I did well, and have succeeded at every post I have held. After graduating from Mercer University, I was employed as a Claims Assistant at QBE First, where I had been hired for a 2 week contract - which turned into full term employment after one month of work. Once I had spent a very eventful year there, I was offered a position as an Intranet Administrator at Rollins, Inc. The offer was extremely tempting, because it would give me a chance to use my learning as an instructional designer, technical writer, and usability design skills to develop the intranet. This career move brought me closer to my interests regarding Interactive design and Usability. But neither one of these jobs has given me satisfaction. Why? The main reason is because I knew that if anything went badly, I wouldn’t have the sufficient talents to push out any more experienced competition. Mercer had given a strong foundation in which I could grow, but to succeed long term in the creative design industry, I needed advanced experiences and skills that cannot be gained without higher education.

So how do I get to where I want to be? No matter who a person is, to truly succeed it is imperative to fully and clearly understand where that person can be content, putting to use the skills and natural and learned talents they have. In my case, that means going back to school to develop and hone my skills. After researching Savannah College of Art and Design’s (SCAD) Interactive Design and Game Development program, I was immediately taken. Its detailed curriculum displayed the intensity of the program, and displayed what career options I would have once complete. I visited the school and had the opportunity to meet some professors firsthand, all of which confirmed my belief that the program aligned with my needs. As I was walking through one of the Savannah’s squares, I ran into some Game Development students who were eager to discuss the program with me and seemed happy and dedicated to their program. [ x]

I know that the Interactive Design and Game Development program can be tailored to my interests, ultimately developing a style of design that is long lasting and effective. After speaking to Professor [x], he brought to my attention that SCAD is one of the only schools that has this program, which in and of itself is amazing. I truly believe that this program is my answer. Experiences in both school and the workplace have given me the advantage of seeing multiple paths that can be taken, and what is needed to develop the skills to follow those paths. With this Masters in Interactive Design, I can begin making my path into where I would like to take my next steps – creating dynamic training materials, being involved in testing Usability of web application, and working alongside User Experience Engineers to create dynamic interactive products.
The IT world is expanding exponentially, every day new applications and solutions are being designed and created. I want to be a part of that growth, I want to be involved in the creative process of a project that can be of use to people on a global scale. I want to look back twenty years from now and know that I have been a part of something that hadn’t been there before, something that has made a difference to the way the world operates. Specifically, I would like to be involved with creating solutions in regards to education in third world countries. My family is from Peru, and I have seen first hand how technology has assisted children in long distance learning - because they have no way to get to school 30 or 40 miles away.


In conclusion, this degree is what I need to further my career in the path that I have chosen for myself, one that I can love and live with. By using the  skills that I have already learned, in addition to what will be taught, I will have the education necessary to get where I need to go.
 

 

any help will be appreciated!