Best professional achievement

Question

I want to see what you guys say about this....

I'm a trader at an investment management firm. I don't have discretion in what I buy or sell. The way we work is the portfolio manager sets the model weightings in our accounts and I buy or sell according to the targets.

Now, recently my PM was named manager of the year by a media publication. I'm a part of her team.

Would it be bad form to write about this in one of my essays?

ncp · Answer

Its a bad idea. The application is all about you. Not your boss. Best case scenario is your boss making a mention of your contribution to his success somewhere in the recommendation.

gmatclb · Answer

I wouldn't be saying how this is my achievement.

But rather that I helped the PM achieve this.

riverripper · Answer

It doesn't sound like it was a team award, it seems like it was specifically for your manager. Saying you helped her achieved this may backfire, it may come across as you are trying to claim credit for something you weren't responsible for. Without a clear idea of how the award is given out I would really hesitate to writing about it. You can work it in by talking about what you learned from her, and then put in something about the recognition that she has received. Still its iffy to put something someone else was recognized for in your app. 

If she knows you are applying and is writing a recommendation then she might be able to work it in there somehow. If you really did play some factor in it, maybe she would be willing to write how you were an integral member of her team that helped her achieve this award. Though that might be a very awkward conversation to have, so unless you know how she would take that request it might be better to let it go.

aviroop · Answer

I would say ditch the idea. Its clearly your achievement, not team based or helping someone else achieve something.

I would not write about this, coz 
1. it shows you did not read the question - question asks for your (own) professional achievement. I do not consider helping somebody win an award as your achievement.

2. Its an essay on your individuality, not team skills or cooperation or you belonging to a team.

Focus on something else. Talk about how you reached your targets, possibly under adverse conditions or when trading in a volatile market. I am sure you will have some war stories to talk about.

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