'to help my home country Nigeria' - SOP for MSc PETROLEUM ECONOMICS

Can someone please criticize my SOP strongly - outline of your intended profession, your ambition and your career plan, how it will help you with the work you expect to do on your return to your home country and your most outstanding non-academic achievement involving other people where you demonstrated leadership potential. I will take any advice. Here is it:

My name is Emmanuel Success. I'm from Nigeria; I studied Economics in Enugu State University of Science And Technology and obtained Bachelors of Science (B.SC Economics) in Economics with GPA 4.00/5.00. When introduced to economics in high school I realized that it interestingly qualified as a subject of both Arts and Science. It was an area defined by precise rules, principles and axioms and yet there was tremendous scope for self-expression in the form of interpretation and analysis. This facet of economics intrigued me very much and I decided to pursue further studies in Economics.

During my under graduate's program, I projected to be a Petroleum Economics and Management per se. My career plan was to progress from having the full knowledge of the financial sector. Then move to Masters in Petroleum Economics and Management. To achieve this, I equipped myself as best as I could during my under graduate's program, with various tools used in economic analysis. I learnt the different process that ranges from production to distribution, maximization; also i learnt a lot about Petroleum Economics, mathematics, econometrics, and statistics, micro & macro-economic, international Economics and management accounting. After completing the under graduate's program, I headed for the National Youth Service Corp and was posted to an investment banking firm operating under the financial sector. I joined the research unit of the firm after passing an aptitude test, as I was very eager to see how one might use economics and its tools to practice the valuations of petroleum assets and companies and tackle other real life problems, where simplified models and assuming away of problems may offer no respite. I did some very interesting work here, which is described in my resume.

On Non-academic achievement, I was among the people selected to work on a group project organized by neighborhoods. The project was to boost academics confidence in young students. It was called "How to Improve Student Project Management Skills". We were ten in number and as a result of my passion for the project; I was given the role of a team leader. I took up the role and was able to assign to each team player a role to play so as to make the whole work a success. As a team leader and with the help of other team players, I set up a tone and processes in the paper students should follow when handling project of any kind. I was able to figure out the purpose of the project, influence each team member and created a way for them to contribute to the accomplishment of the paper project. I organized the team and did a need assessment and the project was accomplished. Some of the project management processes listed in the paper work includes: 1. Designate a project leader. 2. Define expectations. 3. Develop a schedule/work plan. 4. Assign people to individual task. 5. Develop a budget. 6. Assess progress. 7. Adjust the plan and 8. Repeat steps six and seven until complete.

To achieve my career as planned, I want to delve deeper into the subject Petroleum Economics and management to be able to help my home country Nigeria carry out research and analysis, value oil and gas projects, assets and companies using the petroleum finance techniques. And critically analyze those of others to help make informed and astute oil and gas investment decisions hence my decision to join the Masters program Petroleum Economics. Petroleum Economics and management is an area I would really like to explore. I am fascinated by Capital Budgeting and Decision Theory, petroleum finance techniques, Energy Economics, Upstream Petroleum Economics and International Negotiation.

I believe after studying petroleum Economics and management, I will contribute greatly to the development of my nation's oils and Gas sector. I will contribute to my nation's Oil and Gas industry by implementing a petroleum economics model that will enable Nigeria to maximize both its oil exploration and the economic benefits of its oil revenues. A petroleum economics model that is designed to build the highest degree of prudence into our national decision-making on both investment in oil field development and oil exploration and the management of oil revenues. These have become important because, billions of dollars of oil revenues earn every year of continuous oil production has not translated into corresponding economic development and growth in Nigeria!

I am sure if I am given the opportunity to study Petroleum Economics and Management that attracts some of the best students from all over the world, it will provide an environment competitive enough to bring out the best in me for my home country, Nigeria.

Great name, Mr. Success.
Your SoP exhaustively covers your intended STUDY ambition but does not address the second half of the prompt (your most outstanding non-academic achievement involving other people where you demonstrated leadership potential.) You don't need to spend so much space citing the courses you took, better to devote it to your most significant achievement i.e. application of what you learnt and want to further study.


HOW DID YOU APPLY THE METHODS TO BUS DEVELOPMENT, INVESTMENT GOALS OR APPRAISALS, NEGOTIATION, ADVISORY (to what??)


BREAK UP THIS SENTENCE, IT IS WAY TOO LONG.


THIS IS BETTER WORDED IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH.


DO YOU MEAN TO HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL CAREER?
IS YOUR CAREER GOAL TO BE AN ECONOMIST (do research,) FINANCE AND INVESTMENT OR IN MANAGEMENT? HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF CONTRIBUTING TO NIGERIA. I WOULD THINK THIS IS A KEY CRITERIA FOR OBTAINING THE SCHOLARSHIP WHICH I DID NOT READ ANYWHERE IN YOUR SOP.

My career plan was to progress from having the full knowledge of the financial sector, then move to Masters in Petroleum Economics and Management.

I learnt the different process that ranges from production to distribution, maximization; also I ---Always capitalize your 'I's--- learnt a lot about Petroleum

As a team leader and with the help of other team players, I set up a tone and processes in the paper students should follow when handling a project of any kind.

I was able to figure out the purpose of the project, influence each team member and created a way for them to contribute to the accomplishment of the paper project.

...home country Nigeria carry out research and analysis, value oil and gas projects, assets and companies using the petroleum finance techniques.

This sentence is confusing, you should revise for clarity.

I believe that after studying petroleum Economics and management,...

If I am given the opportunity to study Petroleum Economics and Management, which attracts some of the best students from all over the world, it will provide an environment competitive enough to bring out the best in me for my home country, Nigeria.

:)