In this blog post, I’ll show you how to turn your experience of failure into evidence of growth and responsibility and how to effectively include it in your personal statement when applying for a quality control job.
How I grew up
From an early age, I was a child who could easily stay focused and stay on task in the face of repeated stimuli. When I would help my mother with her side hustle from time to time, she would often marvel at my ability to stay on task and be meticulous in my attention to detail. My persistence and focus were qualities that I had developed over the years. I also liked to spend long periods of time in thought, enjoying internal activities such as books and computers, rather than spending my leisure time outside. One day, I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even think to turn on the light until it was pitch black all around me, earning my mother’s nagging questions about what the heck I was doing. I don’t show my mind or my will outwardly, but that’s just the way I am, infinitely cutting away inside.
I was also somewhat introverted, which worried my mother. However, I much preferred to make deep connections with a small number of people who could fully connect with me, rather than randomly connecting with a large number of people, so I was struggling with that quantity-quality dynamic. It was a much better fit for me to have a few people close to me with whom I could have genuine conversations, share productive concerns and relationships, and have ongoing interactions than it was for me to have a lot of conversations with a lot of people and expand my network. However, I couldn’t ignore my mother’s advice, so I used to try to find the ideal combination of the two.
Academic life
This was a time when the ability to stay in one’s place in the face of repeated stimuli could be translated into the ability to persevere, to sit with one’s butt in the seat, and to be engrossed in studying. When other kids were easily distracted or rushing around with distractions, I was able to stay focused long enough to make it to the bathroom and stay on track to accomplish my daily goals. I also knew that if I kept getting interrupted by trivial matters, it would be much harder to rebuild that broken focus, so I would be patient with myself to make sure that I didn’t get sidetracked and focus on “distractions” instead. And rather than setting unattainable goals, I made sure to have goals that were realistically within my reach and that I would feel fulfilled by.
And I worked to build up what I wanted to accomplish, one mission at a time, so that by the time I had completed all of them, I would be where I wanted to be. I’ve found that when you try to conquer a big mountain in one fell swoop, it can seem overwhelming, but by breaking it down into dozens of smaller, more manageable goals and taking the stairs one at a time, I’ve found myself reaching final destinations I never thought possible. The satisfaction of accomplishing such a small goal stabilized me and gave me a solid foundation to build on, so I was able to reenergize my motivation to find the next mountain and begin the long journey.
Personality Strengths and Weaknesses
Once I start moving, I’m the type of person who can’t lose focus or get distracted easily. This is because even if all sorts of distractions pop into my head along the way, they rarely have the weight of importance to make me “drop what I’m doing right now” and get to work. In other words, I believed that no matter what the task, as long as I weighed them properly, sequenced them, and followed the proper procedure to accomplish them one by one, I could eventually conquer any goal, no matter how great and enormous it was, and that my track record of enjoying success after such diligent efforts would support me in establishing a presence that would attract the trust of others. And this philosophy is what I have faithfully built my life on.
On the other hand, I’ve also been criticized for being overly boring and unadventurous, and this advice has helped me to realize that it’s not enough to just dutifully stay on the rails, but also to think outside the box – to blaze a different trail or devise a more efficient way of doing things.
Life outlook
I want to live my life with a sense of excitement and anticipation to see how many goals I can set and achieve in my lifetime. I’ve been through a lot of life’s hardships and good fortune to get to where I am today, and I’ve always been dedicated to making the most of every moment and giving the best of myself. Sometimes I’ve failed, but most of the time I’ve succeeded, and that’s what has pushed me to grow and get to this point. I’m well aware that I’m not a master of unconditional condescension or humility, and I know that many companies need competent confidence, not incompetent humility.
I am an ambitious individual who will not be full of himself, but who will not be overwhelmed and deflated by his ambitions, so that I can feel proud and satisfied with the path I have taken in life so far, and I will do my best to make sure that I am able to achieve the same.
Motivations and Aspirations
With a tendency to sit quietly and become deeply absorbed in my own thoughts, rather than wandering around and expressing my interests, I have demonstrated a deep understanding of the tasks at hand and a knack for adapting quickly. It was this attitude of recognizing the necessity and importance of a set procedure and implementing it step by step, rather than just moving my hands mechanically, that led to a more complete understanding of things.
I believe that this would be a good synergy with your company, which is interested in a thorough understanding of the work and the ability to utilize it. I would like to express my intentions in a clear voice, that the many tasks to which I intend to devote myself in your organization will always be developed by my strong fingertips into a finished product, which will be unrivaled in its quality.
