The Chevening career plan essay sample contained in this post study career plan essay guide secured the applicant a UK Chevening Scholarship in the 2020/2021 edition! The first part of the Chevening essay writing guide is a detailed guideline on how to write winning Chevening Scholarship essays that uses specific examples from previous samples of career plan essays to explain the tips, tricks, and requirements of Chevening application essay writing.
The Chevening essay writing guide, and the sample Chevening Career Plan essay at the end, are meant to improve your chances of succeeding in your Chevening UK masters degree scholarship application. This is in consideration of the fact that the Chevening post study career plan essay is the most important part of the four Chevening scholarship essays.
In addition to the sample Chevening career plan essay, this post provides detailed guidelines for writing a Chevening career plan essay using specific examples from the free Chevening Scholarship essay example. By following the tips for writing a Chevening Career Plan essay that are contained in this elaborate Career Plan essay writing guideline, you will immensely increase your chances of getting considered by the Chevening Scholarship panel.
Writing Chevening Essays on Post Study Career Plan
Ideally, the career plan essay is the one essay that will make or break your UK Chevening Scholarship application. This is because it articulates the applicant’s objectives and vision on what they want to achieve from the Chevening Scholarship.
NOTE: Chevening will only be interested in investing in an applicant who has a clear vision that is realistic and achievable towards creating a positive change in their home country.
With that in mind, let’s get into the writing prompt.
Chevening Career Plan Essay Question
“Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan. Please outline your immediate plans upon returning home and your longer-term career goals. You may wish to consider how these relate to what the UK government is doing in your country.”
The underlying purpose of the Chevening Career Plan Essay writing prompt is to determine the following;
- Do you have a clear vision/ career plan?
- What are your career plans (short- term, mid- term, and long- term plans)?
- How does studying the selected course in the UK relate to your future career plans?
- How will the Chevening scholarship impact your plans?
You should try to connect your selected courses and your current professional experience to your future career plans to bring a clear flow in your Chevening Scholarship application essays.
Tips and Sample Chevening Career Plan Essay Examples
When tackling your Chevening Career Plan essay, you should ensure your future plans are ‘SMART”
- S-SPECIFIC career plans
Be very precise on what you want to do. You should be able to demonstrate detailed specificity by being clear on What? Where? How and Why?
How significant or needful is your vision?
For example, if your goal is to end extreme hunger in your country get down to the specifics of how.
Career Plan Essay Example; According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statistics, 36.5% of Kenya’s population is food insecure while 35% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished.
Why?
This is despite the sector contribution accounting for 65% of the export earnings (This shows that there are gaps in the sector that need to be tackled).
How will the expertise and knowledge acquired from the UK be of help?
Competency acquired from the food safety and research modules will help me undertake research focusing on food safety issues such as aflatoxin, low nutritional diets and malnutrition.
How?
The acquired skills will help me to implement research based policies while implementing front line solutions to challenges facing Kenya’s Food Systems. These efforts will be in line with FCDO interests of tackling food security issues in Kenya through its partnership with the Gate’s Foundation. (This shows the link between your career plans and the FCDO interests in your country)
- M-MEASURABLE career plans
This is where you need to show results through various performance indices.
- What is the measure of your progress towards the attainment of your goal?
- What has been the impact of your work?
Common indices include poverty level, GDP, employment rate etc.
Career Plan Essay Example; With increased evidence based research and key solutions in areas such as food quality, nutritional diets and technological innovations, there will be more employment opportunities for women and youths who form 60% of Kenya’s population.
Resultantly, this will reduce the country’s poverty level steadily by 30% by the year 2030, hence supplementing the FCDO goal on ending extreme poverty in Kenya.
- A-Achievable
Your career goals should depict a vision that is actually attainable and not impossible to achieve. Don’t try to blow things out of proportion.
Career Plan Essay Example; In the mid-term, I hope to delve into research to spur impactful evidence based research policies. My work will be focused on food security, innovations, food safety and malnutririon. With my interest to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the food production system in Kenya, I will be able to secure funding from the Agri Tech Catalyst Programme, a UK program that supports research projects on food production challenges in Africa.
Study modules in research project design will equip me with competencies to conduct impactful research for innovative interventions, evidence based policies and solutions for food insecurity. I am particularly looking forward to working with one of my mentors, Professor Mary Abukutsa whose focus on African Indigenous Crops to combat malnutrition and promote food security strongly resonates with my interest in tapping into the unexploited potential of African Indigenous crops.
I also plan to collaborate with Professor Daniel Sila, a researcher and Program Coordinator of the Center for Monitoring and Analyzing Value Added products at Jomo Kenyatta University to foster food security. These efforts will complement Kenya’s big four agenda on having a food secure nation and supplement the UK’s effort to tackle food insecurity through the Food Trade Resilience project.
The example above, which is lifted from the Chevening career plan sample essay, shows the applicant’s achievable goals as it is clear on;
- What exactly the Chevening Scholarship applicant’s mid-term goal was ( i.e to become a researcher)
- The key issues to be tackled (i.e food security, Innovations, food safety and malnutrition).
- The applicant’s knowledge on the projects in which the FCDO is involved and how that would be helpful for the achievement of the set goals while creating long lasting relationships between the UK and Kenya through the Agri Tech Program.
- Specific modules that would improve the applicant’s competency and expertise to implement the vision. (This will also create a good flow in your essays, from the Chevening Scholarship application essay –WHY you want to study in the UK Essay).
- The applicant was able to show that he/she had not only identified but also developed a connection with authority people in the research field, that is, professors. (The applicant identified specific professors and their area of interests that aligned with his/her stated goals.The Chevening Scholarship applicant also mentioned them as mentors-meaning it would be easy to connect with them. One of the researchers mentioned in the sample Chevening career plan essay was also included as a referee.This helped the applicant to show the close connection and symbiotic relationship established with researchers. This tallies with the Chevening Scholarship essay writing goal of proving the applicant’s ability to network for the purpose of influencing change.
- Lastly, the Chevening career plan essay sample aimed at highlighting the applicant’s career goals and their connection to FCDO interests. This was in line with Chevening Scholarship Career Plan essay question on “how your career plan goals relate to what the UK government is doing in your country“
- R-Realistic/ Relevant
- Are your career goals within reach?
- Are they result oriented?
- Are they realistic and relevant?
It’s always good to use statistics to paint a clear picture of the gaps you have identified and how/ by how much you want to bridge that gap.
Career Plan Essay Example; I intend to lobby the Kenyan government to establish a laboratory and innovation center specifically dedicated to food innovations and tackling pressing issues within the food system such as food quality and safety (specificity).
- T-Time bound
This is where you answer the questions;
- When?
- What is the time frame for your goals?
When you have a timeframe, it becomes easier for you to be committed and motivated.
Chevening Essay Example; In 3 years post graduation, I plan to collaborate with notable Kenyan Chevening Scholarship alumni Hon Betty Maina and Amina Mohammed. With their great experience in trade and development, we will be able to lead negotiations with UK multi-national companies in the food industry such as Nestle, Arla Food, Marks& Spencer, Unilever and Bakkavor to increase their trading with Kenya. This will provide front line solutions to key issues on trade and development, unemployment and poverty eradication, all which are in line with FCDO interests on trade and development.
(Here the Chevening Scholarship applicant tried to demonstrate knowledge on notable Chevening Alumni in the country; trying to link the content of the four Chevening application essays and proving the understanding of specific UK companies in the food security sector and the interests of FCDO in trade and investment)
NB: When writing the Chevening Career Plan Essay, you have to be very clear on your vision/goal/plan.
- What will you do?
- What organization will you work for?
- What is it that you will be bringing to the table with the acquired expertise from your studies?
- What are the reasons that will be driving you to actually contribute to the particular gap?
- What is your timeframe and how will your contribution be measured?
- What is your target audience/ who will be benefitting from your contribution?
After this, You may also want to see our detailed guide on Writing the Chevening Networking Essay
Key Focus of Writing your Chevening Scholarship Essays
- Focus on contributing to your country’s development
- Relate your career plan with the interests of the UK government in your country (you can also highlight contribution to SDG’s or any Government projects).
- Chevening is about building future leaders and decision makers; try to show ability for progressive leadership.
Chevening Essay Samples PDF
The Chevening Scholarship application- Career Plan essay sample discussed above consisted of five (5) paragraphs. That is;
- Introduction
- Short term goals
- Mid -term goals
- Long term goals
- Conclusion
The Career Plan, Chevening application essay example on food security and food science was as follows;
Sample Food Security Career Plan Essay
Example (See PDF Download Link Below)
According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statistics, 36.5% of Kenya’s population is food insecure while 35% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. This is despite the Agricultural sector contribution accounting for 65% of the export earnings. In an effort to attain the much applauded economic growth and development, the sector Growth and Transformation Strategy (ASGTS) focuses on output, value addition and food resilience. It is for these needs that I want to pursue postgraduate studies in Food Science in the UK.
Chevening Scholarship Career Goals
In the mid-term, I hope to delve into research to spur impactful evidence based research policies. My work will be focused on food security, Innovations, food safety and malnutrition. This will enable me link up research findings to policy while recommending front line solutions to Kenya’s Food Production challenges. With my interests to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in the Food Production system in Kenya, I will be able to seek funding from the Agri Tech Catalyst Programme, a UK program that seeks to support research projects seeking to tackle key needs facing Food Production in Africa in 3 years.
Modules in Research project will equip me with competencies to conduct impactful research for innovative interventions, evidence based policies and solutions. I am particularly looking forward to working with one of my mentors, Professor Mary Abukutsa whose focus on African Indigenous Crops to combat malnutrition and promote Food Security strongly resonate with my interests of tapping into the unexploited potential of African Indigenous crops. I also plan to collaborate with Professor Daniel Sila, a researcher and Program Coordinator for the Center for Monitoring and Analyzing Value Added products at Jomo Kenyatta University to bolster Food Security. This efforts will align with Kenya’s big four agenda on having a food secure nation and supplement UK’s efforts to tackle food insecurity through it’s the Food Trade Resilience project.
Long-term Career Plan Goals
In the long-term, I hope to secure additional research funding by seeking grants from development bodies and partners like Food Agricultural Organisation (FAO), African Union and the FCDO through its Agri-Tech Catalyst Programme. These initiatives have the potential to bolster Kenya’s Food security, food safety and high nutritional diets, hence reduce Food insecurity by 20% in the next 5 years. Additionally, I envisage leading a team of experts that will tackle challenges on inadequate food innovations and specifically tackling food safety issues such as Aflatoxin poisoning to promote food security by 2030. This will subsequently position Kenya among the top 3 economies in Africa and actualize Kenya’s big Four agenda of having a food secure nation.
Conclusion
Overall, in line with vision 2030, I visualize a 30% GDP growth by focusing on key deliverables of vision 2030 which are manufacturing and food security. The Chevening Scholarship will give me an opportunity to visualize and actualize my career aspirations by giving me an opportunity to study in the UK and build expertise in Food Science studies.
It will also help me network extensively and share ideas and knowledge through the Chevening events. Being part of the global Chevening network of over 60,000 alumni will also give me an opportunity to form collaborations with notable experts in the food safety and food security sector.
The above Chevening career plan essay sample secured the applicant an entry to a UK university under the Chevening Scholarship program. You can download our Sample Chevening Essays PDF documents using the PDF link at the end of the post.
HavardEssays can help you with writing Chevening Scholarship essays that will put you ahead of your competition.
You can also read more guides on writing Chevening essays or download the Chevening Career Plan Essay PDF at the end of this post.
