OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!" Forum

(Personal Statement Examples, Advice, Critique, . . . )
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SoCalKevin

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OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by SoCalKevin » Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:47 pm

Some people approach life with the attitude that there’s nothing they can’t do. But a great approach doesn’t bring results without great execution. When I made the decision to follow the dream of being in the entertainment industry I didn’t just want to work in the profession, I wanted to make a mark in it. Twenty years later, I can look back and say I did just that.

Entertainment can bring together complete strangers to sit in a theatre or in front of the television and laugh or cry, feel proud or anger them into action. It can make people want to fight the man or step up to help their fellow man, convince them to back a war or rise in protest against it. Like a successful attorney, mastering the art of persuasion will set a television and film professional apart from the rest of the pack. That power to persuade and motivate inspired me early on, and I knew right away I would have a career in the industry.

Early on I worked for the most respected and influential television branding agency in the world. During my tenure I worked with broadcasting and cable executives to launch channels around the globe, with clients in the US, Great Britain, Japan, France, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. When I later accepted the top management position at another agency, the company had only five employees and billings totaling just XXX. I knew that I was risking a lot to move from a secure position at a proven, successful corporation to a completely unknown startup, but I could see the potential in this small group of people and I knew that with an incredible level of dedication hard work, the reward could be great. Now, eight years later, that once-tiny startup is a forty-person operation that grosses more than $XXX a year. Even in the recent economic downturn, when many of my competitors were closing their doors, I was able to grow my business. Now my clients represent nearly every major television brand and movie studio in Hollywood, and they engage us to help them launch hundreds of millions of dollars in entertainment properties worldwide. The industry has recognized my company with dozens of awards, and I am asked to speak on entertainment marketing all around the world—most recently in Singapore, Mumbai, and New York. As it turns out I may not have been convincing the masses to rise up and fight the man, but I was successfully convincing millions of them to tune into my client’s network, watch their show, or get off the couch on a Friday night and pay ten dollars to see one of their movies.

It is this ability, combined with two decades of executive experience, that will set me apart now as a great entertainment attorney. I have been on the client side of the table, in dealing with contracts, licensing, intellectual property and union issues, and can now more fully understand and appreciate what my future clients’ concerns will be. I have spent years developing skills that are critical to the field, in negotiation, persuasion, organization, verbal and written communications and in managing and motivating people and personalities of all types. All of this constitutes the backbone of my job in entertainment, and it’s what I enjoy the most. That’s why migrating these skills to the law profession is a natural progression in my career. I plan on staying in California, and I know that XXX’s highly reputable Entertainment Law program, combined with the number of high-level relationships I have made along the way, will help me advance much faster than I could have as a young undergraduate. They are critical components of that decision to move forward.

Things have never been handed to me nor have they always come as easy as it might seem. I am only the third generation of my family born in the United States and the second one of them to attend college. I was born in a small, blue-collar neighborhood in XXX, and it was through incredibly hard work that I am where I am today. As I continue to push myself forward, I am confident that at this point in my life I can bring a great deal of world experience to my work in law, honor and recognition to my future alma mater, and greater philanthropy to my community.

leftofthedial

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Re: OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by leftofthedial » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:23 pm

Okay, I'll bite. I like the confidence...and if you're in SoCal, it definitely has that feel. I'm a non-trad myself, so I appreciate being able to talk about experience. My only concern would be that this seems, at least to me, to be a bit heavy on stuff you could find on your cv. I imagine there's a ton of stuff you could write about...for me, it was difficult to pick an angle and stick to it - I wanted to keep bringing in other experiences. I assume that's a challenge most older applicants face.

If it were me, I'd try to do less review and concentrate more on why you want to switch to law - I mean, you're really successful now, so why change? And I'd drop the contractions, they seem too informal.

I think you've got a ton to work with, and I wish you luck. By the way, I'm a songwriter - want to hook me up with some placements??? :D
SoCalKevin wrote:Some people approach life with the attitude that there’s nothing they can’t do. But a great approach doesn’t bring results without great execution. When I made the decision to follow the dream of being in the entertainment industry I didn’t just want to work in the profession, I wanted to make a mark in it. Twenty years later, I can look back and say I did just that.

Entertainment can bring together complete strangers to sit in a [strike]theatre[/strike] theatER or in front of the television and laugh or cry, feel proud or anger them into action. It can make people want to fight the man or step up to help their fellow man, convince them to back a war or rise in protest against it. Like a successful attorney, mastering the art of persuasion will set a television and film professional apart from the rest of the pack. That power to persuade and motivate inspired me early on, and I knew right away I would have a career in the industry.

Early on I worked for the most respected and influential television branding agency in the world. During my tenure I worked with broadcasting and cable executives to launch channels around the globe, with clients in the US, Great Britain, Japan, France, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. When I later accepted the top management position at another agency, the company had only five employees and billings totaling just XXX. I knew that I was risking a lot to move from a secure position at a proven, successful corporation to a completely unknown startup, but I could see the potential in this small group of people and I knew that with an incredible level of dedication hard work, the reward could be great. Now, eight years later, that once-tiny startup is a forty-person operation that grosses more than $XXX a year. Even in the recent economic downturn, when many of my competitors were closing their doors, I was able to grow my business. Now my clients represent nearly every major television brand and movie studio in Hollywood, and they engage us to help them launch hundreds of millions of dollars in entertainment properties worldwide. The industry has recognized my company with dozens of awards, and I am asked to speak on entertainment marketing all around the world—most recently in Singapore, Mumbai, and New York. As it turns out I may not have been convincing the masses to rise up and fight the man, but I was successfully convincing millions of them to tune into my client’s network, watch their show, or get off the couch on a Friday night and pay ten dollars to see one of their movies.

It is this ability, combined with two decades of executive experience, that will set me apart [strike]now[/strike] as a great entertainment attorney. I have been on the client side of the table, in dealing with contracts, licensing, intellectual property and union issues, and can now more fully understand and appreciate what my future clients’ concerns will be. I have spent years developing skills that are critical to the field, in negotiation, persuasion, organization, verbal and written communications and in managing and motivating people and personalities of all types. All of this constitutes the backbone of my job in entertainment, and it’s what I enjoy the most. That’s why migrating these skills to the law profession is a natural progression in my career. I plan on staying in California, and I know that XXX’s highly reputable Entertainment Law program, combined with the number of high-level relationships I have made along the way, will help me advance much faster than I could have as a young undergraduate. They are critical components of that decision to move forward.

Things have never been handed to me nor have they always come as easy as it might seem. I am only the third generation of my family born in the United States and the second one of them to attend college. I was born in a small, blue-collar neighborhood in XXX, and it was through incredibly hard work that I am where I am today. As I continue to push myself forward, I am confident that at this point in my life I can bring a great deal of world experience to my work in law, honor and recognition to my future alma mater, and greater philanthropy to my community.

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Ragged

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Re: OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by Ragged » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:28 pm

Hammertime!

SoCalKevin

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Re: OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by SoCalKevin » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:43 pm

Does this strengthen my reason for wanting a law degree?


All of this constitutes the backbone of my job in entertainment, and it is what I enjoy the most. That’s why migrating these skills to the law profession is a natural progression in my career, and following that path will open up many more options for me that I currently have in my limited niche of entertainment.

leftofthedial

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Re: OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by leftofthedial » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:58 pm

I PM'd you.

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SoCalKevin

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Re: OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by SoCalKevin » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:14 pm

oops- should have posed the entire paragraph with the addition. Here it is:

It is this ability, combined with two decades of executive experience, that will set me apart now as a great entertainment attorney. I have been on the client side of the table, in dealing with contracts, licensing, intellectual property and union issues, and can now more fully understand and appreciate what my future clients’ concerns will be. My years of world travel -18 countries to date- and international business experience give me a unique advantage of understanding what motivates people of all backgrounds. I have spent years developing skills that are critical to the field, in negotiation, persuasion, organization, verbal and written communications and in managing and motivating people and personalities of all types. All of this constitutes the backbone of my job in entertainment, and it is what I enjoy the most. That’s why migrating these skills to the law profession is a natural progression in my career. I plan on staying in California, and I know that XXX’s highly reputable Entertainment Law program, combined with the number of high-level relationships I have made along the way, will help me advance much faster than I could have as a young undergraduate. They are critical components of that decision to move forward.

leftofthedial

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Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:43 pm

Re: OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by leftofthedial » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:26 pm

I see what you're saying, but those things seem to be why you would be a good attorney but don't tell me why you want to be a good attorney. I'm tall, fairly athletic, and would probably make a decent ball player - at least back in high school. But I didn't want to play ball, so it didn't matter. Does that make sense? I mean, from what you write you're super successful in your current career, even surviving the crisis unscathed. Why do you want to give that up? Or, why would a law degree help your business?

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PhantaManta

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Re: OK folks, this is it unless anyone says "STOP!!!"

Post by PhantaManta » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:27 pm

To be honest, with half my applications returned, I can say pretty confidently that there is almost no way anything but LSAT and GPA matters, at least outside of the T14. And that exception is only because I cannot comment on the T14 without applying there. I wish I had spent less time worrying about my PS for no reason. In other words, unless you put the wrong school in the PS or confess a desire to torture animals you should have a very predictable cycle.

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