Another major theme dealswith your experience and qualifications both for attending graduate school andfor becoming a contributing member of your field. Having work experience orresearch experience in your field is always the best evidence you can give. Ifyou have none, then consider what other experience you have that is related. Therule to follow here is: If you have it, use it.

Field Experience

Direct experience withyour field of study is the best kind to have in your essay. But the importantthing to remember here is that any type or amount of experience you have hadshould be mentioned, no matter how insignificant you feel it is. Here is an exampleof an essay by an HIV counselor and one by an applicantwith ER experience who both are applyingto medical school.

Research Experience

A word of caution: Do notfocus solely on your research topic unless this is the standard practice of yourfield of study and you must outline your thesis. By over relying on yourresearch, you risk your essay sounding impersonal. Watch out for overuse ofjargon. If it is necessary for the description of your project, then, of course,you have no choice. But including jargon in your essay just because you are ableto will not impress anyone. Thisapplicant, for example, delves into the use of scientific and medicalterms, but also also spends enough time away from them to reveal his ownpersonal, non-technical voice.

Unusual FieldExperience

Even if you have no formalexperience, you might still have field experience that counts. Maybe you are anaccomplished amateur astronomer or have been researching quantum physics foryears before deciding to pursue a PhD. Thisapplicant deals with a fascinating success story: The writer wasforced to become a doctor by default in a village in Honduras for a summer, eventhough she had no formal training, no experience, and her only supply was"a $15 Johnson & Johnson kit."

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