Leendert Muis
Vanderbilt MS Finance Class of 2007
Carreker – Associate Financial Analyst
London, UK
My New Career
I will be working for Carreker, recently acquired by CheckFree. Carreker is a Dallas-based company that does consulting and IT solutions for financial services. I will be working for the Revenue Enhancement Consulting Group based out the international office in London in the UK. My job will consist of financial and data analysis in consulting projects for retail banks worldwide.
A Dream Job
Before entering the MSF program the only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to work in the Financial Services Industry. I was not looking for this particular job. However, it is close to my dream job and I am very happy and fortunate that this opportunity came along. It is great for me to move back to Europe, closer to home (The Netherlands).
Working My Way Up
I really look forward to starting my job. I have been in university for seven consecutive years so I am ready to start working. I think my job will be very exciting and dynamic. My goals for my career have remained: I want to work my way up by showing that I am a dedicated hard worker. I do not want to have a great professional career at all costs, but I do have the ambition to work my way up in the financial industry.
How the MS Finance Prepared Me
The MS Finance program provided so many opportunities to reach out to people and apply to positions. It is great that we were able to use both the undergraduate and the graduate career centers. This helped me a lot in my job search. Furthermore, we developed great financial and other skills quickly, and were able to show that in early interviews, giving us an advantage over the undergraduates. All in all, Owen and the MS Finance directors were a great help.
The Owen Community
The Owen Community was a great place to develop my financial skills. The faculty is great and it is easy to have personal contact with them so you can get the most out of your learning experience. I liked the fact that we were able to integrate with the MBAs and learn from them and talk with them about their experiences. Furthermore, they know how to party! Basically everybody in the Owen community was very supportive and it was a great place to be. All the alums, administration and faculty are all there to help.
All in all, I loved my experience in the MS Finance program and it definitely increased my future prospects. However, be ready to be in the professional environment that business school entails.
Good luck to all of you!!
