Bill graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1998 with a bachelor of science in chemistry and served six-and-a-half years as a military intelligence officer before leaving active duty in 2004. While in the service, he graduated from both Airborne and Air Assault school—and with honors from the Army’s Advanced Intelligence school.
Bill spent four years in Korea where, among other posts, he served as a platoon leader and a collection manager with the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade. He later served for a year in Iraq with the 3rd Army Calvary Regiment based in Colorado Springs.
Bill, who will soon begin his civilian career as an investment banker at Wachovia Securities, says his MBA experience surpassed all his expectations.
Why did you choose to get an MBA?
For me it was an obvious choice, because I wanted to complement the experience I gained through the Army—leadership, working with others, and handling lots of responsibility—with technical skills in finance so I could become an investment banker. Financial studies are almost always part of the business school.
The added benefit of an MBA is that most of your fellow students are highly ambitious, so school serves as a good opportunity to make friends with people who will eventually be very successful in the business world. The networking opportunity is invaluable.
How did you choose where to apply, and what advice about applying do you have for others?
Location was the biggest factor in my selection. After spending the last 10 years all over the world, I wanted to be close to my family. But looking back, there could have been other factors that I should have considered.
For instance, some MBA programs attract more companies to recruit on campus than others. It turns out that my school attracts a large number of companies, and, in fact, I landed an investment banking internship through one of my school’s campus recruiting events. So, access to potential employers should definitely factor into which MBA program you choose.
What resources helped you “sell” your military background to the business world?
It is hard to translate military skills into civilian language; there is no magic formula. But my school has a lot of career coaches who are good at helping . . . and I also really found the Academy’s alumni database invaluable—nearly every West Point alum I contacted through it took my call and offered lots of career advice.
What really worked for me was calling West Point classmates who successfully transitioned from the Army to an MBA and investment banking and having them help me create a resume and prepare for interviews. Getting their help played a big role in successfully landing my choice job.
How big a role did your military background truly play in your job search?
It played a critical role in my landing a position as an investment banker. The most sought-after—and competitive—MBA jobs are usually in management consulting and investment banking. I found that banks really liked the fact that I had so much leadership and teamwork experience from the military. Because of my military experience, banks also assumed that I could handle all the responsibilities and stresses of being a banker.
I definitely suggest that service members emphasize all the people skills they honed in the military. That is what really differentiates us from the thousands of other MBA graduates.
