University of Missouri-Columbia: Matt Schmidt
Matt graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 2001 with a major in journalism and a minor in Swedish. After joining the US Coast Guard, he became an AST3 – or aviation survival technician/rescue swimmer 3rd class, better known by some as a helicopter rescue swimmer. He was stationed in Clearwater, Florida, and worked on rescue operations involving Hurricane Ike, Cuban immigrants, and a variety of incidents in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico.
In 2009 Matt left the Coast Guard with the rank of E4 (Petty Officer 3rd class), and enrolled in the University of Missouri’s Crosby MBA Program to combine the leadership training he gained in the military with the skills he needs to fulfill his long-term goal to become an entrepreneur, perhaps in sports marketing. “I’m really passionate about the idea of starting up my own business, and I don’t think any other degree can provide the entrepreneurial insight and the tools for being really creative that an MBA can.”
Now graduated, Matt is making the transition into the civilian workforce as a loan officer with the largest lender of VA loans for United States veterans and active duty personnel. “The corporate culture is absolutely amazing, and I think I really lucked out. I’m very proud to be working with this company.”
What advice do you have for service members who haven’t yet left the military but are thinking about pursuing an MBA?
It’s worth spending the time to research business schools to find the right fit. Going to just any school to get an MBA could be a problem if it doesn’t fit your personality. And just because a school’s in your back yard doesn’t mean it will necessarily be right for you. So I would challenge military members to do their research, visit a lot of schools, and find the one that really makes them feel at home. I felt like the University of Missouri was exactly what I was looking for.
Also, I noticed that the majority of Operation MBA profiles featured are of officers. What makes me different is that I still had a leadership opportunity as an enlisted guy, and specifically as a rescue swimmer. So I hope that others will notice that, because there are a lot of extremely smart enlisted folk in the military who should consider MBAs but maybe don’t.
What advice can you offer to veterans who’ve chosen their school and are about to begin their studies?
Get engaged with as many people as possible from the start. That will make your transition a whole lot easier and you’ll get a lot more out of school. MBA programs, at the most, are only two years long, and the time flies. So don’t wait. Get in there and really interact with your classmates. That’s what I did, and I built a pretty robust network much sooner than a lot of other students, which really benefited me.
How was your experience with the GMAT exam?
It was nerve-wracking. I did not prepare well enough, I didn’t start the process of studying early enough, and I don’t think my study methods were effective. So when I got to the test, I was pretty nervous. I did pretty well, but I think I could have done a lot better.
But even though the test wasn’t easy, I’m glad I had to go through it because programs that require the GMAT understand that people who take the test are serious about doing well in an MBA program. How good an MBA program is, is typically dictated by the passion of the students. So schools that require the GMAT typically have students who are serious about their MBA education.
If you were to prepare for the GMAT again, what would you do differently?
I definitely would build in more time so I could take it twice if I felt I needed to, and I definitely would take a prep course. If I’d done those two things, I would have felt less pressured because I’d have another chance to get it right, and I also would have had a better understanding of how to take the test.
From a personal perspective, what do you think is the value-add of combining military experience with an MBA?
Because I endured through a military career and an MBA program, my confidence is at an all-time high. So, for military members looking to round out their experience, get an opportunity to lead in a different capacity, and take on a challenge, the MBA’s a great way to go. The combination will make you feel so much more confident about moving forward in life.
Does the combination also give you an edge with potential employers?
I think employers look at military members with an MBA as extremely reliable, as honest, as having integrity. People want to hire military members with MBAs because they get things done, they get things done right, and they set an example for everyone else to follow.
