Category Archives: Alumni Corner

QUEST’s 25th Anniversary Gala – A Night to Remember

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QUEST celebrated 25 years of continuous improvement with over 420 alumni, current students, parents, corporate partners, and UMD friends on October 7, 2017! Jacob King (Q27) provides his account of the evening below.

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Walking into the grand new lobby of The Hotel at the University of Maryland, we were ushered upstairs to the ballroom level where we were immediately enveloped into a different time era. It seemed as though we were thrust back 60 years as all the males were dressed to the nines and women were in dresses to the floor, taking stunning pictures off the balcony overlooking the valet. Overhead were enormous twinkling glass structures that added to the ambiance as we walked into the ballroom itself. As I grabbed myself a drink from the bar, I looked around at all the fabulous people around me, all the brilliant QUEST students and alumni dressed up to celebrate the anniversary of this wondrous organization that brought us together. I began to walk around to catch up with old friends who had graduated, and I was astounded to see the turnout of not only current cohort members from 25-30, but members of cohorts from the very beginning. I was even introduced to people from cohorts 5,13,18,19 and 20.

It is one thing to network and make acquaintances, but it is another to talk to QUEST alumni about your story and how your time in QUEST is benefiting you. The cocktail hour quickly elapsed, and as we sat down for the main event, we had no idea just how humbling and inspiring our speakers were about to be. With our emcee, the chairman of the QUEST Alumni Board, Mr. Ricky Wilson, the night kicked off without a hitch. While it makes sense to have the three deans represented from the three schools (business, engineering and computer, mathematical, and natural sciences), the speeches they delivered were completely awe-inspiring as they praised not only the program, but told stories of how QUEST has helped shape the best students within their schools.

Corporate partners were recognized for giving back to QUEST over the years. Leidos, IBM, and Orbital ATK were announced as Corporate Visionaries; Lockheed Martin was recognized as a Corporate Innovator; and BD, dlhBowles, Pwc, Unilever, and Tulkoff Food Products were recognized as Corporate Catalysts.

Jerry Goodman and ToniAnn Thomas from IBM then went on stage to announce the winners of the IBM Design Challenge. Team International Business Men took home the grand prize, a trip to the IBM Global Headquarters in NYC. Team members included: Conor Casey (Q27), Tim Chen (Q28), Cameron Harner (Q25), Varun Mohan (Q28), and Jeff Zhao (Q28). To learn more about the IBM Design Challenge, click here.

It soon came time to recognize the alumni from QUEST who strove to push past the normal call to action that comes with graduating from this honors program. To Jason Gates (Q16), who pushed the original 190H course to its fullest extent and sought innovation through his own career, the QUEST program awarded the Innovative Professional Achievement Award. For the individual who has helped QUEST increase its corporate visibility, the program awarded Steve Kutchi (Q1) with the Outstanding Corporate Connector Award. Presented next was the Outstanding Service Award to Danny Laurence (Q19), Bryan Towns (Q7) and Ricky Wilson (Q6) for giving back to the program. For early career achievements, the Outstanding Young Alumna/us Award went to Linda Rassenti (Q17).

Winners of the Alumni Awards and the presenters

Next, three alumni, Debbie Feinberg (Q1), Vlad Tchompalov (Q14), and Addrenia Smith (Q18), provided remarks on their time in the program. As those in the audience listened to the stories of these alumni and their seemingly unachievable success or commitment to the program, one could see the passion start to bubble and the gears start to turn as current students tried to devise ways to achieve these same heights. As I started to leave the event, I turned around and looked at those around me: the alumni who are following their dreams and the students who are building passions and elevating themselves to get there. That is the beauty of QUEST. It is not in the rigorous coursework or the extracurricular activities or even the prestigious faculty (no matter what Dr. Suarez says). The people are what make QUEST great- the congregation of like-minded scholars who are hungry to learn and vicious in the classroom, yet collaborative and intuitive, with a drive to push those around them to new heights. This positive feedback loop of each QUESTee helping one another and giving back has led to the placement and growth of hundreds of alumni, with many more to come.

Here’s to the first 25 years of QUEST, and another 25 or more of great students, faculty, alumni, and corporate partners! To check out more photos from the Gala, click on this link!

Alumnus Catch-Up: Bryan Towns

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Being in college, the idea of one day being an alum of the University of Maryland seems far into the distance. While it’s something we talk about often, it isn’t something we are ever prepared for when it finally arrives. With this said, our greatest hope is that when the time finally comes, we can take what we learned from our classes and experiences and apply them to the real world.

I recently reached out to Bryan Towns, a QUEST Cohort 7 alumnus that graduated in 2002 from the Clark School with a degree in Chemical Engineering. I got to learn about his work for Abbott Laboratories and how QUEST not only helped him attain his first job but has since also helped guide him with the special and unique skill set it gave to him.

Where do you work and what exactly do you do there?

I am Director of Program Management at Abbott Laboratories in Chicago. In that role, I lead the product development efforts for one of Abbott’s diagnostic divisions. The product that we are developing is a really cool automated instrument that isolates and identifies DNA and RNA to enable hospitals to diagnose a larger number of infectious diseases with higher accuracy and faster than is otherwise possible today.

How did QUEST help you in getting your job?

I still remember the specific interview question that landed me my first job out of Maryland! In a dual-sided panel interview (multiple interviewers asking the same question of multiple candidates), we were asked how to bring a team with differing views/interests to a consensus decision. I described the Pugh decision matrix that we had used across my three years in QUEST. After landing the job, I was told that response helped to set me apart by demonstrating the systematic thinking and team building skills that QUEST instills and are in demand across all industries back in 2002 through today.

Bryan received one of the Outstanding Service Awards at QUEST’s 25th Anniversary Gala

If you could do things differently, what would you do?

I wish that I had become more involved at UMD and QUEST earlier in my career. I have become very involved in recruiting, sponsoring QUEST projects, and participating in the QUEST Alumni Board over the past 5-7 years, and I seem to learn something new and useful every time I am back on campus. Had I engaged in QUEST a decade earlier, I would have been able to apply those lessons earlier in my career.

What words of wisdom do you have for current QUEST students?

While being a jack-of-all-trades was once valued in industry, a much greater emphasis is put on depth and expertise in a specific field these days. Whatever your major, identify a field that you anticipate being valuable (for example, cybersecurity, government relations, and risk management are fields that are getting a lot of attention right now) and start building expertise in it while in school. Continue building and refining that expertise early in your career and you’ll be amazed by how many options will be made available for you.

The Alumni Network – How YOU Can Make The Most of It!

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The involvement of a QUEST student doesn’t end after graduation. In fact, one of QUEST’s greatest assets is its vast alumni network. There are numerous ways for QUEST students to remain involved with the program after graduation. In fact, even within the QUESTPress community, alumnus Jacob Wilkowsky from cohort 19 continues to stay involved as our alumni advisor. QUEST also provides many other means of staying in contact with the program after graduation. Of these include joining the QUEST Alumni Board, getting involved in classes, and attending various alumni events around the country like happy hours and trivia nights.

One amazing way for QUEST alums to stay connected is through the QUEST Alumni Board (QAB). The 2017 Alumni Board Executive team comprises of Ricky Wilson (Q6), Josh Kohn (Q18), Karthik Menta (Q18), and Shirley Han (Q19) who are Chairman, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary, respectively. There are 22 alumni altogether on the board, and they are all responsible for hosting alumni events and staying connected to our program in various ways. If interested in getting involved, contact Ricky Wilson at Richard.Wilson@constellation.com.

Members of the QUEST Alumni Board at a recent QUEST Conference

Even students currently in the QUEST program have the chance to connect with our great alumni. Alumni visit classes and mentor students in various capacities. QUEST also hosts various events where students can build relationships with alumni. QUEST’s recent 25th Anniversary Gala was one instance where current students and alumni had the opportunity to meet and connect with each other.

QUEST has an intensive database that catalogs all current and past members of the program. This alumni database allows you to search for alumni based off of factors such as their majors and what companies they are currently with. Emails are also provided, so this is a great way to reach out to alumni who you think would be able to give you advice on the culture of a specific company or just what to keep in mind for as you pursue your major. Feel free to browse the database and make lifelong professional connections. Members of the QUEST community support each other. To access the database, contact Jessica Macklin at jmacklin@rhsmith.umd.edu.

Be sure to check out QUESTPress’s Alumni Spotlight articles. Students interview alumni and learn about how they managed to get to their positions, how QUEST helped them achieve what they have so far, and what input they want to give to the rest of the QUEST community.

Once students are accepted into QUEST, they are exposed to a diverse environment and are encouraged to get out of their comfort zones. As time goes on, those students begin to characterize QUEST culture by focusing on quality, professionalism, and teamwork in their lives. These qualities don’t end after graduation, and these values that we get from the program allow us to relate to and connect with members across all cohorts. I encourage current students to use our extensive network of alumni and see what they can learn, and I invite alumni to stay connected with our community by visiting our various events and social functions. To learn more about ways to get involved, visit our website.

Kylie King: A Happy Farewell

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By: Chineme Obiefune (Q25)

Kylie King, QUEST’s Program Director, recently announced that she will be leaving QUEST after seven years and taking on a faculty position at Champlain College in Vermont. As Kylie embarks on the next leg of her journey, we wanted to take the time to talk with her and reflect on her experience at Maryland and her work with the QUEST program. I recently had the privilege of interviewing her and getting a better understanding of where her mind is at prior to the big move. The following is a transcript of the discussion that ensued:

Kylie King (right) was honored at QSO’s End of the Year BBQ on May 7th

If you had 3 words to describe how you feel in this moment, what would they be?

Excited, Hopeful, Heavyhearted

Looking back on your time here, what are you most proud of?

I love the relationships that I’ve formed with people and the ones that I’ve helped people form with each other.

I’ve had the opportunity to teach and advise cohorts 18 through 28, and it’s wonderful meeting them as students and getting to know them better as they move on as alumni. Seeing where their careers go and what different ventures they move on to is a very rewarding experience. I’m actually still in touch with many alumni, and I hope to keep those connections open forever.

I also love that I’ve been able to help students and alumni meet each other. I believe it’s important for all members of the community to get an understanding of who is in the program and how they can leverage their connections and knowledge.

Is there anything that you would have done differently?

Looking back, when we moved into this new space, I think we could have thought a bit more about the design of the QUEST lab and the new QUEST classroom. There are so many different tweaks and changes that are just coming to mind now, and it’s a shame they couldn’t have been implemented the first time around.

Where are you headed to next?

I am going to be an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. It’s a small private school, and I’m looking forward to it since I don’t have much experience working within small institutions. Having said that, I think QUEST has prepared me well for that since it’s a very tight knit program in its own right.

I’m also excited for the opportunity to have a role as a faculty member as opposed to a staff member. I plan on continuing my research and shifting it to focus on how teams work in entrepreneurial settings. I have plans to continue partnering with people at the University of Maryland, so I’m excited to continue that connection!

What do you think you’ll take with you from your time in QUEST?

I’ve been around some really great teachers in the QUEST program. I remember when I was a Grad Assistant and I commented on Dr. Bailey’s classroom being like a magic show. It was as if the students were on the edges of their seats waiting to see what would come next! All the instructors in the program have been great role models and have taught me the value of relationships. I hope to build a community of learners in my own classroom at Champlain where discussions can flow and students can feel open to asking questions.

What words do you have for people taking 190H, 390H, and 490H?

For those in 190H, say yes to as many opportunities that you can in the QUEST program. The bulk of the academic content is already under your belt so don’t forget to apply that content in future classes. I encourage you to go to social events and say yes to meeting alumni or going to the conference. Try to put yourself out there as much as possible to maximize all that QUEST has to offer.

For those in 390H, you have a gap next semester so I encourage you all to stay invested in QUEST. At the end of the day, it’s not just about the classes that you take. When I talk to alumni, what really sticks with them are the opportunities that they took outside the classroom. Try to get involved with things and get to know people. If you think the first 2 years went by fast, just wait until the next two disappear!

For those in 490H, I hope that you continue to work hard. You’ve all worked hard in 490H and I hope you recognize that hard work is valuable in and of itself. You should want to do your very best at all times, but don’t do it just to impress people and get a good job. Do it so that you can feel good about the work that you’ve done! I hope you learn to appreciate the value of working hard for the sake of working hard, not just for what comes next.

What advice would you have to people considering making a big move in their career?

The first piece of advice is to believe in yourself. If you think a job is out of your reach, then apply yourself and put yourself out there. The worst thing that could happen is that you update your resume, build a bigger network, and put yourself in a better position for the next job. Having said that, make sure to take risks as your risk tolerance will allow!

The second piece of advice is to not be paralyzed by looking for the best possible option. Don’t be afraid to make a decision because you’re not sure if it’s the best decision. If making a move is better than staying where you are right now then you shouldn’t be afraid to make that move!

Thanks Kylie for all you’ve done for QUEST!

Ishaan Parikh: KPCB Fellows Spotlight

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By: Chineme Obiefune (Q25)

QUEST student Ishaan Parikh (Q28) was one of only two UMD students accepted into the KPCB Design and Engineering Fellows this summer. This program has just a 5% acceptance rate across the country! Learn more about Ishaan’s plans this summer below!

Congrats on your acceptance! What KPCB track are you in?

There’s the design track, the product track, and the engineering track. I decided to pursue the engineering track.

What is it that drew you to the program?

I’m a computer science major, and I really want to be in Silicon Valley and get into the startup culture, but I don’t want to dive too deeply into the coding aspects of it. I find coding interesting, and I think it’s the backbone of many companies, but I want to experience the entrepreneurial part of things.

KPCB understands the need to mold these two disciplines and will be giving me the opportunity to intern with their portfolio companies and receive advice from the founders of these companies. I see this as a chance to learn from the founders of the companies and build my network with the people in my cohort and the Venture Capitalists in the program as well.

Do you know what company you’ll be interning with?

I’ll be at a crowd funding startup called Indiegogo (https://www.indiegogo.com/#/picks_for_you).

Where do you see this taking you in the short term (after summer) and the long term (after graduation)?

I’m interning with a lot of cool people from across the country. UMD only has a few people in the program, but there are over 50 other interns from the country who I hope to connect with. In the short term, I’m hoping to make friends and gain an immediate network of people.

In the long term, I’m confident that these people will go on to do amazing things so I’m looking forward to learning from them. I know they all share the same goal of potentially starting a venture or being involved in the startup sphere, and I can’t wait to interact with them.

How do you think QUEST and your other activities at UMD are preparing you for your internship?

QUEST and the Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship are teaching me a lot about the design process, which is going to be very important if I want to start a company. I’ve learned about empathizing, defining, and prototyping, which I’m sure will be beneficial during my time in the program.

What advice would you give to those interested in the KPCB fellows program?

Reach out to me when I come back from the summer and be sure to talk to other fellows at Maryland to hear their experience. I know they want more Maryland people so check out the website and apply!

One Year Later: Expectations vs. Reality of Working Full-Time

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Ben Hsieh (Q22)

By Sam Weaver (Q26)

It’s easy to forget in your first two years of college that you (most likely) have to graduate after four years. As a current junior, it’s a reality that’s becoming more and more pressing in my life, along with all the stress and anxiousness that comes with it. We spend a lot of time in college focusing on our eventual careers: where we want to be in ten years, how to chase our passions, and what corner office we want to have one day. We don’t, however, spend much time talking about what your first couple of years in the workforce will be like. This month I caught up with Ben Hsieh (Q22) to talk about his first year as an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company.

Q: What surprised you most about working full time?

I think the “realness” of it all hits pretty quickly, especially in jobs in professional services. Because clients are paying for our work, there’s a need for everything to be 100% correct – a 93% no longer gets you an A-. That being said, I think at most companies that QUEST students end up at have great cultures where there are large support networks for employees.

Having to focus straight for 8-15 hours is also a lot more challenging than I anticipated it being. While there’s no doubt that QUEST students are busy, running from class to extracurricular activity, the pockets of “break time” between classes don’t exist when you’re working.

Q: What’s been the easiest change from school to work?

Definitely the paychecks that come biweekly. Boy, does that feel good.

Q: How has consulting been different from what you expected going in? How has it been similar to your expectations?

The difference between recruiting (expectations) and work (reality) exists for every company. When going through the recruiting process, most employers only tell students about the coolest projects in the office or the biggest perks while glossing over the bad parts of the job. That being said, I still think that the work that I do is interesting and the people with whom I work are extremely talented, both reasons that I chose the job that I did. [One of the biggest differences is] we do a lot of presentations sitting down and having a conversation with our clients in a casual setting, there’s no stand up presentations. There are still lots and lots of PowerPoints though.

Q: There’s a lot of pressure to find your “dream job” right out of college. Do you think that ever really happens?

Call me cynical but I don’t think there’s a perfect first job; I think there are positives and negatives to every job. Our generation is very focused on optimizing “optionality” – we have to eat at the best restaurants and find the best jobs – but I think it’s more important to find some components [of work] that energize you and focus on getting those in your job. For me, it’s working with people — I really enjoy sitting in a team room and whiteboarding ideas.

To handle the parts of the job that are not as pleasant, I think there are two things you can do. First, remember the parts of the job that you do enjoy and see if the “math works out” — are you doing things you enjoy more often than things you don’t enjoy (factoring in the level of enjoyment)? Second, think about how you could change the negatives or shift them to be more enjoyable.

Q: You relocated across the country for your job, what advice do you have for handling that change?

Moving is hard, especially when you don’t know anyone in the city. I think the best advice I can offer here is to level-set expectations and to be positive. It’s a strange experience because you go from senior year, where you’ve made great friends, know your way around, and have the trust/respect of your peers and professors, to starting from zero (even if you interned at the same place).  It takes some time to adjust, and I think a great corollary is first semester freshman year, which for most people was a fairly difficult transition. Tacking on the change to working full time and getting to know a new city, the “struggle is real,” but talking to friends, both those who have and haven’t moved, helps smooth the process a lot as well.

Q: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself from your first year on the job?

Work is not the most important for me. I really enjoy my job and all the benefits it has, but, at the end of the day, I find more fulfillment in having great relationships, making food and music, and playing golf. There are some people who don’t enjoy hobbies and prefer the intellectual stimulus and excitement of work; I’m just not one of them and that’s okay.

Alumni Spotlight: Phil Anderson

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By Chineme Obiefune (Q25)

As college students, it can be hard to imagine starting a new job right after graduation. Beginning a new chapter in our lives with new responsibilities is no small feat. Some people choose to stay in the area, others relocate to different parts of the country, and a courageous group of people dare to travel beyond the borders.

I recently spoke with Phil Anderson, a QUEST Cohort 17 alumnus, regarding his time with Amazon Web Services in South Africa. We talked about the work he does for Amazon, how QUEST helped him adapt to his new surroundings, and what he would do differently if he had the chance.

What exactly do you do for Amazon? 

I’m a software development engineer for Amazon Web Services. I was a Computer Science and Math major at the University of Maryland and now I work on their Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) product. I work with around 100 engineers and have a hand in the design and building process of the product. I also have a strong role in regards to talking with customers to better understand their needs and develop different features.

How did QUEST help you get your job?

QUEST was outside my comfort zone and gave me the chance to get involved with things I wasn’t completely familiar with. Working on uneven footing is something I quickly became familiar with, especially at Amazon. I initially worked at Amazon Seattle for a couple years out of college and QUEST really helped me get comfortable working in random environments with diverse people and cultures.

How has it been adjusting to the new environment in South Africa?

When I first got here, it was the small subtleties that shocked me initially. Working in an environment where everyone speaks Afrikaans and not English took some time to adjust. It was initially very daunting but after some time I was able to adjust and gain a better understanding of the culture. It was also interesting to see the impact that apartheid had left on the country. Seeing the impact on the culture was definitely eye-opening.

If you could do things over again, what would you do differently?

I would take things quicker. It took me about four years after college to move to Cape Town and in retrospect I shouldn’t have been so intimidated by the challenge of moving abroad. I should have been more confident in taking the new job and jumping into the deep end, even though I wasn’t entirely sure of it.

What words of wisdom do you have for fellow QUEST students?

 Follow what you want to do, not just the safe option or what you think others would expect you to do.

Q17 Alumna Brings Barre to College Park

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When QUEST Alumna, Lauren Filocco (Q17), wanted to open a barre studio she “knew it had to be in College Park.” Less than a year later, OpenBarre had its grand opening in February, just off Route One. Barre classes, the focus of the studio, are a combination of yoga, ballet, and pilates and provide a fun, low impact workout for participants. The studio is the kind of place that makes you want to work out; it’s all the best parts of an Instagram gym photo: sunny, bright wood floors, and neat piles of exercise equipment.

While right next to a college, where students have access to gyms on campus, might seem like an odd location to put a fitness studio – it’s one that’s working for OpenBarre. By focusing on the customer experience, a familiar concept to any QUEST student, Lauren and her team have been able to fill a gap in the community. As she points out, if a person goes to Eppley Recreation Center, where group fitness classes are crowded, they have to be comfortable exercising in front of a lot of other people; it’s not a perfect system. “Also,” she laughs, “I lived in Commons – it’s far [away].”

It’s easy to see how QUEST prepares students for entrepreneurial pursuits, but when I asked her how QUEST has influenced her career Lauren actually referenced her full-time work at McCormick. The 490H consulting project really taught her how to be confident when speaking to people who have more technical knowledge of a subject, which is a skill that carried over to her job in procurement.

So how does one go from a job in procurement to opening a fitness studio? Lauren credits a large part to the mentorship received from the owner of the barre studio she frequented, who encouraged her to pursue her idea. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” she says, the benefits you receive from the people who are willing to help far outweigh the times people choose not to respond.

Check out Open Barre’s website here!

Senior Spotlight

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By Jason Ho (Q24)

It’s March. The white walkers have begun to melt and cool breezes blow upon us. In light of this wondrous time of the year, another phenomenon has also commenced; the rollover of this year’s graduating class of QUEST! As their names are etched into the alumni books and their cohort photos mysteriously disappear from the labs, the QUESTees of Cohort 23 & 24 pack their bags and bid their farewells. However, it is not without a few words of wisdom. In this article, we shine a light upon two budding seniors, Andrew Lee (Q23) and Michael George (Q23), as they lay upon the QUEST community their stories of how they got to where they are today and what they have to look forward to in the next chapter of their lives.

Tell us a lot about yourself.

Andrew Lee: I’m a senior Computer Science major in Cohort 23 currently TA’ing 190H. I’m originally from the Philadelphia area, but I came to UMD because of the great computer science program. After going through the STS Scholars program, I wanted to be a part of another community and applied to QUEST. I like to eat, travel, play board games, poker, tv shows, football, go to concerts, ultimate frisbee, video games, music, exercising, and golf.

Favorite food: Sushi (check out Daikaya in DC if you haven’t been)
Favorite place I’ve travelled: Taipei
Favorite board game: Catan
Favorite poker: Texas Hold ‘Em
TV show: West World *waiting on Game of Thrones to come back

Michael George: I am a senior Computer Science major in Cohort 23 and I am also a member of QUEST Recruiting and a PM on QUEST Dev. I love technology and that’s part of the reason why I decided to become a Computer Science major. Otherwise I really enjoy sports, especially football, baseball and basketball, and I’m slowly getting into soccer. I also really enjoy listening and creating music. I play a little guitar, drums and bass and I enjoy singing as well. For this last year, I’ve gotten very fond of Chance and have been listening to Coloring Book almost all of the time.

A lot of QUEST students are hungry and ambitious for the road ahead. Once before in those shoes, can you tell us now about your experience as you applied to different jobs?

Andrew Lee: Going through QUEST really opened my eyes up to all the different roles I could do outside of a typical software development job. After interning 2 summers as a software engineer, 1 summer as a project manager, and 2 QUEST capstone projects, I applied to a variety of jobs within the consulting, product management, and software engineering fields. Getting rejections really sucked at first, but after the first few, you become sort of numb to it. Gradually, a few offers started to come in, so I really had to ask myself what I really wanted to do after college. It was easy to show enthusiasm during interviews at all these different companies for different positions because I actually was interested in doing a variety of roles. During October-November, I had at least 2 interviews a week and it was almost like taking another class. In the end, I figured that even if I eventually wanted to go into consulting, management, or product management, it would be best to first hone my computer science skills at a software development position. I chose to go with the software position with IBM because it touches on 2 technologies I’m interested in going further with: AI and Cloud.

Michael George: Honestly, as a Computer Science major at Maryland, they prepare you well to be a software developer, but I remember realizing that I was not very passionate about it and that I couldn’t see myself doing that for a career. Thankfully because of QUEST and the Silicon Valley trip, I learned about Product Management and I was instantly infatuated with the idea of becoming a Product Manager. I started looking for full time positions as a Product Manager, but most companies usually promote you to that position after working as a Software Developer or proving yourself in some other area first. As I did not see that many options, I started to apply and interview for Software Engineering roles but nothing was really working out and I remember feeling discouraged. It was at that point where I received some of the best advice/encouragement that I’ve ever had and the timing of it made it impactful. A QUEST alumnus told me to never settle and not to worry because at some point it will all work out. Finally, I got an interview with Microsoft for a Program Manager position and thankfully, I was extended an offer to do something that I am very passionate about.

So now that you’ve made it, enlighten us about which lucky companies will be taking you in and what you’ll be doing there.

Andrew Lee: I’ll be working as a Cloud Software Engineer in the IBM Watson space. This means I’ll be working on developing cloud infrastructure to support Watson applications. IBM is currently focusing on really expanding their Cloud and Watson cognitive capabilities and services, so I’ll be in the middle of all that. I’ll be based out in the Astor Place office in Manhattan if anyone wants to come visit me.

Michael George: I’ll be working as a Program Manager at Microsoft, and I will determine the team that I will be on in the next few months. As a Program Manager, you oversee a specific feature or application and you are constantly working with engineering, design, and business teams to refine and improve your product for your target users.

If there is one thing about your company that made you go there, what is it?

Andrew Lee: The opportunity to build out their services, infrastructure, and applications. IBM is rapidly expanding the products they’re offering, and this is a great opportunity to be a part of creating their new flagship products. IBM is also doing some really cool things through Watson such as cancer research and sentiment analysis.

Michael George: Microsoft is at an awesome place as a company right now, with a relatively new CEO that has changed the culture of the company and new products that are revolutionizing the markets that they are in, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to be a part of that.

What advice do you have for students looking to find positions like yours?

Andrew Lee: Network, network, network. QUEST, friends, and mentors are all excellent ways to meet new people that are already in jobs that you’re potentially interested in. Just applying online has maybe a 10% response rate, but during the fall semester interview season, there were so many opportunities to network and do interviews. If possible, try and get your job search done in the fall when most of the opportunities are still open. Don’t be afraid to take as many interviews as possible and study up for appropriate interviews (whiteboard coding, case interviews, etc). For those of you interested in software development, I recommend Cracking the Code Interview and the website Leetcode. Also, try to plan your interviews around classes, and keep in touch with professors when you miss class. Definitely try any company you’re interested in. The worst they can say is no.

Michael George: Network and get involved. I can’t stress how important networking was for me during my job search. Take advantage of all the QUEST events and meet not only alumni but also students from other cohorts. There is so much talent within the QUEST program and you never know when you may need to rely on that one senior you met from cohort 23 to get you an interview at a company that you are really interested in. In addition to that, getting involved in different organizations can help you with talking points and just gaining relevant experience. With Recruiting, I learned a lot about giving a good elevator pitch and being a PM with QUEST Dev was a great talking point during my interviews. I also using Cracking the PM interview because it provides a lot of great insights for preparing for a PM interview. Most importantly, just relax!

Now that the hard part is over, let’s talk about the fun stuff. What’s the plan for when you graduate?

Andrew Lee: My start date isn’t until late August, so I’ll probably try to travel, golf poorly at the UMD golf course, and see friends until then. I’ll probably bounce between my Commons apartment and my parent’s home in Philadelphia. After that, I’ll be in New York City.

Michael George: Currently, my start date is early July so most likely June will be spent catching up with friends and family. I’ll be moving to Seattle, WA and I expect that there will be a QUEST to Seattle trip at some point (@Jessica Macklin).

Alumni on Advanced Certifications and Degrees

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By: Jacob Wilkowsky (Q19)

March 2014:

Flying Back from Spring Break in Barcelona

I knew the CPA lay abruptly ahead. Committed to work in public accounting after graduation, it seemed like there was no alternative. My future employer provided the Becker study materials. My friends in the field either had the accreditation or were well on their way to achieving it. Pursuing the CPA didn’t feel like a decision, but an inevitability. Little did I know it was a slippery slope…

January 2015:

All Smiles in my Grandmother’s Guest Bedroom

Well the CPA didn’t go as planned, but at least I was done. Seven months, hundreds of hours studying, and six attempts later I passed all four sections (FAR, REG, BEC, and AUD). However, even before the results of my final attempt came out, I was registered to take Level I of the CFA in June. This time, the reasons I enrolled weren’t so clear. For certain the ease of the CPA wasn’t a factor—it truly was a miserable experience. However, my education in finance, past experience in valuation, and yada, yada, yada—none of you care.   

Today

I’m gearing up for Level II of the CFA. Facing the deep abyss ahead, I can’t help but wonder how I got here. In the approximately three years since graduation, I’ve lived in five apartments (including my grandmother’s guest bedroom), worked at two firms, and gone on one additional international journey. However, the singular constant has been the unyielding pressure of studying for advanced certifications. At least I can take solace in the knowledge that my obsession with abbreviations is shared by fellow QUEST alumni seeking advanced degrees in science, medicine, law, and business.

Santiago Miret (Q18), PhD student in Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Berkeley

You’re brilliant, we get it. Why get the PhD? Could you gain the same knowledge elsewhere?

One thing that you learn while doing a PhD is how truly not-brilliant you are, but I think that is the case for any challenging work that you do because you get exposed to how much more there is to do and learn. The PhD is very conducive for challenging learning because it is set up for you to explore topics that have never been explored and create new knowledge to share with the world. It may be possible to acquire similar knowledge somewhere else, but it is very difficult to acquire depth outside the environment of the PhD.

Tony Trinh (Q21), medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Since graduating it seems like my friends in Med School have had it the worst in terms of up front investment in their career (grueling workload, financial cost, longest-term payoff). Why do you think there are so many people lining up for the opportunity?

I think what it comes down to is that people in medical school are content to play the long game (and I mean L-O-N-G game). Although both the financial and even psychological costs of medical school are astronomically high, I don’t know a single person in my class who isn’t passionate about medicine. It might sound a bit romantic but I genuinely believe that everyone here has an earnest desire to help their fellow man and are willing to go through what can sometimes seem like hell to do so. Of course there is a financial driving force tied in there but anyone who’s looking for ONLY a quick pay out wouldn’t last a day in medical school. From my perspective of my class and my school, the job comes first and paycheck comes later (much later) but we’re okay with that and wouldn’t you rather have a doctor who looks at you like a patient rather than a source of income?

Matt Sarna (Q19), law student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

People say that law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer. Did anything in QUEST help prepare you for this transformation?

Plenty of my peers questioned why a business school QUEST student would be interested in pursuing a law degree. My answer has always been that QUEST does not prepare you to go into a specific field, it prepares you to take a client’s opportunity head-on and develop a synthesized solution that addresses each facet of the issue. That is the foundation of a successful lawyer. Law school teaches you how to take black letter law, ambiguous regulations, and ever-changing political landscapes and massage a client’s needs to fit. It teaches you to keep asking, “What if…” and “Why.”

Richard (Ricky) Wilson (Q6), M.B.A at the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business

[Ricky also has a Masters in Electrical Engineering and Six Sigma Greenbelt]

Based on my friend’s Snapchat, business school is alternating sprints between the library and bar. How true is this interpretation and what was the best lesson you learned as an MBA?

That was not my business school experience, but it can be the experience of some.  It may likely depend upon your background prior to entering business school.  I never spent much time in the library.  Business school was really a lesson on time management, an opportunity for personal and professional development, and an immersion into diversity. The coursework is generally not very challenging for people with analytical backgrounds, but it can be time consuming.  There is a lot of reading and a lot of group assignments.  Besides homework there is recruiting, student groups, building friendships, and definitely going to bars.  It is basically always someone’s birthday, there is always a student group event, there is always a company on campus, and there is always homework to be done.  People have to learn how to manage and prioritize these demands.  The biggest benefit of business school is the relationships you develop, but that can’t be at the expense of finding a job and passing classes.

I’ve also never been in an environment with people having such diverse backgrounds across ethnicities, work experience, recreational interests, travel, country of residence, etc.  It really just exposes you to various opportunities and inspires you to accomplish great things.  It is a chance to try new things and to re-examine what you once considered your boundaries or limitations.

The biggest thing I walked away with was self-awareness.  I learned a lot about how I am perceived, how I behave in various situations, how I can influence those situations, and where I can develop.  Beyond that, I think business school really teaches you to identify an unmet need (sometimes an unknown need) and how to successfully address that opportunity.  It provides tools, resources, and relationships that provide advantages.

Jason Graub (Q17), CPA and Co-founder and CFO at Gameplan

How much thought did you put into getting the CPA? What’s it worth to you now?

In terms of time put into CPA, once I made the decision to go the accounting route ( which I wavered on a few times throughout college) I knew I had to get the CPA in order for it to be worth it. Especially when KPMG would pay for Becker and the tests and I’d get the bonus when I passed.

What’s it worth to me now: Now it’s a nice fall back and provides some credibility on my resume. But I don’t view as something crucial to my long-term success. I’m debating whether to let my active license expire (I’ll probably renew next year through 2019, but since I’m not practicing and don’t see accounting in my long-term future there isn’t much incentive to keep up with the CPE’s, which are a pain).

Bryan Towns (Q7), Six Sigma Blackbelt and Director of Program Management at Abbott

[Bryan is also has a Masters in Product Development Engineering, MBA, and PMP]

The Six Sigma Blackbelt seems like the certification most aligned with QUEST’s core teaching curriculum. Can you talk to the value it’s added to your career?

While applying the Six Sigma methodology in my career, I have realized that it is a natural extension of the QUEST experience.  Systems thinking, an emphasis on data-based decision making, continuous improvement, and even techniques for effective team management are threads that are shared between the QUEST experience and in all variants of the Six Sigma methodology.  Therefore, it is difficult for me to isolate either the Six Sigma certification or QUEST experience as the sole contributor, as they are so intertwined.  As an example, I remember describing the use of a Pugh Matrix, which I had learned in QUEST, in a panel interview to land my first job out of UMD, before even realizing that it was part of the Six Sigma tool kit.  As an engineer, I relied on Designs of Experiments to build robust designs into the products that I developed, and as a Program Manager, I rely on Voice of the Customer techniques to ensure that my teams are aligned with our customers’ unmet needs.   In that sense, both QUEST and Six Sigma have provided me with tools that I have used to solve problems as I have grown in my career.

Ningwei Li (Q20), Investment fellow at T. Rowe Price, CFA level III Candidate

What is the CFA charter?

CFA, chartered financial analyst, is a designation for professionals interested in the field of investment research and portfolio management. Essentially the process requires passing three exams, each requiring about 100 hours or more of preparation, and four years of working experience in the investment industry. Many firms see the CFA designation as a way of showing commitment in the industry as well as a person’s ability to learn. I personally think the CFA exposes a candidate to so much of finance that learning alone is worthwhile. Luckily, I’m currently sponsored by my firm to take the CFA exams. To me, it’s a no brainer that I should pursue the designation.

What question should QUEST students ask themselves when planning to pursue an advanced certification or degree?

Richard (Ricky) Wilson (Q6)

The biggest question to ask is ‘do the benefits outweigh the costs?’  The cost is not just financial, but also the opportunity cost.  What else could you be doing with your time, does this provide you with the most utility, and what will you be able to accomplish that you could not without it (or at a faster pace than without it)?  The financial benefits will be related to supply and demand as well.  People should try to spend some time estimating the future demand, evaluating the future supply, and risk factors that could affect both and thus change the economic value of the decision.

Bryan Towns (Q7)

Be careful to pursue only those certifications that will be the most impactful within your field.  I have had a number of colleagues who had an “alphabet soup” of certifications in their email signature lines, but were not exceptionally strong within any one of their apparent areas of expertise.  Choosing a couple of accreditations that will better help you to serve your organization, customers, and clients is much more valuable than sheer quantity.

Santiago Miret (Q18)

I would suggest to conduct your own research as to what each degree or certification means. Many degrees showcase to the broader audience that you have certain skill sets or certain knowledge, yet there may be other ways to show that you have that skill set or knowledge. Degrees and certifications are often just a tool to help you get somewhere you are striving towards. That being said, it is also important to remain humble and acknowledge how much you truly know so that you don’t overestimate or underestimate yourself.

Jason Graub (Q17)

Students should be asking what are they truly interested in and what will provide them with the most value long-term. For me, I do appreciate the CPA and I think it’s good to have, but if I’d done it again, I would’ve gone a different direction most likely and not gotten it. Especially since it required 150 credits which is a lot to ask for a certification, if you’re not going to be a practicing CPA.  

Tony Trinh (Q21)

How much are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want?

Ningwei Li (Q20)

How will the certification help you reach your goal? I think as a student as well as a young professional, you can learn so much more through your work than pursuing an advanced certification that doesn’t help you reach your goal.

Conclusion:

Thank you guys for participating!

As a student you can often find yourself obsessing over your life after college– I certainly did. However, in all the simulations I ran in my head, I never predicted how dedicated I’d be to advanced degrees in my first two years out of College Park. Whether or not you want to be a doctor, lawyer, business executive, scientist, etc., it is important to do some research and investigate the opportunities for advanced certifications or degrees that may align with your interests. Thanks again to my interviewees for taking the time to share their insight!