Your ultimate goal is to get a job that translates your skills and knowledge into organizational impact, and we support you in realizing your aspirations with a wraparound focus on career skill development.  Your studies in the MFM program will give you a technical tool set that is in high demand, but it is your ability to translate your knowledge and skills into compelling stories that will impress employers and truly differentiate you as you compete for your dream job.

Once you join our program you will begin the journey to becoming not only outstanding technically, but also outstanding professionally.

During your time with us you will

• Attend a weekly career skill development class
• Expand your professional network every week
• Complete mock interviews to practice the interview process
• Hear from guest speakers from diverse industries
• Contribute to team projects and present to industry experts
• Receive career coaching tailored to your needs and aspirations

After graduation, we continue to engage and support our alumni by connecting them to job opportunities, having them visit as guest speakers, and via participation in our Alumni Advisory Board.

These services in total signal our commitment to prepare you for your career and our investment in your continued success as your career progresses.

Career Skill Development Workshops

In the Fall & Spring semesters, you will attend workshops on career focused topics such as network building, navigating LinkedIn, resume writing, interviewing, and job search strategies.  You will also refine general professional skills such as project management, teamwork, and presentation skills. You may also be introduced to subjects that are not yet part of the core curriculum but still quite valuable, such as SAS, Python, CECL/CCAR, and SOFR.  Together, these lessons will make you more effective as a student and help you compete for and succeed in your work post-graduation.

Guest Speakers

During your time in the program you will have the opportunity to meet professionals from a wide range of industries, including diversified financial services, insurance, banking, asset management, and technology, among others.  While you may take advantage of speakers organized by the university and open to all students, you will also have the opportunity to hear- in sessions dedicated to MFM students- from 25+ speakers representing organizations with a history of hiring MFM graduates.

To learn more about our guest speakers, please see News and Events.

Team Projects

Since our goal is to provide you with as much industry-relevant experience as possible, you will contribute to multiple projects that focus on current issues in financial math. This will not only give you practice with these subjects, but also give you a more compelling story to tell when interviewing. Some projects will be assigned as part of your classes, while others are assigned as general development opportunities. 

If you choose to do so, you may work on a project during the summer after your first year in the program. These projects will be led by a coach from industry and a coach from the faculty, and conclude with a presentation to a group of industry professionals who will provide feedback on the project. Recent topics for the summer projects include credit risk modeling of mortgage portfolios, CCAR/CECL, and trading algorithm analysis and development.

One-on-One Career Coaching

You will begin working one-on-one with our Career Services Director, who has over a decade of experience in career services, higher education, and placement services starting from your first week in the program.  This partnership will continue throughout your time in the program and as an alum. Career discussions will focus on clarifying your career goals and mapping out a plan to achieve those goals early on, then transition to improving your career skills via extensive practice and feedback.

You will also be supported by our Program Ambassadors, second-year students who have excellent interview and resume skills and are dedicated to helping you enhance your career skills quickly.

Appointments can be scheduled both virtually or in-person by contacting Patrick Roberts at probert2@ncsu.edu.

The Bottom Line

We know that you have many choices when selecting a graduate program.  We believe that our strategy of layering career skills development, speakers from industry, practical project work, and individualized coaching on top of a world class core curriculum provides a significant advantage to our students.  

If you are ready to take the next step in your career, click here to learn more about how to Run With the Pack at NC State’s Master of Financial Math program.