By Mackenzie Burckbuchler
Julia Schmidt
In May 2020, Julia Schmidt graduated from Ithaca College in New York, where she double-majored in Theater Arts Management and Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. After graduation, Schmidt returned to her hometown to work for her family’s bakery business in Norway, but eventually decided it was time to pursue her goal of graduate school.
The Vanderbilt Master of Marketing degree intrigued Schmidt for several reasons. “Vanderbilt has a great reputation, and the program itself stood out to me because of the ability to add on quant courses such as Marketing Analytics.” The location was also a draw: “I spent my undergrad in upstate New York and had never been to Nashville before, which was very exciting,” she added.
When the program began in August 2021, Schmidt hit the ground running. After learning about the consulting path from a fellow classmate, Schmidt began researching and preparing for KPMG recruiting deadlines. She met with career coaches, networked, completed a required case study, and made use of the resources Vanderbilt Business offered.
By September, it was clear Schmidt had set herself up for success. Her recruitment process unfolded quickly. After completing assessments, Schmidt was quickly invited to interview at KPMG. KPMG also was hosting recruitment events at Vanderbilt around the time of her interview, giving her the chance to network and connect with company representatives. She nailed her interviews, and within the span of a few weeks, Schmidt had a job offer from KPMG.
Schmidt credits her classmates and career coach, Kathleen Rall, for guiding her through the process. “Kathleen was also amazing throughout the process, helping me with everything from my resume to talking through and accepting the offer.”
As she finishes up her time at Vanderbilt, Schmidt looks to her future with excitement. She is headed to New York City in October 2022 to begin her career as an Advisory Associate with KPMG.
Click through the timeline below to see how Julia Schmidt got the job.