Brandon Steverson majored in accounting, but he didn’t want to stay there. Instead, he wanted to make a career move — into capital markets — before his career actually began.

For that, he knew he needed to strengthen his credentials in finance. The Vanderbilt Master of Finance program was his ticket.

“I chose Vanderbilt because the program is highly ranked, the job placement history is stellar, and I love the Southeast,” says Brandon, a Florida native. “The location in Nashville was icing on the cake.”

The program gave him exactly what he was looking for, he says: “the tools I needed to get the job I wanted.”

But Brandon also found that, in several important ways, the MSF program gave him even more than he had expected. The Leadership Development Program (and the opportunities to meet with a career coach) helped him “home in on my strengths and weaknesses so I can focus on improving my effectiveness in the future.” He points to the Career Management staff, which he credits with helping him in his job search “from the day I paid my deposit.”

Brandon found another bonus, too. “The social aspect of Owen is one of the most rewarding,” he says. “My experience was greatly enhanced by making an effort to make friends with everyone in the program. The difficulty of the course work is more bearable with the support system the tight-knit program creates. The group of friends I made in the MSF and other programs at Owen have been one of the highlights for me.”

Fun Fact: Brandon is a huge Auburn football fan. 

“The program has given me the tools I needed to get the job I wanted."