Almost as soon as he began looking beyond what he calls the “vanilla filters”—school ranking, website, employment reports—something about Vanderbilt stood out as the place where Filippos Koleonidis wanted to pivot his career into investment banking.

“I started reaching out to current students and alumni on LinkedIn,” he explains. “It became apparent early on that the response rate from Owen students was substantially higher than from other schools, which indicates the strength of its alumni network.”

That sense of a supportive community became more evident after Filippos arrived at Vanderbilt and began interviewing for internships. He credits the peer coach program structure and second-year MBA students’ leadership of the Finance Club with impacting his success. “Coming from a different country [Filippos grew up in Greece], I was oblivious to the intricacies of the recruiting process, the unwritten rules of the U.S. workplace, and other relevant industry norms,” he says. “The perspectives my second-year classmates and peer coach had to share were invaluable.”

Similarly, he says, “Having the opportunity to learn in an environment that fosters direct communication between professors and students was key in allowing me to hit the ground running and realize my potential as a career-switching professional. Whenever I had concerns during my recruiting process, I would reach out to my designated contact at the CMC and discuss them immediately. Curiosity around academics? My professors were responsive and willing to discuss one-on-one. Feeling lost amidst the recruiting frenzy? Alumni were there to provide support and answer any questions.”

Filippos also found that the Leadership Development Program felt tailored just for him. “I was paired with a career coach who shared a very similar background to mine and who had worked in my desired industry for a number of years,” he says. “This meant she could anticipate almost all of my questions and concerns. I walked away from these fruitful sessions not only with professional tools but also personal life tools.”

Looking back on his journey from Europe to Nashville and New York City, Filippos says, “There’s no degree that guarantees absolute success in the future, but sometimes all you need is the ability to get your foot in the door and prove yourself. Owen allowed me, as an unproven young professional at the time, to pursue my dream of breaking into banking.”

Fun Fact: Filippos is fluent in Greek, Russian, English, and German.

“Coming from a different country [Filippos grew up in Greece], I was oblivious to the intricacies of the recruiting process...The perspectives my second-year classmates and peer coach had to share were invaluable”