Conner Pettengill, Master’s in Applied Quantitative Finance Candidate (2018)
After earning my bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Southern Maine in Portland, I decided I wanted to get out of the snow for a while so I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where I worked as a fund accountant for two years at a real estate development company.
Being a CFO—and I realize that’s kind of far off—is the ultimate goal for me. I knew that getting a degree in finance would enable me to see the whole picture versus just specializing in one area. I was intrigued by the Master’s in Applied Quantitative Finance program at Daniels because it’s quant-based and I was looking for every little thing to stand out in the job market. I also had heard about the power of the Daniels alumni network and the caliber of its faculty. Denver was interesting to me because it’s a growing city and I wanted opportunities to get ahead of the curve.
After only one quarter in the program it’s everything I hoped for and way more. I’m learning how to use new technology and tools that are evolving with the industry. I just had an interview downtown with a private equity firm, which are traditionally tough to into around here but the fact that I’m now SQL proficient popped out on my resume. Making the switch from accounting to the value-added side of quantitative finance has made me a little bit of a unicorn, and the people I’ve interviewed with have been super impressed by my skills and experience. Daniels is so connected through its alumni and with top tier companies in Denver and around the nation, I feel like I’ve got a lot of things going for me now that will help me get my foot in the door.