In this edition of Real Humans: Alumni, we meet a recent graduate of the University of Maryland Smith School of Business (UMD Smith), Renard Brumfield. After several years working in the House of Representatives, Renard wanted to transition to the finance sector while staying close to D.C. The scale and opportunities he found at UMD Smith were the perfect fit for his plans. Read on for more about Renard’s journey to JPMorgan Chase, his advice on recruiting for the largest financial institution in the U.S. and more as a member of the UMD Smith alumni community.
Renard Brumfield, UMD Smith MBA ’22, Finance Business Manager at JPMorgan Chase
Age: 32
Hometown: Columbia, SC
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Hampton University, Finance
Graduate Business School, Graduation Year and Concentration: University of Maryland, Smith School of Business, 2022, MBA – Finance
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Legislative/Floor Assistant, US House of Representatives, 6 years, Government
Post-MBA Work Experience: Finance Business Manager, JPMorgan Chase, 2.5 years, Finance/Banking
Why did you choose to attend business school?
Attended business school to help with transitioning my career to the finance/banking industry.
Why did you choose the Robert H. Smith School of Business? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
During the pandemic, I wanted to attend a large school with resources, but wanted to stay close in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Smith offered resources both for career and financially to allow me to attend. Scholarship and fellowship opportunities drove my decision.
What about your MBA experience prepared you for your current career?
Increasing my time management skills, coursework that was relevant to current events, and networking.
What was your internship during business school? How did that inform your post-MBA career choice?
I interned with JPMorgan Chase in their Chase Associate Program (CAP) summer internship, which led to me joining the CAP full-time rotational program after graduation.
Why did you choose your current company? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to work?
JPMorgan Chase is the largest financial institution in the country and one of the largest in the world. The opportunity to join the firm would give me experiences that at the time I could not imagine being readily available to me. The company culture is strong, and the rotational program gave me a lot of flexibility as a part of my career transition.
Advice to current MBA students:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of the job search?
Constant networking of all levels, up, down and horizontal.
–One thing you would change or do differently as part of the job search?
Due to the current events at the time, in-person connections/interviews weren’t an option, but I would have loved to attend career-related conferences such as National Black MBA and others.
–Were there any surprises regarding your current employer’s recruiting process?
I was surprised how relaxed the interviews were, but it worked in my favor since I enjoy natural conversations.
–Now, as a member of the UMD alumni community, what piece of advice do you wish you had been given during your MBA?
Be yourself always, recruiters can tell when you are “faking the funk” and not being authentic. Mention your strengths, but shine light on your areas of opportunities. The willingness to learn and grow is very sought after.
