Name: Khulan Batmunkh
Hometown: Arlington, VA
Current Residence: Silver Spring, MD
What do you miss most about CUA?
Taking naps in between classes. JK (not really). Honestly, I miss having the freedom to see my friends every single day of the week. Whether I was in class, in Starbucks doing homework for the class I have in 30 minutes, stuffing my face with Chick-fil-A in the Pryz, or going home to my house of 10, I was constantly surrounded by friends (shout out to 1428). Now that we’ve graduated and everyone is on a different schedule, it always has to be a planned out event for everyone to get together.
Greatest memory from CUA?
That’s a really tough question. Every year was so different from one another, I have so many great memories – St. Patrick’s Day and Beach Bash (hope that’s still a thing lol). Freshman year was so fun. But looking back I think my greatest memory would be sophomore year, Hurricane Sandy. I think we had classes canceled, and I just remember everyone would go out even though it was freezing and storming out…like there was a hurricane. It was just a ridiculous 4 day event. I love you Opus, Room 613 4eva & always.
Academic life and campus involvement while at CUA?
I majored in International Finance and Economics, BUT I first came to Catholic as a History major LOL. Senior year I was a TA for Intro to Macroeconomics, so who would’ve thought I would be giving out grades on hw assignments. I participated in the Economics Fellowship Program, Business Professional Society, Spanish Club, CenterStage, and Emerging Leaders Program.
What is your current job?
I’m a Financial Analyst at 2U, an educational technology company that partners with leading colleges and universities in the U.S. and around the world. I interned at 2U during my spring semester, senior year. I had a great experience as an intern and I really wanted to work for a company that was mission driven and had great culture. When I saw an opening in the finance department, I immediately applied. Little did I know, my boyfriend, applied for the same job and we both got interviewed. I got the job haha. Anyways, people are always willing to help and we literally have a “No A$$hole Policy.’” Everyone is young, which makes my real world transition that much easier. We have an unlimited supply of SNACKS and DRINKS. Who doesn’t love free food?
As a Financial Analyst, I handle the finances of my programs (check out the 2U website to learn more about this because I don’t want to bore you with my programs). It involves a lot of analytical skills that requires me to budget and forecast numbers on a daily basis.
Why would you recommend 2U to other students?
I knew that right after college, I didn’t want to be part of the corporate world where I have to wear a suit to work all the time. I wanted to serve a purpose. 2U helps deliver the best online degrees to students. I wanted a place where people valued your work, but also valued having fun. 90% of my day consists with working with Excel, but I also have nerf gun wars with my coworkers. Like last Friday, my CEO was whipping and nae naeing (that’s not a word but whatever) during an office wide dance party starting at 9:30 am and lasted till the end of the day.
If you want to make an impact and be part of a fast growing tech company in the DC area, then I would definitely look into working as an intern here. 2U loves hiring interns because interns know how the business and culture works.
How did you find the transition from college to a full-time job?
I started here 2 weeks after graduation, so it was a pretty tough transition. However, as a full-time employee here, I got to go to Disney World for 3 days for our company meeting and that was my second week here. So it wasn’t all too bad.
It’s a balancing act with a full-time job and everything else in your life. Back at school, even though I was in class, I was with my friends. Everything was seamless and effortless. Now that I’m full-time, the weekdays are reserved for work and occasional happy hours. I know I sound like an old person, but you actually, seriously do look forward to the weekends.
What advice would you give to current Finance majors (or business majors in general) about internships/ job searching?
If you’re an Excel wiz, awesome. However, most of us have lied to some extent about how “proficient” we are with Excel. So definitely brush up on your Excel skills.
Have a solid resume. Go to Career Services and have them help you with your resume. It requires a lot of effort, but you’d be surprised with how much you’ll stand out if you have a good one. I would definitely try to get an internship in a field I’m interested in, because it often leads to a full-time job. I know that I procrastinated a lot with this, but start the job search early on and prepare for interviews. Once you secure a full-time job, your senior year would be that much better. Also, just enjoy your senior year!