Success Story: Michael Tanner ’19 interns at Citi

Success Stories | Dec 27, 2018 | admin

When classes end after the first year of a full-time MBA program, many students choose from one of a few options: working at a summer job, completing an internship, or traveling.

For Michael Tanner, MBA ’19, there was an important addition to this list: taking care of a new daughter who was born during his fall semester at the Gabelli School.

It was a “very, very, very busy summer,” says Tanner. On top of spending time with his family, he spent his summer as an intern at Citi.

During his financial management associate internship, he worked on projects dealing with daily attribution reports, portfolio value, interest margins, and risks. The experience “allowed me to collaborate with different desks,” Tanner says, and he was also able to network within the firm.

This was key, he explains, because “networking is a full-time job.”

Tanner took that job seriously. He knew he wanted to focus on finance, so while in the process of securing an internship, he “networked with a lot of other veterans at Citi” and found that “Citi was probably the best fit for me.”

Before coming to Fordham, Tanner served for 14 years in the United States Marine Corps. “During my time in service I was stationed all over the world,” he says, including Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Australia, and he “had the ability to visit all 50 U.S. states.”

After retiring, he completed his undergraduate degree at the Gabelli School before continuing on to pursue his MBA.

“My experience from the military has only helped me excel in the classroom thus far,” he notes. “In the Marine Corps a great emphasis was placed on being professional at all times. This professionalism extends beyond just courtesy towards others and goes into being prepared, effective time management, taking initiative, communication, and being able to effectively work together with other classmates on team projects.”

Now that he’s back for his second year of the MBA program, Tanner says his “time spent outside the classroom is a balance between being a new father, networking with Fordham alumni, and being an active member of the Fordham Veterans Association.”

While that busy schedule may not always leave time for sleep, Tanner encourages veterans who may be considering following in his footsteps: “Don’t be intimidated by the time it takes to get the MBA because it goes by very quickly.”