Student Spotlight: Matt Morrison

When Matt Morrison decided to pursue an internship at MetLife last spring, he met a MetLife software developer. Although he missed the application deadline for an internship, the software developer he met referred him for a full-time position.

Matthew applied for the job, and then just three days later heard from Metlife hiring officials to set up an interview. The interview process consisted of two WebEx interviews over a week and a half – after which he landed the job!

Matt will complete a five-month training program…two months in RTP and three months in Greenville, SC.  He will then present a project to senior management in RTP before beginning full-time employment.

We spoke with Matt to find out a little more his experience in the College of Business and landing the job with MetLife.

Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from? What is your concentration?
I’m from Apex, North Carolina, and attended Apex High School. I wrestled and played lacrosse throughout high school. I am currently a Senior Management Information Systems major and will graduate in May.

Why did you choose MIS?
In high school I was a part of the Academy of Information Technology and  spent four years in a cohort of 90 students taking various classes on Information Technology.  I was required to find a paid internship between my Junior and Senior year and completed an internship at Lord Corporation as an IT Client Solutions intern. I knew I wanted to do something related to information technology, but I wanted to apply information technology to business and help people succeed in business. When I discovered the MIS concentration at ECU, I knew it was for me.

Was there a time during your undergraduate degree that served as a turning point regarding the direction of your career aspirations?
In MIS 4163 – Systems Analysis & Design with Dr. Ravi Paul, I finally found what I wanted to do upon graduation. He opened my eyes to what Business and Systems Analysts really do and their impact on the business as a whole. His class consisted of a semester-long project where students work with a Greenville business and consult with them on how to improve business processes with an information system. Our team planned, analyzed and designed processes. My role in this project was the business analyst where I interviewed the end-user, recorded user requirements and “pains” with the current system, and bring this information back to my team for collaboration.

Tell us about your new job at MetLife. What will you be doing?
Upon graduation, I will join MetLife in their MTU Professional Program as a Business Systems Analyst Technical Associate. The program consists of in-class training and then I will complete a capstone project and present it to Senior Management. I am excited to start this new journey in my life.

How did the College of Business prepare you for this job?
The College of Business prepared me tremendously for this job. The BUSI courses taught me how to work well with teams and be comfortable presenting in front of an audience. The MIS courses have well prepared me for this job. The way MIS is designed, you have to take MIS 4163 before you take MIS 4173 (capstone).  In MIS 4163 you spend a lot of time in the Planning, Analysis & Design phase of the SDLC (System Development Life Cycle). In MIS 4173 you work in a semester-long project using Agile methodology. This consists of 2-week sprints meeting with the end-user to constantly be evolving the system to their specifications.

Describe your experience at the College of Business.
My overall experience at the College of Business has been amazing. The curriculum is designed in an effective way for students to set themselves apart from colleagues at other universities. The most significant thing the College of Business has taught me is how to collaborate and communicate with others.

What would be the one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I share a birthday with my Mom.

• Categories:
• Academic
• Management Information Systems