Guest Blogger: Contributed by Matt Mylott, Assistant Director of Client Management at UNCW’s Swain Center (this post originally appeared on WilmingtonBiz.com on March 1, 2021).
20 years ago, I wouldn’t have guessed I’d be where I’m at today. Representing UNCW’s Swain Center for Executive Education in our regional marketplace hardly aligns with the bulk of my professional experience. Had you asked me then, I would’ve guessed I’d still be in the Marine Corps in 2020. But life happens, and in 2008 I permanently separated from the Corps. Over the subsequent 8 years, I worked as a Sheriff’s Deputy and spent several years in healthcare sales. Having siblings with master’s degrees and quite successful careers, I had an ever-present interest in pursuing a graduate degree that would equip and position me as a more desirable workforce candidate. What I was NOT interested in was preparing for and sitting through a GMAT exam. As I investigated the MBA programs at my alma mater, I was pleasantly surprised to learn the Cameron School of Business (CSB) waived the GMAT requirement. A short time later, I applied to CSB’s Professional MBA program. I was later accepted and was set to begin coursework in Fall of 2016.