Middlebury Institute graduates discuss where they are working today, how the Institute helped them get there, and what advice they’d give to current and future MIIS students.
My name is Timur Kozhakhmetov and I graduated with an MA in International Trade and Economic Diplomacy from the Middlebury Institute in 2019. My language of study was English and I specialized in global trade and supply chain management. After graduating I served as a global trade compliance intern with Alcon in Fort Worth, Texas, and now I am a senior consultant for supply chain management with KPMG in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
One of the professors in my program advised me about the internship at Alcon. Career advice and the MIIS network also helped me to secure this position, and knowledge of Russian was a big help.
When I returned from the U.S. to Kazakhstan I was invited to join my previous company—KAZ Minerals, one of the largest companies in Kazakhstan—but since growth opportunities were limited, I applied for an advisory job in KPMG Kazakhstan and got the job because of my U.S. education and experience in supply chain management.
My best advice to current students is to keep applying and following up on your applications. And take advantage of the professors’ networks—they know a lot of people in the industry.
| by Peter Skarlatos MAITED ’19
International Trade graduate Peter Skarlatos shares how networking and support from his career advisor helped him launch a career as a trade compliance analyst.
International Trade graduate Ariah Barth describes how program coursework and class projects helped prepare her to launch her career as a trade compliance analyst.
| by Benjamin Wollam MAITED ’19
International Trade and Economic Diplomacy alum Benjamin Wollam describes how his MIIS coursework and connections led to his dream job.
