At Haas, we understand that the success of our program is also based on how well our students do post MFE. Today I am happy to introduce you to Victor Kong, a typical MFE13: hardworking, persistent and very innovative.

Victor Kong, MFE13

Full time offer accepted
Vitol Group, Singapore.
Victor has already started his work as a commodity researcher but will gradually assume derivative trading responsibilities. April 15, 2013 was his start date.

Fall Internship completed:
Commodity Strategist, Goldman Sachs, Singapore, October 2012-January 2013

Why Victor chose Vitol
- Vitol is the world’s largest oil trading company with its annual revenue up to $300 billion. The fact that the company ships more than 400 million tons of crude oil per year for physical arbitrage provides trading activities with unparalleled market intelligence for informed arbitrage, not speculation.

Victor’s advice for applying to jobs:
- Strategy: Before applying for any jobs, Victor did some soul searching which allowed him to prioritize what he wanted to do and come up with a pecking order. Then he used a wide range of channels to facilitate his job search including the MFE career services, the company websites, job search portals, and personal networking. The MFE Office backed him up along the way and provided a strong recommendation for the student.

Q& A with Victor Kong

1. Why did you decide to pursue a Berkeley MFE degree? Among the offers I received, it was easy to gauge that the Berkeley MFE stands out for its established reputation on Wall Street, its perfect mix of student profiles and an unparalleled career service which brings to the table thousands of financial industry contacts.
2. How has the Berkeley MFE Program prepared you for your future career?
- A systematic consolidation of my quantitative skills, a better long-term professional growth and a much broader network in the industry.
2. How would you describe the MFE curriculum?
The Berkeley MFE easily unleashes anyone’s curiosity and potential in the quantitative finance. It certainly did it for me. The curriculum in one term is based on the prior term, making the MFE program “path dependent”. There is no overlap, pure learning from day one to the last day and beyond.
3. How would you describe the faculty at Haas? Can you give an example or two of your favorite faculty members and what makes them stand out?
Let me stress that the professors in the Berkeley MFE are outstanding; they work together to generate a myriad of synergies across courses. If I were to choose the Berkeley MFE “Hall of Fame”, Professor Stanton would be right up there. Who wouldn’t enjoy his “Fixed Income Markets” course which possesses the combination of his articulate Australian accent, precisely-phrased slides and state-of-the-art assignments?
4. How would you describe the student community here at Haas, and how have you personally been involved?
The Haas student community is highly collaborative, dynamic and tireless; unlike some great student communities, the Haas student community is more low-key, pragmatic, and highly creative.
5. What does Berkeley-Haas’ defining principle “Question the Status Quo” mean to you?
A great number of theories and models that we learn here were developed after we were born, and the current new models will probably become old models before long. It is an evolution and we, in the Haas MFE, learn how to seek the fittest model for a specific situation. Berkeley has been playing a big part in the evolution of the models for a long time.
6. What does Berkeley-Haas’ defining principle “Students Always” mean to you?
The Berkeley-Haas truly demonstrates what the principle “Students Always” means. A couple of examples, our computer lab extended summer hours and weekend hours to meet our MFE students’ needs. We are always surprised by the many “bonus” breakfasts, lunches and dinners he MFE Office provides us with, plus the numerous job opportunities for the current students and alumni. The Office’s motto is, “Once an MFE always an MFE” and the alumni have confirmed that for the last 13 years.
7. What does Berkeley-Haas’ defining principle “Beyond Yourself” mean to you?
The indeed intensive one-year MFE program pushes the envelope of our potential to the next level. Looking back, we have thrived and learnt that all things are difficult before they are easy!
8. What does Berkeley-Haas’ defining principle “Confidence Without Attitude” mean to you?
When your classmates are all outstanding, it is simple: any trace of arrogance one may have will quickly disappear! From the way that the faculty teaches to the examples that the alumni and the staff set, the Berkeley-Haas does a great job to make sure the students are on the right path. Humility is a quality the MFE Program is good at instilling in all of us.