<p>Hey everyone I got into QUEST a few days ago and I’m realy excited about it. If theres anyone on here who is/was in QUEST could you tell me how it was and if it made it a lot easier to get jobs?</p>
<p>Hey, I’m in QUEST right now as a junior, though I’m studying abroad, so you won’t see me around campus. Last year I was on the selections committee, and I found it out it’s a lot harder to get in then I thought. By the end, about 2/3 of the applicants are rejected. So congrats on getting in! QUEST is a great experience. You get to meet a lot of cool people from different majors and learn a little bit about what they do. In your first semester, you immediately start working in teams on a project of your choosing. There are also community and learning events that you can get involved in, usually sponsored by companies that are great networking opportunities. During your last semester in the program you get to consult for real companies and they often offer jobs to the students that they worked with. Last semester, through one of my QUEST classes, I ended working for Thomas’s English Muffins and got offered an internship there for the summer (though I had to turn it down). Aside from getting jobs, students receive guidance in building their own ideas. If you’ve ever heard of WeBike on campus, that was an old QUEST project. Testudo’s Market was my QUEST project last semester, and as you have probably seen on Facebook, is now going to happen! There are students who are currently working on gaining patents and other students who have contacted companies (like Blackboard) to pursue their ideas. There’s lots more to the program and I could keep ranting, but to directly answer your question, for me, yes, it has been easier to get jobs. I currently have an ongoing job with NASA Goddard, who I talked to at the career fair. I work as a Quality Engineer and is specifically because I told them I was in QUEST and what is was about that they hired me. Also, I believe they are going to be sponsoring a senior team this next semester. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. I don’t check this site as much as I used to, but I’ll keep an eye out for anything.</p>
<p>Congrats! I was in QUEST (Cohort 13) and loved the program – such a great experience. It was one of the reasons I decided on UMD, so I’m glad I was accepted 
The program itself was wonderful. We definitely learned things and had experiences that nobody else at UMD was able to have. The faculty and program staff are fantastic and the alumni are top-notch as well (if I may say so myself…!!)</p>
<p>I don’t know if the program made it easier for me to find and get a job, to be honest. For students interested in consulting, I think QUEST definitely gave them a huge leg up, both from a recruiting and an ability perspective. I was a marketing major, and I had a great internship summer of senior year which ended up turning into a full-time position after graduation. Maybe if I’d not had that, I’d have found opportunities through QUEST.</p>
<p>However, now that I’m actually in the workplace (I work for a company that provides online advertising solutions), I can say that the hands-on experience and project work I gained in QUEST is definitely helpful in general. I’m able to apply principles from QUEST throughout my job. I would think people working in consulting, engineering, or more process-related fields than I am probably have even more of an opportunity to use QUEST knowledge on a daily basis.</p>
<p>There will be some times when you may be bored or shaking your head thinking “Do I REALLY have to sit through this?” (just like in any class), but trust me, you will use what you learn throughout the program and after graduation! Congrats on your acceptance, and enjoy.</p>