Trading Places: Soldier Lands a Career in the Fast-Paced World of Energy Trading
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Robyn Muylle
Age: 31
Military Service: Army (2011-2014)
Highest Rank: Specialist (E-4)
MOS: Radiology Specialist (68P)
Education:
Bachelor’s, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, 2005
Master’s degree, Boston University, 2006
Sign Me Up. Robyn Muylle earned a master’s degree when she was only 21 years old. But like many college graduates, it left her deep in debt. “After struggling to pay my student loans a few years out of graduate school, the Army offered to relieve me of my debt burden while giving me the opportunity to serve,” she says.
Here’s the Rub. Muylle took it. She served as the assistant manager of the radiology department at McDonald Army Health Center, Fort Eustis, Va., as well as at Fort Carson, Colo. The downside was that Muylle spent most of her three and a half years in the Army separated from her husband.
Civilian Again. So rather than re-enlist, she decided to become a civilian again. Muylle took advantage of Soldier for Life: TAP, attended job fairs and applied for jobs online. “I think everyone who transitions is worried about the unknown. It’s stressful not knowing if you will find a job, or where you will be living.”
ACP. A friend recommended American Corporate Partners, a nonprofit group that connects veterans to corporate mentors. Muylle’s mentor helped her turn her military skills into corporate assets.
Dynamic Environment. It worked. Muylle met a Shell recruiter at a job fair and she landed a job as a risk analyst with Shell in Houston. Now she analyzes gas and power trading prices and volatilities to ensure the company’s market data is accurate for reporting profit and loss on each day’s trading activities. “My day is fast-paced and filled with interpreting and validating large amounts of market data,” she says. “Trading is a dynamic environment and requires constant vigilance and resilience.”
Her Advice. “If I could redo my transition, I would stress less about the unknowns. Some stress was healthy, because it forced me to keep seeking employment until I found it, but worrying about something for which you are well prepared is unnecessary.”
We Had to Ask!
Childhood hero? Jane Addams
Hobbies? Running, SCUBA diving and yoga
What about you would surprise most people? I finished graduate school at the age of 21.
Quirkiest inherited trait? Loving corny jokes
Childhood dream job? Rock star
