Mausam Parajuli
One of the first things Mausam Parajuli did when he came to the Daniels College of Business in 2024 was start applying for internships and jobs. He already had a chartered accountant qualification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Tribhuvan University in Nepal and a couple of years of experience working in accounting and auditing. With those impressive qualifications, it was a surprise when he heard very little back from the applications he had submitted.
“I realized something was missing. So, from the winter quarter on, I immediately changed my strategy—everything,” said Parajuli, who is earning his master’s in accounting, technology and analytics. “I focused on networking.”
He started his journey with help from Beta Alpha Psi and other DU clubs that brought in industry leaders from the “Big Four” accounting firms and other big-name companies, such as UPS CEO Carol Tomé (MBA 1981). He introduced himself to speakers when they came to campus, connected with them on LinkedIn, asked for their email addresses and followed up afterward.
Through that approach, he connected with a vice president from Newmont Corporation, the largest gold mining company in the world.
“He gave a very good presentation, and after that presentation I went to him, talked to him and that was it. I connected with him on LinkedIn and after a couple of months, I was communicating with him,” Parajuli explained. “He has been working in internal audit for more than 20 years, and he was such a good person. He invited me for a coffee.”
Parajuli said the meeting wasn’t about finding an inroad for a new position—it was about genuinely talking, sharing interests and learning about someone else’s career path. For him, that’s the real value of networking.
Mausam Parajuli with Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS.
“I realized that networking is not just about asking for a job,” he said. “It’s really about connecting with people. I still text him now, and we have built a very good relationship. Networking is about getting to know people and understanding them. By building my network, I landed two internships, right? So that’s how it works, I realized.
The first of those internships was, in fact, at Newmont Corporation, where Parajuli worked in finance, bringing the technology and automation skills he was learning in the classroom into a real-world environment.
After finishing that work, he moved on to another internship that grew out of a networking relationship. This time, he put his tax skills to work at RubinBrown LLP, an accounting and business consulting firm.
This year, Parajuli is on track to wrap up his studies and officially earn his Master of Science in Accounting, Technology and Analytics, a degree he chose because of its heavy focus on the future of the field. He has already started preparing for the CPA exam, passed one of its four sections and aims to complete as much of it as possible before graduation.
Now, he’s working to turn his network and deep experience into a full-time position that will allow him to get more experience working in the United States, before considering a return to his native Nepal.
Until then, he remains focused on one of the most impactful aspects of his experience at DU, his community. Coming from Nepal, Parajuli wasn’t expecting to meet many others who shared his culture. Just as he worked to create his professional network, he worked to build a personal one, too.
He first connected with a graduate student getting a PhD in artificial intelligence, and it snowballed from there. He now has a small but tight group of fellow Nepalese students who help anchor him while he’s far from home.
We can meet, have meaningful conversations and connect over shared topics like Nepal — its development, economy and much more,” he said. “It truly feels like a home away from home.”
His advice to other international students is to branch out. He tells them to immerse themselves in American culture and explore during their time here. And always, always, always be building a network.