Many financial analyst interns find their summer experiences disappointing. It is true that some financial institutions offer excellent structured programs. Because of the steep learning curve, I believe that summer is too brief a time for any interns to be assigned an important role.
Summer internship is an excellent opportunity to learn about financial career opportunities because you’re already in the door. For two months, you can come into daily contact with people who can offer you precious advice.
It would be beneficial to approach the summer internship from a different perspective. Look beyond your assigned duties, no matter how unchallenging or unexciting they may be. Similar to cold-calling, if you see past it as a dreadful task, cold-calling can be the most powerful training in sales.
Learn about the career paths. Get to know as many people as you can. Ask to meet with their connections in related fields so you can learn about the various career paths. Be curious and ask plenty of questions. Learn about what each of their typical day is like, what their major challenges are and what are some possible ways of addressing these challenges. You’ll be able to gather lots of insider insights to better determine which is the right direction for you.
Build relationships. The more people you meet, the more connections you’ll establish. It would also be an opportunity to practice your people skills. Learn their lingo and observe how they interact. Social skills and relationship building are two important skills often overlooked by the young financial analysts. Being successful requires much more than just the number basics. Who knows, some of these connections you make during the summer may open doors for you when you graduate.
Set your own intentions on two or three things you would like to accomplish during the internship. Even if they are not under your assigned duties, make your requests. Some possible ideas are:
- Sit in at a client meeting and observe a senior financial analyst in action
- Join a corporate meeting and watch a CEO present the latest news
- Observe and learn how the valuation models are constructed if you are assigned some basic task of data entry …
The possibilities are unlimited. It’s really up to you on what you make of this experience.
Decide from the beginning that you’re going to fun with it and make it worthwhile!
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Great and very relatable post. I remember when I was an intern… It wasn’t what I expected, but it was still very beneficial, nevertheless. It’s very true that summer internships allow you to learn about career paths, build networks, and set goals. Internships are what you make them to be!