Maybe the most valuable advice about career development, internships, and just plain getting experience in the workplace, comes from students themselves. Investment Club sponsored a student internship panel including Yeng Lee, Jacob Herd, Jake Olson, and Jack Keeley who all shared their experiences in financial industry internships with other Investment Club student members. There was some terrific advice, fresh from summer internships that the panel had.
When asked what one major piece of advice they would give to other students, each panelist had a different take. Jacob Herd said to be ambitious, but not too stressed, because stress does not allow you to be in the moment, enjoying what’s happening right now. He shared his practice of de-stressing by closing his eyes and remembering all the things he is grateful for. Jake Olson added that he breaks up big tasks, or those he isn’t crazy about, into smaller chunks, and does something productive every day. Jack recommended starting job and internship searches early, so the time crunch does not make you super stressed and push you to make bad choices. Finally, Yeng made it simple: be nice to people. Learn about others. Working hard and being genuinely nice can get you places you might not imagine!
Each panelist recommended taking everything in– ‘being a sponge’ is how Jack put it. They reminded their peers that even work that is unexpected or frankly kind of crappy is an opportunity to learn something. Jack went on to say that all work can benefit someone– he tries to keep that in mind when he is asked to do something he may not want to do. Remembering the positive impact of our work can really re-frame it from being a hassle to being worthwhile.
Jake Olson said to be careful of the “Cs” in the workplace that prevent us from learning all we can: being cocky, being complacent, and being too confident. And all of the panelists emphasized doing excellent work, and the satisfaction that comes from having their names associated with high quality work. Networking, and building genuine relationships with others, figured prominently in the discussion. Helping others is key to building a professional network and gaining a reputation as a go-to person, and those relationships come back around. Gusties are always willing to help other Gusties, and reaching out to alumni, peers, parents, professors, and career center advisors are all great strategies for building up that network.
In all– solid advice from those who just experienced it!