Yasmine Belaoura '13
 

Major(s):INBM
Internship Site: Merrill Lynch - New York, NY

The Internship:   
A friend at Dickinson had previously interned at my office complex with a different Financial Advisor. After learning that I was looking for an internship in finance, she forwarded my resume and cover letter to him. While he already had an intern, he liked my resume so he referred me to a fellow advisor. After some persistence and a few interviews, I had landed my internship at Merrill Lynch.

During my time there, I worked on many different projects. I performed due diligence on mutual funds that my boss’s clients held as well as on all existing mutual funds and picking the best within each class share to see how we could improve portfolios. I also prepared quarterly client performance reviews and prepared financial planning reports. My favorite task was working on client portfolio profiles because it was interesting to see how most of them were performing in this economic climate.

The Challenges:    
The first challenge I faced at my job was the number of hours I worked per day. It is very different from the campus atmosphere. In the interest of my strong work ethic and making a good impression, I would spend long hours at the office in order to finish up projects as fast and as efficiently as I could. I was able to overcome this by learning to pace myself as well by simply adapting myself to those hours.

The Preparation:   
The classes that prepared me most were Finance and Accounting, especially in terms of terminology, Excel skills, best practices and much more. Also, coming from a Liberal Arts school has served me in allowing me to be a well-rounded individual that can use creative problem-solving techniques.

Making Connections:   
Through networking events organized by the Dickinson Career Center as well by Merrill Lynch, I have made many contacts that can be helpful on many levels, even if it’s just sharing a professional experience or describing a career path.

Tips from Yasmine: 
Network as much as possible because you never know who might be able to offer an opportunity as well as persistence and drive. When looking for an internship, use all means available by the Dickinson Career Center as well as various websites and individual companies’ websites as well.

*To find out more about how to get an internship, make an appointment with a career counselor. Just call the Career Center at 717-245-1740 or stop by Biddle House.