As my internship comes to a close…
As my internship comes to a close, I want to reflect on a couple of things that I’ve learned. First of all, if you get assigned a task, always get it done on time. It’s very rare that I finish something and have free time on my hands. If I don’t have work, it is because the senior bankers are in meetings, on conferences calls, or just forgot about me. Sometimes I’d ask the analysts if they needed help. If the analysts are busy, he or she might even get annoyed. If they give you a negative response, don’t get discouraged because they’re busy people.
Also, if you have nothing to do, try to be productive. Recently, when I was waiting for a task, I looked up prospective companies’ portfolios and practiced financial modeling, instead of browsing around aimlessly. Staying busy helps in keeping your mind loose. Most importantly, when someone criticizes you, don’t get upset. I received a lot of constructive criticism throughout my internship in areas that need improvement. For example, I was told to take my time with my work; I learned that rushing leads to mistakes. If you give your supervisor the wrong information, it’s embarrassing, and it won’t look good on you.