Luke Champion made a pitch to intern in financial services and developed his attention to detail and time management.
How did you get your internship?
I secured this internship by reaching out to people who I thought were successful in the financial sector in the Tucson area. I knew that I found an industry that resonated with me, so I knew where I wanted to gain experience. I reached out to my uncle, who is a successful financial advisor, and made a pitch to him to see if he would take me on as an intern. It made things easier that he is a family member, but I also reached out to many non-family members about internships but ultimately chose this one as it was the best opportunity for me.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose this internship because it is finance, an industry I have been seriously looking into as a future career path. I think it's important to get any type of real work experience, but it’s especially important to get that experience in a field that interests you. I also chose it for the added challenge of being in an on-site internship, one that allows me to connect face-to-face with coworkers and clients. I also chose this opportunity because I needed something in Tucson as well as something that worked with my basketball schedule for the university.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
Most of my internship experience was on the administrative side of the business that involved managing a lot of paperwork. Although it’s not that glamorous, it is something that was extremely fulfilling as I organized the financial documents once they were processed and could complete tasks and see a project through to completion each day. I worked a lot with different online client portals that allowed me to update client information as well as import new clients and documents needed for processing.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship selection or experience?
A unique situation that influenced my internship experience was working around my basketball schedule. I play on the Men’s Basketball team here at the University and the schedule is intense. We would have summer workouts that required me to go back and forth from the office to the gym every day. Although it was challenging to manage, it was extremely rewarding to be able to get done with my day and feel like I accomplished a lot. I would definitely do it all over again as this unique experience has taught me lessons I can take into my future career.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite and most satisfying part of this internship was definitely attending the company seminar dinners. These seminars were a weekly meeting where we would meet as a team and prepare ourselves for the next week. After each seminar on Thursday, we were ready to meet clients and future clients to discuss how we can further help them in their retirement goals. It was very rewarding to set up the seminars and see the benefits they provided to the team.
What advice do you have for other students as they begin their internship?
One piece of advice for other students beginning their internship experience is to be a sponge and soak up information. Too many people, when they start a job or internship, focus too much on producing results. But it is the people that take the time to soak it all in and truly learn that reach success. It will never be easy, but this challenge of work experience is something that will prepare you for a future career far better than any YouTube video can. Choose something that you are interested in and that challenges you, and your experience will be very rewarding.