A Bevy of Networks

Students share lessons from financial services and information technology internships

From working up the courage to start a conversation with a stranger to juggling a host of assignments, Dickinson students interning in the financial services and information technology industries tapped into invaluable networks and resources this summer. Below they share some lessons from their internship experiences.

Caio Santos Rodrigues '16 - Bloomberg

Major: philosophy

What do you do on a day-to-day basis?

Three constants would be reading, writing and listening: I read a lot different media outlets (in English, Portuguese and Spanish), I have a lot of writing assignments (blog posts, press releases and meeting summaries), I listen in on the conference calls my manager has with both clients and people from different parts of the company, and I manage different projects, keeping track of their progress. Because we work with a lot of people in the São Paulo office, I also have had the opportunity to speak in Portuguese in a professional setting. I moved to the U.S. five years ago, and it's great to be able to communicate in a professional environment in my mother tongue.

What advice would you offer to peers considering an internship?

Do it! Internships are great not only to have on your resume, but they also help you learn more about yourself: Do I like the work I am doing? Is an office environment for me, or would I prefer a different setting? Do I prefer a consistent routine, or do I want each day to be different? Questions like these come up during your internships, and they help you figure out whether you like the career path you're on or if you should do something else.

How has this internship better prepared you for life after Dickinson?

One word—networking. My networking skills have improved drastically since starting at Bloomberg. My manager has taken me to different networking events. Before the first one, she gave a few tips and then told me to "go work the room." It was a little intimidating at first, but after the second event I felt very confident about my ability to walk over to someone and strike up a conversation. That was pretty useful when I attended a Dickinson alumni event in New York City earlier this summer. I ended up meeting two alumni working in fields I'm considering.

Alec Schwartz '16 - NaviNet

Major: biochemistry & molecular biology

What do you do on a day-to-day basis?

I start by making a couple Keurig cold-brews before contacting health care providers in hospitals and offices to learn how our software products can be better, creating presentations for members in the User Adoption and Engagement Department and meeting with other interns to work on joint projects.

What were your previous internship experiences?

I interned at Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, working with an ecological physiology Ph.D. student.

What are your plans after Dickinson?

I plan to move to Seattle to push toward a graduate degree in molecular biology.

How has this internship better prepared you for life after Dickinson?

It has helped me think critically about the kind of community I want to live, grow and work in.

Emily Gamber '17 - Anthemis Group

How did you get this internship?

Last summer, I was a student worker during Alumni Weekend, and I later joined the student-alumni organization Devils' Advocates. Because of my involvement with this group, I had the opportunity to attend a Dickinson Board of Trustees meeting and Alumni Council dinner. There I was able to interact with several Dickinson alums and, in particular, Amy Nauiokas '94, who is CEO and founder of the media company Archer Gray and the president of Anthemis Group, which is a venture capital firm that works with financial-technology startups. She offered me an internship in the London office.

What do you do on a day-to-day basis?

Every day is a little bit different, whether it's researching a product, a company or person; editing presentations; or working on other projects to further the advancement and efficiency of the office.

What is the most valuable part of this internship for you?

I was able to learn from so many different people and participate in so many different facets of the company. I worked with the talent portion of the company, with the marketing department and with investor relations. Each of those areas valued different skills and gave me a chance to build my knowledge base.

What advice would you offer to peers considering an internship?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. I came into the internship worried about being a burden and wanting to prove that I wouldn't drag down the team. I soon realized that was the wrong attitude to have—I learned that it wasn't about having the right answer all the time, but about being open to collaboration and to learning from others.

In addition to these students, more than 400 Dickinson students are gaining valuable experience this summer through internship and research opportunities in science, finance, government, marketing and other fields.

Learn more

• "Lab, Field or Office?"
• "Entertainment Value" 
• "Nailed It: 5 Ways to Finish Your Internship Strong" (Huff Post)
• "Spreading the Word" 
• Interns in Action
• Latest News

Published August 19, 2015