This summer I interned with Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. I worked on the trading floor of the Bank of America Corporate Center with the Chief Investment Office, specifically with the economists on the team. The economists are responsible for reporting on global and US economics and informing the treasury department of their findings, as well as their projections and opinions.
Something that changed about myself during this project was my general understanding of the importance of keeping up with global and national economics. Economic trends are very important in the world of finance as they can indicate where the economy is in the business cycle. This is important to know because banks in particular do have increased supply in the form of deposits when the economy is in a recession. They also have increased demand and higher interest rates when the economy is in an expansion. Therefore, knowing where the economy is in the business cycle is important for the bank’s operations. I now read the news every day to ensure I am up to date with the current state of the national and global economy.
I also changed the way I view myself. Living in Charlotte, a city I have never been in, really encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. In Charlotte, I became very confident in my abilities to make friends in a new city and live alone without any family members nearby. I learned that I am a self-sufficient and strong woman. Living in Charlotte gave me the confidence I needed to accept a job after graduation in a city away from my family. I will be moving to New York City after graduation for a 2-year rotational program with Bank of America. I never would have had the confidence to take on New York had I not interned in Charlotte.
One relationship I had that made my internship experience incredible was with my mentor, Shannon Lilly. Shannon Lilly is the treasurer of Bank of America and is my mentor through my Honors Finance Cohort at OSU. Shannon helped me obtain this internship and I am eternally grateful for all he has done for me. Over the summer, Shannon was such an incredible and supportive mentor. He got coffee with me many times even though he is an incredibly busy man. He also encouraged me to go to New York and try something new. I’m very excited for this next chapter of my life and couldn’t have done it without his help and encouragement.
We also had many events that were transformational for me throughout my internship. The internship program provided interns with many incredible networking opportunities. I truly learned the importance of networking over the summer. I loved making connections and lasting professional friendships with many people in many different departments of Bank of America. Everyone at the bank is so willing to help young analysts find their career path and succeed. I never knew working for such a big corporation in the world of finance could provide me with such support. My worldview has been changed because of this uplifting environment that I was able to work in.
Finally, I was able to make many friendships with other interns in the program. I met many students from different schools and backgrounds. I really enjoyed making lasting friendships with these other students. I am also excited to work with them in the near future, as they accepted their return offers as well. I did not head into the summer with the mentality that I would make such lasting friendships but am so thrilled that I was able to.
My biggest transformation was the growth of my personal confidence. After this summer, I am confident that I am on the correct career path. I was very nervous going into the summer because I thought that I would not know anything about finance and that I would not do a good job working for the CIO group. However, my team was incredibly supportive and was very proud of the work that I produced. They even showed some of the charts and presentation that I made to the CEO of the bank! This really helped to build my confidence and know that I am doing well with my work and that I am on the right track. This self-assurance also gave me the confidence I needed to live in New York. This is something I would have never pictured myself doing before the summer started. However, now that I am confident in myself, I know that I can live in New York and enjoy it. I am very excited for the social and professional opportunities that New York will provide me.
