Liberal Arts Major: Economics
Hometown: Bangalore, India
Experience Time: Summer 2022

Give us a brief summary of your experience?

PNC Bank's Asset Management Group consists of two arms: the private bank and institutional management. For the summer of 2022, I was an intern on the institutional side. Throughout the course of the six weeks, I developed a comprehensive understanding of how the group conducts business. I was given the opportunity to shadow employees and attend client meetings. Additionally, I prepared weekly market updates and distributed them to the entire team of 17. Towards the end of the internship, we presented a final capstone presentation where we had to pitch PNC's investment strategy to a board of directors. The experience was truly unique and taught me how business is conducted in real life.

How did this experience impact you academically?

The summer internship experience enhanced my understanding of the business of Asset Management. The real life exposure has taught me key elements of the industry which I would not have picked up through academic courses in college. I learned presentation skills, how to make reports, enhanced my attention to detail, and more importantly I learned how to leave a positive impression by the conversations I had in passing with my colleagues. I developed a routine that taught me how to maintain a work-life balance. Carrying the knowledge I have gathered from my internship into my senior year of college will allow me to put my best foot forward in everything I do. Completing tasks with a sense of purpose and perspective, is a skill I did not possess in my first few years of college. Moving ahead, I know that the courses I am taking will directly be applicable to the work I will be doing in the industry. This fact will motivate me and complement my actions.

"The summer internship experience enhanced my understanding of the business of Asset Management. The real life exposure has taught me key elements of the industry which I would not have picked up through academic courses in college."

How will this experience impact your career goals?

I think the biggest impact this internship will have is on my career. Being an international student, the job market is exponentially harder to break into. Having an internship will show recruiters that I am determined to make the most of my time, utilize it in the best way possible, and to a certain extent prove to be an adage to the value I may hold as a worker with a certain level of experience. Moreover, it gives me perspective. It gives me time to question whether I truly like the things I think I like.

How has the College of the Liberal Arts helped you to find and/or succeed in this experience (e.g., adviser, faculty, staff, enrichment funds, etc.)?

I received enrichment funding from the College of the Liberal Arts and I am extremely grateful for that. It helped me out in a plethora of ways. It eased the costs of housing and food exponentially, and for that, I am appreciative.