Sun Devils at Work: W. P. Carey junior uses networking to find internship success

John Remy is a junior studying finance and economics with a minor in personal health at ASU’s Tempe campus. After meeting a recruiter at a student organization gathering, he landed an internship in finance, and he has another in line already.

Remy has leveraged networking to help him build an impressive finance resume so far. Find out how he did it and what his future plans are.  

Where did you intern last summer and where was it located?

I interned at Northwestern Mutual in their Southwest region’s Gilbert branch.

What was a normal day like at your internship?

Every morning I was in the office by 7:30 a.m., when we had our morning development meetings. In these meetings we would cover a variety of topics, including investment and insurance vehicles, phoning language and our past week’s performance.

After the meetings, I would move into the intern office and begin what they call “phoning.” Phoning is simply calling people and searching online (usually LinkedIn and Facebook) trying to find potential clients. After around 10 a.m. I’d usually have a few scheduled meetings. During these meetings, I worked with clients and usually another financial advisor to analyze the client’s situation and make recommendations for financial planning decisions. After my scheduled meetings were done, I went home.

W. P. Carey junior John Remy leveraged networking to help get internships at Northwestern Mutual and Boeing.

How did you get your internship?

I got my first interview after attending a Financial Management Association meeting where one of [Northwestern Mutual’s] recruiters came to speak. I simply emailed the recruiter after the event and set up an interview. I then had two more interviews with their college unit directors before I was offered the position.

What is the most useful/interesting thing you learned there?

The most useful thing that I learned is that it takes a lot of work to be successful in any commissions-based position. In my internship, I was able to make my own schedule, create my own meetings, issue policies to clients by myself, and I did not have anyone who was watching what I did and evaluating me for it. So it was very easy to let the freedom hold me back from achieving my goals.

In order to be successful, I had to work a full schedule and commit to my production goals. Even then, it was very discouraging at times because I would work a lot of hard hours and not get paid any commissions if nothing came out of it. So it was also very important to forget my past failures and commit to future successes.

What is your upcoming summer internship and where is it located?

My upcoming internship is with the Boeing Company, working in their finance department on their campus in Mesa.

How did you get the position?

I got the position after the first interview. However, I had met almost every person in Boeing’s recruiting team by the time of my interview by attending various information sessions and networking events.

One of the most valuable of these events was Boeing’s advanced Excel training program. This was a two-day event that taught me how to use different Excel functions like VLOOKUP, embedded IF statements and pivot tables. Not only was it a great learning experience, but it also introduced me to two of the people who interviewed me for the position. So I feel as though it gave me a leg up on the competition.

What will you be doing there?

I will be going through a “matching event” in February where I will meet multiple people in the finance department who need an intern for help with various projects. After these meetings, I put in my preferences for who I would like to work with and what project I would prefer to work on. Then the managers in the finance department will do the same and I will be matched with a specific job role and mentor to work with.

What are your tips for interns to get the most out of their internship?

My advice would be to build a good relationship with your direct supervisor. They can be someone who helps you get connected, learn the position and learn the company. Other than working hard and doing well, your relationship with your supervisor can be one of the biggest contributing factors to whether or not you get a full-time offer after your internship.

What are your career aspirations?

I aspire to be a manager in a finance department for a Fortune 100 company. I plan to build a good reputation at a well-recognized company and work my way up through the finance department until I retire, hopefully at a relatively early age.