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Alex Amerling ’14: Physics in the Real World!

Posted in Internships

Alex Amerling ’14: I have interned at Mercury Marine for the past three summers, and each year my job gets more interesting. Mercury is the world’s #1 producer of boat propulsion systems (boat engines) and I get to work with the best and brightest in the industry every day. This year I am working with the Engineering Facilities group, and it’s the coolest job I have had so far.

I have built 3 portable data acquisition units that are used to collect on boat data. These data loggers can collect temp, rpm, voltage drop, you name it, these guys can do it. So far, one went to Panama City FL, one to Seattle and one to Malaysia. I have been soldering, slicing and drawing up wiring diagrams for these units so that whoever has to make these in the future can do so easily. When I was first tasked with building these units the first thing I thought was “wow, this is shockingly like my Electronics class.” Building the units was the first task, and then I had to get them to work. This took a lot of testing in the DYNO cells (where the engines are tested) to get the math of the unit to work properly, but after a few hours and some strong words directed at this little box, I got it.

The corporate environment here is something that is not for all people but I have been able to assimilate and operate within it. As the new Head PCA, I want to let everyone know Career Services can help you learn how to properly operate within a big company like this. Sending emails to other professionals, how to dress and how to approach people are all things you can stop by the office to get help with. It’s not rocket science, but there are some things that may escape individuals.

I’m happy to be back at Mercury and it truly is amazing working for the most innovative individuals in the industry. It’s an honor to have these people ask me to help them do their work. I am proud to say that I am an employee of Mercury Marine, and will continue to enjoy my summer!

Safe Boating,
Alex Amerling


Jacob Burnett ’15: Legal Aid Society Teaches How To “Live Humanely”

Posted in Internships

Jeff Been ’81, Meagen Agnew, Jacob Burnett ’15, Julia Leist Adams

Jacob Burnett ’15: Walking into the Legal Aid Society’s office in downtown Louisville, you read: “Our mission is to pursue justice for people in poverty,” on a hanging sign overlooking the inside of the office.

What better way to live humanely than to speak for those who have had their voices silenced? Here, at Legal Aid, we work to restore hope in every tangible and intangible sense. To speak more specifically, Legal Aid provides legal assistance, in matters of civil law, to low-income people in Jefferson and the 14 surrounding counties. Every year, Legal Aid assists more than 4,000 clients in civil matters with programs, clinics, preventative education, and legal representation.

On my first day, I read the 2011 and 2012 Litigation and Activities Docket that outlines the different programs Legal Aid offers with client accounts and success stories. Reading about domestic violence, slum lords, and pure legal abuse people face brought tears to my eyes. These clients try to navigate in an unfamiliar and confusing legal world with no direction; however, there is hope. Legal Aid acts as a safe haven to help guide people to reach the most beneficial results for them and their families.

My work at Legal Aid encompasses development and administration. I help the Director of Development, Julia, and the Director of Administration, Meagen, with matters that pertain to funding Legal Aid and managing marketing or other administrative duties. Most notably, I have worked on the “Justice for All,” Annual Campaign to raise $300,000

that will fund Legal Aid and its many services. Furthermore, I have helped research and write grants that will fund programs that help people every day. I have worked with my bosses to help organize and research past information relating to funding partners and donations that will help projects in the future. Julia and I will design and assemble the 2012 Annual Report that Legal Aid distributes to the community and funding partners that outlines the effects Legal Aid has made in the community. With Meagen, I compiled and updated a media directory list, social media posts, and an e-newsletter. In all, I have valued every opportunity with these departments because it helps me understand how non-profits effectively operate. The projects I have worked on taught me valuable Excel, writing, researching, and managing skills.

Because of my work with many projects, I have been exposed to great insight and unique experiences.

One highlight of my internship occurred on the 35th floor of thePNCTower at the Bingham Greenebaum Doll law office that overlooks all of downtownLouisville for the first meeting of the “Justice for All” Campaign Committee. I sat in my seat as 15 of the most distinguished and accomplished lawyers inLouisville grabbed Panera box lunches and sat around the table. I acted as a fly on the wall as the committee discussed and outlined the strategy to accomplish their goal. Before and afterwards, I happily introduced myself to all the attorneys around the table; it was a humbling experience. As I left the office that day, Jeff told me, “You know, you got to experience a unique opportunity today. Not every intern gets to sit at a table with some of the most successful lawyers in Kentucky.”

Another highlight found itself in the second floor court room of the Hall of Justice. I sat in the jury box with a paralegal from Legal Aid, Brenda Bacon (what a name!), and got to watch Eviction Court proceed. Afterwards, Brenda, a known veteran of the county court house, introduced me to judges and attorneys she knew throughout the building. Since then, I have attended numerous Eviction Court hearings, domestic violence hearings, motion hours, Legal Aid clinics, and acted as a court runner for the office. I have sat in on client interviews for divorces and wills. Attorneys have allowed me to read their legal case documents, taught me about court and paperwork processes, and gave me valuable career and law school advice. Essentially, I have been immersed in practical and hands-on legal knowledge that I wouldn’t have obtained in law school.

Apart from the work I do, this opportunity has allowed me to interact with amazing people. The entire staff is fun, laid back, and extremely welcoming; they love their jobs and understand how rewarding this work can be. Because of this office environment, I have enjoyed everyday at the office.

Legal Aid saves lives, restores hope, and pursues justice. Without the Small Business Fund, I wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity to witness the practice of ruthless empathy. I would like to thank my bosses Julia, Meagen, Jeff Been ’81, his partner Eric Graniger, and every member of the Legal Aid Society. The work done in this office and many others throughout the country defines what it means to live a life of purpose.


Shijie Guo ’14: The Operations Side of PROFUSA

Posted in Internships

Five months ago when I started my internship hunting, I did not imagine that I could spend this summer in San Francisco. Thanks to the Small Business Internship Fund, Mr. Khurram Tahir ’01, Mr. Scott Crawford, and Career Services, I could gain the opportunity to intern with PROFUSA, Inc., a Silicon Valley startup company. When I confirmed my internship offer in April, I knew it would be the best summer I could ever have. The first month of my internship just proved my thought—I have never been this busy and happy. Although I have to wake up at 7:00 a.m. in order to catch the 7:30 a.m. Bart and the bus, I cannot wait to start my work every day.

As an Operations Intern, I spend most of my time working together with my mentor, Mr. Bruce Smith, who is the Director of Operations at PROFUSA. PROFUSA is a biomedical company with a concentration on continuous glucose monitoring. Like many other startup companies in the Silicon Valley, the PROFUSA team is science and technology oriented—more than 70% of the team members hold Ph.D. degree. While most of our team members are accomplishing goals in the labs, Bruce and I are working on accounting, finance, human resources, and other tasks on the operation side in our office.

One of the biggest advantages working in a startup company is to get a lot of exposures in many various tasks. My first project at PROFUSA was internal audit. By going through the expense reports, invoices, and bills of the company, I got to know the company quickly from a financial aspect. My second task was to set up a standardized human resources management system. Together with my mentor Bruce, I created a recruiting manual and a package of human resources management documentations. Recently I am working on monthly close and payroll with Bruce. When we finish the monthly close, I will spend more time on my long-term projects, which include creating an internal database and looking for a more efficient way for PROFUSA to document all the files. I have also done several other small projects, including creating a company organizational and a corporate biography.

I am thankful for the liberal arts education at Wabash. I feel confident because I am well equipped with the knowledge I learned from the accounting courses, economics courses, and the computer science courses that I took at Wabash. I would like to encourage my fellow classmates who are interested in entrepreneurship and startup companies to take advantage of the Business Sequence program at Wabash.

I want to thank Mr. Khurram Tahir ’01, an investor of PROFUSA, for bringing this great opportunity to Wabash. I also want to thank Mr. Scott Crawford for creating the connection between Wabash students and alumni in the San Francisco Bay Area. Last but not least, I would like to thank Jackson Ding ’11, for giving me advice on my career path and hosting me at his place during the first week when I arrived in the city. Without the support from Wabash alumni and Career Services, I could never have this great experience.


Wilson ’13 Expands Wabash Opportunities

Posted in Externship,

I did not expect a summer job to affect my career prospects. As my study abroad opportunity in Chile finished, I realized I had more than a month available to work. However, not many people are willing to hire an individual for only one month. But, I noticed an opportunity to work with Career Services as a fellowship intern to research and build our fellowship resources. Yet, the most unintended consequence of this funding was our Gap Year Program resources.

Over the summer while working on our Career Services’ web site to create a new fellowship section, I noticed our underdeveloped gap-year program resources. After talking with Assistant Director James Jeffries and Director Scott Crawford, they let me redesign and boost our gap year resources and information. This gap year refocus seemed to impact our graduating student body, including myself.

This upcoming summer I will begin working with Citizen Schools as a Teaching Fellow. I will work for two years on the South Side of Chicago in a struggling middle school that extends their school day by three hours to give students more individualized attention and experiential learning. Though the program’s extended learning time, Citizen Schools hope to break the vicious cycle of the underprivileged by giving them real-world experience and academic mentoring.

Other students have undertaken similar challenges to handle global and international struggles. This year over 5% of our student body have accepted positions to teach and volunteer in prestigious gap-year programs!

  • ·         Tyler Griffin, Teach for America, Atlanta, GA
  • ·         Jose Herrera, Teach for America, Indianapolis, IN
  • ·         Alejandro Maya, Teach for America, Tulsan City, OK
  • ·         Francisco Olivia, Teach for America, Indianapolis, IN
  • ·         Wyatt Lewis, Schuler Program, Chicago, IL
  • ·         Ronnie Sullivan, Schuler Program, Chicago, IL
  • ·         Garrett Wilson, Citizen Schools, Chicago, IL
  • ·         Matt Paul, Culver Academies, Culver, IN
  • ·         Charles Hintz, Peace Corps, Mozambique, Africa
  • ·         Keaton Becher, Cross Hill Mennonite School, Cross Hill, SC
  • ·         Logan Rice, Wuxi Big Bridge Academy, English Teacher, Wuxi China

Until recently, gap year programs have been uncommon in the United States. Many gap year programs developed over the past 20 years in a variety of different fields ranging from agricultural, education, civic service and internships. Now, thousands of recent high school and college graduates are exploring gap-year possibilities before and after college.

If you are unsure what you want to do after college or want to try something different, try a gap-year program. You will be able to travel, explore and go outside your comfort zone. I am nervous about my experience, but I am ready to try something unexpected.


Alumnus and Professors give Hopkinson ’15 a Spot in the Externship Lineup

Posted in Externship,

–By Jocelyn Hopkinson

Prospective students will hear how helpful the Wabash faculty and alumni are when they visit for Honor Scholar Weekend. Admissions and students advertised the same things to me when I was a senior. Part of me thought these advertisements were exaggerated, but I recently discovered I was wrong—all I needed to do was take the first step and reach out.

I reached out to Professor of Economics Kealoha Widdows about potential summer-school options. I met with Professor Widdows and discussed my post-Wabash ambitions. She told me to work with Career Services and required I report back to her. I’ll admit my mother had urged me to visit Kane House for a year, but I never made it over. However, I found I was much more accountable when a professor requests something from me!

I worked with Scott Crawford and other Peer Career Advisors to update and improve my resume. More importantly, I was urged to contact Wabash alumni. Again, I took the first step and reached out to Mark Osnowitz ’12 via LinkedIn.

Just because the field isn’t in playing shape doesn’t mean the front office isn’t working hard.

 

A few summers ago, Osnowitz interned with the Normal Cornbelters, a professional baseball team in the Frontier League in Normal, IL. I have an interest in sports business and thought an externship with a small organization would be very beneficial because I could absorb all the business’ aspects.

Osnowitz was more than willing to help and played an instrumental role in me landing the externship. After a few messages on LinkedIn, Osnowitz contacted team President and Owner Steve Malliet and General Manager Kyle Kreger. Osnowitz put in a very good word for me. From that point on, it was up to me not to screw up and fortunately I was able to avoid any mishaps.

I spent between two and three hours per day with the office staff over spring break. Each day consisted something new and ranged from stadium management to ticket sales. The Cornbelters’ front-office staff only has seven full-time employees so the different departments are a one or two-man operation with the help of a handful of interns. The staff provided me with personal attention every day and was excited to help me learn, similar to the Wabash faculty.

My week started by shadowing Kreger. He oversees an umbrella of responsibilities including ticket sales, corporate sponsors, and community relations. He also holds the power to make personnel decisions, but leaves them to his coaches and scouting department.

“Ticket Sales Tuesday” occurred the following day. I met with Vice President of Ticket Sales Joe Rejc. Always looking to improve, Rejc explained how the team planned to increase ticket sales from last season. He reiterated what Kreger had told me, that more groups (churches, businesses, youth baseball teams etc.) would be targeted this season. After laying out the strategy, he showed me March’s game plan. Rejc and other sales members are required to hit specific sales numbers and if everybody accomplishes their goals, the team will increase its sales.

The other part of the revenue stream is corporate sponsorships. Director of Corporate Partnerships Lori Johnson met with me Wednesday to explain her job. She sells advertising space inside and outside the ballpark for local businesses such as outfield signs, box suites, and billboards. She also handles trades, which occur when the Cornbelters give advertising to a local business in exchange for that business’ services. For instance, if a new player has nowhere to stay, he may live in a hotel for a certain amount of time and the hotel will get free advertising at the Cornbelters games. The team doesn’t receive revenue from trades, but costs are less if not zero.

Kreger harped about starting out in ticket or corporate sales. He said every employer wants to know how he can increase his revenue and if you intern in a sales position, you can put that number by your name and quantify your skills.

Hopkinson ’15 saw a lot of faces of the organization in a short time

Stadium Operations Manager Ryan Eberle showed me the Corn Crib on Thursday. Eberle is responsible for a variety of tasks—stadium and locker room cleanliness, utilities, dugout and field conditions to name a few. He is also in charge of event and game-day logistics.

I spent my last day with Business Manager Heather Manint. She handles the team store, accounting, and other general business activities. Friday alone entailed of meetings with a health-care provider and sales tax auditor. 

I finished my job-shadow experience with a much better idea of sports business operations and where my interests lie. I plan to heed Kreger’s advice and look for an internship in ticket or corporate sales in the future—possibly even with the Cornbelters. The gentle shove from Professor Widdows and enthusiastic help from Osnowitz and Career Services made this possible.


A Young Wally at the Chicago Stock Exchange

Posted in Externship, ,

During my previous winter break, I did an one-month externship at Cheevers & Company on the floor of Chicago Stock Exchange with one of our prestigious Wabash alumni—John Castro. I met John during a career services event in downtown Chicago.  He is on the advisory board of the Security Traders Association of Chicago and he’s an institutional trader at Cheevers and Company. Being an Economics and Math double major; I wish to pursue a career in investment banking or consulting. So I thought it would be great if he could host me this winter for a job shadowing externship. Luckily, I talked to the right guy, a guy who eventually became my first mentor in the industry of finance.

Zuo ’16 gets his feet wet with an externship in Chicago

My externship started as soon as the semester was over. Working in the Financial First building next to Chicago Board of Trade in downtown Chicago gave me a completely different working experience. During this externship, I felt I was treated as an actual intern because everyone in the office was always willing to help patiently and took my questions seriously. At the very first week, Mr. Castro helped me go through most of the basic finance terms and concepts and taught me how to conduct effective finance researches. He showed me how the business was operated from different offices and how the stock trading was executed as a whole. Later on, he started to put me in front of different desks to see how different sectors of the business works.  I went to the back office to see how they do the daily clearing of all the trading records, traveled to the compliance office to see how they keep track of every executed stock, and I have been to the actual CBOE trading floor to see how brokers start the trade by making their first calls.  Castro not only helped me to get better comprehensive approaches to the stocks trading and finance world, but also helped me expand my social networks. I also helped my boss to write buy and sell tickets on a daily basis to better understand the nature of business.

I should say this is definitely the most unique externship going through Wabash Career Services.  Since the duration of this externship is one month- which is much longer than any other ordinary two-day job shadowing externship- I received more chances to interact with other people in the office. At the end of the externship, I could greet everyone in the office by their names and their normal lunch orders. And unlike other “employers,” my boss bought me launch every day. In order to show the special cares for the international minorities in the office, we had Chinese-Tuesday every week. Furthermore, being a freshman, I am a blank sheet of paper to this “messy” industry, so Castro assigned me different readings and independent research after work so that I could have better understand of the theories in terms of social practices. Furthermore, this externship expanded my horizon in the finance industry and helped me to build the relationship to the people who are working in stock exchange and investment banking.

 

Castro served as a mentor for Zuo during his internship, providing real-world experience in the world of finance

This externship is definitely unforgettable, not only for the knowledge I learned about the finance industry, but also because of the people I met during this winter break. John Castro is my boss who hosted me throughout my externship; he is a Wabash alumnus who graduated in class of 1997. He is my mentor more than my teacher in many ways, he is a real example of how a Wabash man think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively and live humanely. John is now considering hosting one Wabash every winter and if you are available and interested in Finance, then you can’t miss it. Eventually, I should say, so proud to be a Wabash man!

-Yiyuan Zuo Tiger ‘16


Ruvoli ’13: Catching a Break with a S.E.E.D. Grant

Posted in Uncategorized,

Entrepreneurship! This word alone can have a different effect on different people. For some people, entrepreneurship represents everything they have ever wanted to do. They’ve been enticed by being their own boss and doing what they love. Others see entrepreneurship as a headache, too big a risk, and just a sure way to lose everything they already have.

Having played catcher himself, Ruvoli created a tool that would benefit players like him

 

For me entrepreneurship is fascinating. Two years ago, my sophomore year, I was trying to find something to do during a boring Wednesday night over spring break. As I began to tinker with things, I picked up my catcher’s mitt and began to reminisce about my playing days. As I thought about my “glory days,” I thought about the countless hours I spent training and all the lessons I had taken. Why weren’t there ever any training tools for catchers? All the training tools in baseball consist of hitting, throwing, and fielding training. With this, I used my analytical skills that I’ve learned from my education at Wabash as a philosophy major, and I created my catcher’s training tool.

My training tool is called Perfect-A-Block, and its purpose is to promote the correct form of blocking a baseball or softball in the dirt. There are two problems when a catcher is learning to block. The first, a person’s natural reaction to an oncoming object is to flinch and turn away. By turning away, the catcher exposes his or her throat, which if hit with the ball can cause serious injury. The second problem is the exposure of the throwing hand while making a block. The throwing hand should be placed behind the catcher’s mitt to protect the throwing hand from any broken fingers. With my invention of Perfect-A-Block, I was able to create a training tool that enables catchers to work on the correct form of blocking by themselves. For a catcher, working on blocking usually requires a coach, parent, or teammate to throw them balls in the dirt, and then for that person to tell the catcher what they are doing right or wrong. Therefore, having the ability to work alone on having the correct blocking form is a huge step forward for the catching position.

Inventing Perfect-A-Block was a great moment for me, but of course, business and innovation costs money; and as a college student, money isn’t always at my disposal. Surely the costs add up with filing for a patent, filing my business as an LLC, and manufacturing costs. This is where Career Services and the S.E.E.D. Grant have come to help me tremendously. After struggling to find a manufacturer, I finally came across Infinity Products, Inc. located in Avon, IN. They have been great in helping me make my product into the real thing. To fund the manufacturing fees of the first part of my product, I applied for a S.E.E.D. Grant and was accepted. The S.E.E.D. Grant is for Wabash entrepreneurs looking for funding to help start their business. A student can receive up to $500 in funding. For me, this was definitely was a huge help. Because of the S.E.E.D. Grant, I was easily able to focus on the business side of things knowing I had the financial backing of the grant. As a result, the first part of my product has been produced, which is the mitt strap.

With the S.E.E.D. Grant, Ruvoli was able to make his idea a reality

 

 Funding can be a difficult thing for any entrepreneur, especially an entrepreneur in college. Having this opportunity at Wabash is great, and I encourage entrepreneurial students to take advantage of this. I would like to thank Wabash Career Services and the other members who have made the S.E.E.D. Grant possible. As I continue to work with Infinity Products, Inc., we are in the process of manufacturing the second and final part of the training tool, and, of course, I will apply for more of my S.E.E.D. Grant for help.

-Frank Ruvoli ‘13


Clark ’16: Constructing a Foundation Through Externships

Posted in Externship, ,

            During the first business week of January I participated in an externship at Nusurge Electric Company in Cleveland, Ohio.  I was able to get an externship there with the company because my uncle is the operations manager for the contracting company within Nusurge. During this externship I experienced the “business” side of construction. I was interested in seeing how an operations manager functioned in a construction company. I noticed how much the OP (Operations Manager) is out of the office. It is the OP’s job to visit the various construction sites to oversee the projects that the company is contracted for. The OP has many responsibilities including: checking with the foremen to see what their needs are, buying and distributing the equipment necessary to completing the job, calling business’/organizations in an attempt to get the company in on the projects. I learned how competitive the construction business is. There are a plethora of construction companies across the world, but there are only so many projects that need workers.

            In the three days of my externship I visited construction sites, handled important paperwork, functioned as a secretary, and networked with various foremen and owners of construction companies.

            Apart of performing day-to-day construction tasks, Nusurge has to purchase a myriad of expensive equipment that’s needed at the construction sites; and with that comes the bills from the companies that supply the tools to Nusurge. So, as part of my first day of work, I sorted hundreds of copies of the invoices that Nusurge received from the businesses across Ohio. Organizing the invoices from the company will prove useful. I learned that the invoices are like receipts that can be referred to if Nusurge was ever to be audited by the government. I also organized and sorted complex manuals and schematics containing the instruction necessary for the operation of the electrical wiring in the buildings Nusurge worked on.

            Additionally, I was asked to receive incoming calls for Nusurge and take down any information that was to be relayed to the manager. I analyzed multiple recorded messages on the voicemail where I also relayed information of high importance to the manager.

            By partaking in this externship I realized that I like to be in control of the projects and be the coordinator people refer to when they need something. I would rather coordinate behind the scenes then do the manual labor or be on the “front lines” per say. This experience is motivation for me to start my own business and be my own boss. I do not feel I could function at an entry-level job for very long. Watching the manager delegate and handle the higher matters rather than the trivial ones intrigued me.  I do not necessarily want to work in the construction business, but I learned that whatever job I do I want to be in charge. The externship at Nusurge taught me what it takes to be the leader in charge of a competitive business.

-A.J. Clark


Checking the Pulse on Hospital Administration–An Externship

Posted in Externship

I certainly wanted to stay as productive as possible during these past four weeks of winter break.  Thanks to the assistance of Career Services, I had the opportunity to spend three days conducting an externship with Terry Hamilton ’89.  Mr. Hamilton, an economics major in his time at Wabash, is President of St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in suburban Detroit.  My exposure to the world of healthcare prior to this externship was limited to visiting a grandparent in a hospital, going to a check-up, or as a hospital volunteer in high school.  Administration may not be able to be seen from your back in a hospital bed; rather, it is what makes the process as seamless as possible (even though it may not always be all that seamless).

As a morning-time ritual, Mr. Hamilton and I reviewed two important sets of documents.  The first is a daily census of the hospital.  In my time at St. John’s, the hospital was experiencing numbers nearing capacity.  Upon my arrival, there were 22 patients in the emergency room who were going to be admitted to the hospital, but were waiting on a bed.  It’s great news for a hospital administrator when it comes to knowing “business is booming,” but by the same token, one cannot hope for high patient satisfaction ratings when waiting 12 hours or more for a room.  An important number that we looked at when it came to the operations of the emergency room is the LWBS, or left without being seen, number.  In the recent days of heavy patient volume, there were, at times, 10 to 15 patients who had checked-in to the emergency room, but had decided to leave before being seen by a physician.  By using linear regression through Excel, we were able to look at the number of ER visits and how that correlated to the number of LWBS patients.  With the equation you find from that linear regression, the question becomes: what number of ER staff will it take to minimize the LWBS number?

The second document set is a detailed safety report from the previous day.  Another great tool that St. John’s utilizes each morning is a “safety huddle,” where representatives from each department meet to discuss what occurred in the past 24 hours that was unsafe for patients.  This can range from falls to putting the wrong identification wristband to a delay in care.  It’s a great way for staff to constantly ask what can be done to better serve patients, and question what can be learned from situations where something does go wrong.

A side of the healthcare system that I didn’t know about prior to my visit was the role of a hospital president as a liaison between the hospital and physicians.  In the case of St. John’s, physicians at the hospital are not employed by the hospital, but instead choose to practice medicine there and choose to send their patients there.  Hospital administrators are forced to walk a tightrope and hold contract negotiations as though they were the GM of a professional sports franchise.  Essentially, the administrator must keep physicians happy in order to ensure that patients are happy and being treated with the utmost of care.

The experience reminded me, yet again, what great opportunities I’m afforded as a Wabash student.   I want to extend my thanks to Career Services, Mr. Hamilton for his kindness and time taken with me, and the entire staff of St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital for making me feel so welcome and providing such a great environment for me to learn and observe.

 

Patrick Bryant ’16


Behind the Scene in Financial Advising–An Externship

Posted in Externship

Editor’s Note: Brian Beardmore ’14 discusses his recent externship with Greg Charnes ’00.

During my previous two years of enjoying the 4 week long break that the college is so kind to give its non-seniors, I decided to do what I could to ensure that I did nothing productive. I enjoyed my extra time as much as I could before I would get the expected slap in the face given by the ensuing semester. This time, however, I decided to do something that could actually helpful to my future and that was through the participation in an externship.

I spent two days in Newburgh, Indiana (just East of Evansville) shadowing financial advisor Greg Charnes ’00 of Ameriprise Financial. Although the stay was brief, the experience and knowledge that I gained were far more valuable and extensive than I could have hoped for. It gave me a much better idea of what goes on in the day-to-day necessary work, most of it in which clients do not see.

Charnes has quite a bit of clients between his Nashville and Newburgh office locations and frequently meets with his clients to discuss their finances and what to do with them. However, my visit happened to be on a two day period in which he did not have any scheduled meetings. To many people this may sound as if I would not be able to learn much, but he had quite a bit to accomplish despite the lack of meetings.

Much of Charnes’s work comes from the preparation of meetings through research and organizing. The stock value of numerous companies are extensively researched to give Charnes a good idea of where the company is, has been and could look to go in the future. He advises his clients on what stocks to buy and sell, so having quite a bit of knowledge on these companies is crucial. Organizing files for his clients also took up plenty of time. The updating of information was necessary to ensure that surprises are minimized when the meetings happen.

This type of work took up most of the time I was there and I could not be more thankful for what I learned. Not only did I learn a bit more about stocks and how to look at them, I also learned a bit more on how to deal with people. In an economy that has plenty of upward and downward swings, keeping clients at ease and encouraged can be a difficult task. So much of what goes into this job is being able to not only make the clients comfortable, but to build a relationship with them as well. Advisors want their clients to be able to trust them and to not think that they are just trying to make money off of them.

Charnes and his co-workers seem to have the attitude that they are not simply helping people make money; they legitimately enjoy their job and are looking out for others that need financial advice. I am incredibly thankful for the experience that I have and I recommend anyone who might be interested in that field to visit them.

 


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