Monday, June 29, 2009
my life as a summer intern: part 3
Another great week has come and gone. Work still hasn't picked up too much so my days are still mostly spent going in and out of meetings, getting to know my team, and working on small assignments here and there for my manager and group members. There have been a few points where I've actually felt bored for 20 minutes so it's my goal to figure out how to most effectively engage myself in those moments.
I attended several guest speaker events this week where I had the opportunity learn about the work experiences and perspective of senior level management:
1. Lunch & Learn with a Credit Risk officer
One of the guys who came to my school to interview me for my position this summer spoke to all the interns in our divisions on Tuesday about credit risk and about the ways VLB has been affected and how the financial landscape is changing because of the credit crisis. He was great - I appreciated him for the simple terms he used to describe things and for sharing relevant, useful, and interesting information in such an engaging way.
2. Firm-wide intern event with one of the global head's of VLB
My internship program has these mandatory speaker series events where Very Important People come to explain their particular division or role and offer career advice to us. The guy that spoke on Tuesday evening was a pretty good speaker but I think a lot of us got the sense that he really wasn't too interested in being there. Even so, there were several overzealous kids during the Q&A time who were trying to out due each other with sophisticated questions. When the Q&A time was nearly over, the speaker looked at the facilitator and asked, "Am I good [to go]?" Yeah, not such an impressive attitude in my opinion.
3. Women on Wall Street panel of Managing Directors
On Wednesday after work, a few of the other girl interns and I attended this firm-wide, women's event where 4 successful, female managing directors held a Q&A time to share their experiences and offer advice to any woman who aspires to reach
a similar level "success" in the business world. Even though I'm still trying to figure out if this type of career path is what I even want, it was very interesting to hear their perspective and learn how they got to where they are today. They had some great stories - one of them told us that earlier in her career, she dramatically packed her desk up and walked out of the office when her manager didn't promote her with the rest of her class, made up of all males. I felt like their advice and encouragement was useful since they've all been through so much - both good and bad - and have come out on the other end.
Aside from work, things have been going really great. On Thursday night, Daniel took me out on a dinner date to a fabulous, Food network-featured, Indian restaurant called Tabla. It was SOOO good! We had a 3 course meal and every course was absolute perfection - from the combination of flavors to the spices used to the food placement on the plate. I don't know if I've ever had such a perfect meal. The service was great as well - the waiter actually brought us a 3rd dessert that we had been debating over, just so we could try it! Daniel and I both felt very spoiled by it all. I am so thankful for Daniel's desire for me to know and appreciate all the great things that NYC has to offer!
This past weekend was so much fun too. On Friday evening, Daniel met me downtown and we spent a few hours hanging out in a fun area of town called South Street Seaport while we waited for the rain to stop. On Saturday, I went running in Central Park with one of my new friends in our community group. It was tough (since exercise has not been the biggest priority here) but it was our excuse to enjoy a tasty burger and chips with Daniel at a great outdoor restaurant that overlooks the Hudson afterward! Later on, Daniel and I took advantage of our down time and went to see "The Proposal" in Lincoln Center. Even though it wasn't that realistic, I thought it was very cute and the actors were great! When nighttime came, Daniel and I met his roommate and girlfriend in an area called "The Village" which is known for its restaurants, bars, and nightlife. The 4 of us enjoyed a drink at a small, dimly lit lounge and it was a great time to see them and catch up. While I'm thinking about it, I have to mention that one thing that really sets New York apart is the ridiculously close association between "fun" and "drinking." When people here think about having a good time, it almost always involves drinking in some capacity. Everywhere else, drinking is 'an option' but in New York, it's 'THE option.' This mentality is difficult for me to get used to, mainly because it's hard for me to understand, but I hope that God will show me how to relate to people here through their perceptions of drinking, not just around it or in spite of it.
On Sunday, I met a few of the other VLB interns at the Met museum. Honestly, I am not a museum person at all. In fact, I find them pretty boring and they put me to sleep. But, I figured it would be a good opportunity for me to get to know some of the interns - especially since I'd have such little interest in the artifacts around me. One of the girls I got to talk with told me that she moved to the US from Turkey for her undergrad and is now about to start her 2nd year of grad school. I was reminded of one of my missionary friends who just finished her first year ministering college students in Turkey. How crazy is it that we're doing the same thing thousands of miles apart! Anyway, this girl I met is not the first I've talked to this summer who has picked up everything, left family and friends, and come to a foreign land, knowing there was more hope and opportunity here than in their home country. I am so impressed and don't know if I could do it. I'm eager to dig a little deeper into these incredible stories.
I'll leave you with a few more valuable life lessons from my time here:
1. Pantyhose and velcro are not friends
2. If you want to be successful in business, use key phrases like "I'd be happy to do that,"I'll reach out to _____ [for that answer]", and "per our conversation..."
3. Practice makes perfect - except when it comes to ironing button down shirts
4. People are happier on Fridays
I attended several guest speaker events this week where I had the opportunity learn about the work experiences and perspective of senior level management:
1. Lunch & Learn with a Credit Risk officer
One of the guys who came to my school to interview me for my position this summer spoke to all the interns in our divisions on Tuesday about credit risk and about the ways VLB has been affected and how the financial landscape is changing because of the credit crisis. He was great - I appreciated him for the simple terms he used to describe things and for sharing relevant, useful, and interesting information in such an engaging way.
2. Firm-wide intern event with one of the global head's of VLB
My internship program has these mandatory speaker series events where Very Important People come to explain their particular division or role and offer career advice to us. The guy that spoke on Tuesday evening was a pretty good speaker but I think a lot of us got the sense that he really wasn't too interested in being there. Even so, there were several overzealous kids during the Q&A time who were trying to out due each other with sophisticated questions. When the Q&A time was nearly over, the speaker looked at the facilitator and asked, "Am I good [to go]?" Yeah, not such an impressive attitude in my opinion.
3. Women on Wall Street panel of Managing Directors
On Wednesday after work, a few of the other girl interns and I attended this firm-wide, women's event where 4 successful, female managing directors held a Q&A time to share their experiences and offer advice to any woman who aspires to reach
a similar level "success" in the business world. Even though I'm still trying to figure out if this type of career path is what I even want, it was very interesting to hear their perspective and learn how they got to where they are today. They had some great stories - one of them told us that earlier in her career, she dramatically packed her desk up and walked out of the office when her manager didn't promote her with the rest of her class, made up of all males. I felt like their advice and encouragement was useful since they've all been through so much - both good and bad - and have come out on the other end.
Aside from work, things have been going really great. On Thursday night, Daniel took me out on a dinner date to a fabulous, Food network-featured, Indian restaurant called Tabla. It was SOOO good! We had a 3 course meal and every course was absolute perfection - from the combination of flavors to the spices used to the food placement on the plate. I don't know if I've ever had such a perfect meal. The service was great as well - the waiter actually brought us a 3rd dessert that we had been debating over, just so we could try it! Daniel and I both felt very spoiled by it all. I am so thankful for Daniel's desire for me to know and appreciate all the great things that NYC has to offer!
This past weekend was so much fun too. On Friday evening, Daniel met me downtown and we spent a few hours hanging out in a fun area of town called South Street Seaport while we waited for the rain to stop. On Saturday, I went running in Central Park with one of my new friends in our community group. It was tough (since exercise has not been the biggest priority here) but it was our excuse to enjoy a tasty burger and chips with Daniel at a great outdoor restaurant that overlooks the Hudson afterward! Later on, Daniel and I took advantage of our down time and went to see "The Proposal" in Lincoln Center. Even though it wasn't that realistic, I thought it was very cute and the actors were great! When nighttime came, Daniel and I met his roommate and girlfriend in an area called "The Village" which is known for its restaurants, bars, and nightlife. The 4 of us enjoyed a drink at a small, dimly lit lounge and it was a great time to see them and catch up. While I'm thinking about it, I have to mention that one thing that really sets New York apart is the ridiculously close association between "fun" and "drinking." When people here think about having a good time, it almost always involves drinking in some capacity. Everywhere else, drinking is 'an option' but in New York, it's 'THE option.' This mentality is difficult for me to get used to, mainly because it's hard for me to understand, but I hope that God will show me how to relate to people here through their perceptions of drinking, not just around it or in spite of it.
On Sunday, I met a few of the other VLB interns at the Met museum. Honestly, I am not a museum person at all. In fact, I find them pretty boring and they put me to sleep. But, I figured it would be a good opportunity for me to get to know some of the interns - especially since I'd have such little interest in the artifacts around me. One of the girls I got to talk with told me that she moved to the US from Turkey for her undergrad and is now about to start her 2nd year of grad school. I was reminded of one of my missionary friends who just finished her first year ministering college students in Turkey. How crazy is it that we're doing the same thing thousands of miles apart! Anyway, this girl I met is not the first I've talked to this summer who has picked up everything, left family and friends, and come to a foreign land, knowing there was more hope and opportunity here than in their home country. I am so impressed and don't know if I could do it. I'm eager to dig a little deeper into these incredible stories.
I'll leave you with a few more valuable life lessons from my time here:
1. Pantyhose and velcro are not friends
2. If you want to be successful in business, use key phrases like "I'd be happy to do that,"I'll reach out to _____ [for that answer]", and "per our conversation..."
3. Practice makes perfect - except when it comes to ironing button down shirts
4. People are happier on Fridays
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