SOUTH BEND, Ind. – This summer our student-athletes were hard at work off the field gaining life experiences in their desired fields. Here’s Kelly Denes’ story:
Where did you spend your summer?
I spent my summer in New York City at Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank.
What was your position at the company?
I was a Sales and Trading Summer Analyst.
What were some of the biggest things you learned from your internship?
I was able to learn a lot about the inner workings of a bank and apply some of the skills I have learned within my finance classes here at school. I also was able to network with people to learn a lot about their specific career paths and what it takes to be successful within the world of finance.
How did you find this internship?
I found the internship through personal online research followed by networking with as many people in the Notre Dame community as possible.
What were some challenges you faced at your internship?
Some of the main challenges were, firstly, living in the city by myself and getting a preview of what life will be like after college. It is a big adjustment to enter the working world, especially in a big city like New York. My hours were also pretty extreme, so it was difficult to adjust to very long weeks with little free time to train or be social. It was also challenging to be put into an environment where I was not comfortable with what I was doing. I was not even sure what sales and trading would truly entail, so being thrown into something so new created a steep learning curve, where it was necessary to adjust and learn quickly.
Biggest takeaway from the internship you can relate to in lacrosse?
I found a lot more things from lacrosse applied to my internship this summer than I expected. Despite there being no physical application, the ability to adapt and learn quickly when given little to no instruction is something that I will definitely be able to apply this season. It was also a very team based environment where communication was important.
Do you plan to work for said company following graduation?
Yes! I plan to go back next year to work full time.
Other fun summer adventures you want to include?
I was able to travel on the weekends to places close to the city that I had not been to before (since I am from Florida). My favorites were going to the beach down the Jersey Shore and taking a trip to visit a friend in Westhampton Beach.