Ashim Gurung ‘22, a Finance and Marketing double major, spent the summer of 2021 working for Boston-based MFS Investment Management as a Global Marketing Analytics and Research Intern.
“I knew from my previous marketing classes that I wanted to spend the summer learning different ways to analyze and market data. When searching for opportunities to gain practical experience, I reached out to some members of the MFS community. They had only positive news and told me about their amazing work culture. I interviewed at a lot of companies, but when MFS offered me a place in their summer program, I knew I had to say yes.
Prior to this summer, I was very excited to work in person and get the full city experience. I had plans for where I was going to live, how to commute to work, and the different places to visit on the weekends. But then the program was moved online–and, honestly, it was discouraging. But ultimately I’m happy with my online experience at MFS. I was blessed to have a supportive supervisor who mentored me and helped me grow. Some of the interns have even made plans to meet for a Red Sox game later this summer so we can keep in touch!
At MFS I configured a lot of raw data from Adobe Analytics to construct graphic reports for my supervisor. I also created quarterly powerpoints and attended monthly metric meetings. Students spend a lot of time learning the theoretical application of skills in our field; summer internships help us gain more day-to-day practice. A few things I learned that are applicable to any kind of job:
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help – if you are unsure, reach out
- 30 min coffee chats are a great way to get to know people!
- Always double check before you send
- When in doubt, over communicate
- Take tons of notes
Paul's internship opportunity fund allowed me to fully commit to MFS without having to stress too much about the finances. Costs like housing, food, transportation, dress code, etc. can discourage and stunt students' ability to take jobs they want. My IOF grant allowed me to set up a home office with a desk, monitors, and real office chair that made it much easier to work and focus. I would encourage any student to apply!"
