My Three-Month Run as an Intern

It was late April, I was finishing up the remainder of my exams while also trying to figure out where I could intern. This thought continued to haunt me through the month as I was trying to pursue a finance-related career. I knew that I needed an internship in order to remain competitive. I started the internship hunt late, and many businesses had already closed their doors. I was extremely close to giving up. However, some friends suggested that I should try another avenue to find an internship: Craigslist. This is where I first laid my eyes on an opportunity with Benzinga. I thoroughly researched the site, and came across many interesting, financial articles and I became excited. As an added bonus, I found out that the office is conveniently located just a few minutes from my house! This made things significantly easier for me as I could avoid the hassle of traffic as well as stay close to home. Needless to say, this opportunity sounded great to me. After exchanging emails with Aaron, I was invited to come in and start work. On my first day, while making my way towards the office, I became very nervous about the staff's first impression of me. I was facing the door of suite 1677 as I became nervous, wondering if I should just walk in or wait. Instead, I knocked (I found out later that you really never had to). I met with Aaron, was introduced to what Benzinga is, and was immediately given tasks after no more than 10 minutes of entering the suite. I was learning about options, futures, and many other things I was not formally introduced to yet, and it all continued to intrigue me. My experience at Benzinga was fun and hectic, but nothing was more interesting than personally witnessing a business growing before my eyes. Learning about options trading, equity trading, and forex trading continued to enrich my knowledge and made me better-rounded in the world of finance. However, I didn't only learn about finance. My duties ranged from writing a story, to researching businesses, to contacting individuals about partnership opportunities. Basically, Benzinga gave me some experience in everything! In addition to my experiences, I met great people. Aaron was the first person to instill confidence in me. With the multitude of tasks assigned to me on days that I came in (even my first), I knew he believed that I was capable to go the extra mile. Kyle was a guy I could easily talk to, after giving me welcoming handshakes on days I came in along with inspiring pep talks. I also came to admire Jason's busy schedule in the office, Hilary's sincerity, Sarah's kindness, Jacquelyn's warm-heartedness, John Thorpe's humor, Andy's mysteriousness (still doubting your age!), as well as the rest of the staff's great qualities. And now as I go back to college, I leave behind unique experiences and people that I enjoyed working with. After reflecting upon my experiences, I only have one regret: not being able to come in as much as I could. Although I won't be too far away, since I'm currently a student at Michigan, I will always remember the people at Benzinga. Thank you Benzinga Staff -Sunil