This past summer, I was lucky enough to be a part of the YouthPartners Summer Internship Program at Putnam Investments. After just having graduated high school, most typical teenagers would rather spend their summer anywhere besides an office. However, this proved to be one of the most influential experiences of my life. Over the course of my time at Putnam, I learned more than I could have ever imagined. I did over twenty job shadows with different groups among the company, so I got a very good understanding of how a large business operates. The entire time I was at Putnam, I was treated like a real employee by everyone. My expectations of getting coffee and making copies, like most interns do, were completely dismissed after only one day of work. My favorite part of the summer was the trips into the Putnam offices in Boston. Going into the city at 9 a.m. was like nothing else. I got to experience what it was like to be a real business person. I gained many essential skills during training sessions that we had with the group of summer interns. The session topics ranged from dressing for success to communication skills to financial management. There’s only so much that can be taught in a classroom, so I believe that this internship has prepared me for my business career for the rest of my life.
