Kevin Fischer '21

1) What are some skills/competencies (NACE) that I developed during my internship?

• Ability to work in a team

• Analytical/quantitative skills

• Communication skills

• Computer skills

• Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

2) How does this experience connect to your future career goals?

• This experience has helped me enhance my skills in data analysis. While at the Commission, I had the opportunity to gather and structure data, clean datasets, and analyze data using Microsoft Excel. This is an invaluable skills for those pursuing jobs as economic research assistants and as economists.

• This experience has exposed me to the process by which government economists research topics for rulemaking and to the process by which rules are approved for adoption. Knowing how bureaucracies function to meet their missions is an essential insight for those who want to work in government agencies.

• Lastly, since the SEC’s mandate is to both protect investors and facilitate capital formation, this experience has taught me how to think critically about how a particular action would impact all market participants.

3) What advice would you give to other Holy Cross students?

• I would recommend that any intern reach out to professionals beyond their assigned office or department. The more than 4,000 people who work for the SEC come from all different professional backgrounds. Talking to the different professionals within the SEC helped me fully understand how the SEC operates to meet its mission and has made me consider additional career paths.

• I would also recommend asking thoughtful questions. Professionals, especially those in government, love to talk about the work they do and love to explain their work to genuinely interested students. Note that you will get the best responses if you ask well thought-out and focused questions (not ones that you can just find the answer to online).

• Don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities in your area of interest!! It is important to help your supervisor with the work with which she needs help, but it is also important to clearly communicate your interest in additional opportunities that will enhance your desired career skills. Don’t forget that an internship is more than just a summer job; it’s an opportunity to enhance your skills and learn more about a particular profession.