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Introduction: Summer Internship with Charles Schwab
Introduction: Summer Internship with Charles Schwab
During Summer 2025, I had my first internship in the finance industry with the highly renowned financial institution, Charles Schwab. I worked in Indianapolis from June-August as a Client Service & Support Intern. During this internship, I was in a cohort with 12 other students. Notably, I was one of two women in my cohort, which gave me unique perspective and insight.
Throughout the internship, I trained virtually with hundreds of other interns to learn how to provide service to real clients. I quickly adapted to online databases and rules, and I applied these skills by taking real inbound service calls. Much of the internship was then spent studying for the FINRA Securities Industry Essentials exam, in which I passed. I also participated in a competition in which my team presented our suggested improvements to the company's trading platform, ThinkorSwim, to executives. Overall, this internship was an amazing experience. It gave me exposure to one of the top Investmentment and Financial Services Firms, allowed me to begin my senior year with a professional license, along with a plethora of soft skills gained from my first corporate experience.
Team Photo Including Managers
Group Photo the other Woman in my Cohort
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
Takeaway #1: Through consistent effort, I can achieve difficult goals.
Takeaway #1: Through consistent effort, I can achieve difficult goals.
Studying for the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam was a daunting task. Each day, I was absorbing hours of new material. Some days were harder than others. By showing up everyday and receiving support from my peers and managers, I was able to pass this exam, proving to myself that I can achieve goals that I set my mind to.
Takeaway #2: There is immeasurable value in people skills.
Takeaway #2: There is immeasurable value in people skills.
Charles Schwab constantly emphasized to us throughout our training period the importance and significance of building relationships with clients. Through every service provided, there is an opportunity to make a positive impact on the client and the business. Furthermore, networking within the organization and building relationships with colleagues is what separated an average internship experience from a great one. Our managers frequently told us "you get out what you put into this internship."
Takeaway #3: Learning should continue beyond the classroom.
Takeaway #3: Learning should continue beyond the classroom.
Schwab has a system called "continuous improvement." This is a system where you can submit reccomendations for improvements in systems. Furthermore, Schwab gives each employee a certain number of hours each quarter to complete learning modules through the company. During my internship, they had a whole learning day where you could sit in on sessions to learn about professional development, opportunities within Schwab, etc. Beyond this, every Schwab employee has to study for and pass numerous exams to fulfill their roles. This showed me how with Schwab, my learning can expand beyond college.
Reflection
My internship at Charles Schwab challenged me academically, professionally, and personally. From adapting quickly to complex systems and taking real client calls to passing the SIE exam, I learned that consistent effort and support from peers and mentors make daunting goals achievable. Being one of only two women in my cohort also gave me a unique perspective and strengthened my confidence in navigating male-dominated spaces. Most importantly, Schwab’s emphasis on continuous improvement, relationship-building, and lifelong learning showed me that success in finance is not just about technical knowledge, but about growth, initiative, and meaningful impact.
Next: Honors Experience 2
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