Mav Money Talk

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Daniel Hiebert:� Greetings everyone and welcome to the Mav Money Podcast. We're so excited to have you listening to our podcast today. We have an action-packed edition where we're going to be covering some very crucial topics around money, but careers and internships and things along those lines more so from the front end. How students get into their internships, what to expect? But more about, how do I find them? What do I look for? And as we go through our topics today, you can jot on some questions and we can get back to you.�
�On the podcast, we have Aiden, Charlie, and Austin, how are you all doing today?�
�Aidan Ryan: Doing good Dan!�
�Charlie Frazzini: Alright�
�Austin Deike: better than ever.�
�Daniel Hiebert: All right, that sounds good. Well, let's get started, and I think what we'll do is, we'll start off with internships and Aiden and Charlie both have finished on theirs, and, Charlie, you are still going on yours, but we'll start off with Aiden.��
Daniel Hiebert: First off, Aidan, how did you go about finding your internship?�
�Aidan Ryan: So, I went about finding my internship a little unique way. You know it is important to think of why I was chasing one in the first place, and that is because I kind of was looking for a mentor. But I was also looking to get experience in the industry that II really thought I wanted to go into and so what I did to find mine. I did a little bit of a different thing than maybe the conventional route. I know we have resources on campus, especially in the College of business and the Career Development Center that help with those site types of things. But I didn't really go that way. I didn't look on LinkedIn. I didn't look on. Indeed, I didn't. Google any jobs. What I did was google firms that were in the area that I wanted to end up in and I read the profiles of advisors. I looked at the websites of these financial planners. And I narrowed it down to what I thought would be a good fit for me just based on their vision and their mission. And I wanted to find something that really aligns with my goals and objectives. Once I did, I created a little bit of a list and that list. Then I contacted, and I heard back from several firms interview for a few of them. And I had a good connection with a couple of them, and I accepted one position. So II did it a little bit differently than someone else would.���
Aidan Ryan: I should point this out. We're not actually posted on LinkedIn, or indeed, or wherever it may be. I was actually told by their department I just in me reaching out, I found a a hidden gem that hadn't been sought after by really anybody else, and the only thing that separated me from the bunch was the willingness to just ask. And so that was, I think, as far as finding an internship for me. That's what really worked well, just finding a good fit reaching out and seeing if they have something available, even if they don't. It's wonderful communicating with that.�
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Aidan Ryan: Those people at those firms. And you build that network. And you get that going, and they know of something else. And things are built on like that. But that's how I went about finding it.�
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Daniel Hiebert: That's fascinating. That's really cool. I'd heard some students do it, but not to the depth that you did. Hat's off to you for taking the initiative to do that. How did you just out of curiosity? How did you? How did you open the conversation? Did you send an email first, or how did that?�
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Daniel Hiebert: So, you did the Google search and go ahead?�
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Aidan Ryan: Sure. So, each one was a little bit different. I was for my personal preference for what I was looking. I was looking for more of a mid to smaller sized firm, just so I could really get the experience that I was looking for and have a little bit more hands on stuff to do. And so when I looked up these advisors on Google, I read their websites. And I just hit the contact Us button on their website. And I wrote them an email sort of a cold open. I was just, hey, you know I am sophomore at MSU. I'm majoring in financial planning. You know. I'm looking for an internship for the summer here. My credentials sent them a few different things. And I would hear back from them quickly if they didn't have a contact us option, or they only had a phone number or something like that. I would just reach out to the advisors that worked there that were listed on the firm via LinkedIn. So I just sent them a note. And I said, you know the same thing. Here's my name. Here's what I do. Here's what I'm looking for. I love the chance to a have a sit-down meeting with you, or a phone call, or something like that. And everybody. I sent that message to� at least hear back from. So some of the firms are like, you know what we're not doing that right now. We don't have an internship program this summer. Thanks for reaching out, you know, if you'd love to or if you'd like us to keep your information on file we can reach out to you in the future. So there was a lot of that. But there was a lot of positive feedback I found just from reaching out and talking. And even if they didn't bring me in for an interview, I had phone calls with different advisors that, kind of you know, you get to learn a little bit more about the business. You get to learn how they do things a little bit. And so that was really beneficial to me. And that's how, I went about that.�
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Daniel Hiebert: When you reached out to them and sat down, did they reference that email? And just say, Hey, we just really appreciated you reaching out?�
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Aidan Ryan: thanks for showing the initiative. How did they react along those lines? Yeah, II got a lot of positive feedback. You know they were. They didn't really have that experience before. A lot of people just apply. They put a posting on whatever website it is. And people apply to that, and then they get how many, however, many applicants that bring some in for an interview go through that process, and I was kind of like. I didn't really want to do that, because I wanted to make a connection with them first, and then see if it was a good fit in the firm and things, and that's kind of how I went about it. But it was received very positively, we will say, and just even having a conversation with them. I was like I'm not necessarily expecting a job offer when I went into those meetings, but you know II dress up, I wear a suit, and tie and look presentable. Bring a notepad, things like that sit up straight in the chair, firm handshake all of those good things to really make a good first impression. Ask questions primarily, was another big thing. But they really the people that I met with, I think, really responded to that, and kind of I had a little bit of respect from them. Just for going the extra mile to try to get myself out there if that makes sense.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, totally. And how long did the process take?��
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Aidan Ryan: So, I know it. It took a few months. So, II worked all of summer of 2022, and I worked a couple of different jobs on campus in the fall last year, and I kind of told myself. I was going to wasn't gonna take, do anything. Winter break my job over winter break is searching for an internship the next summer, so I sort of began that in the over winter break I started reaching out to firms late December early January heard back from a few had some meetings. And then I officially accepted the position in I would say, like, I think it was like early March first or second week of March. So it took a few months, and it took time and energy, but it really paid off in the end.�
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Daniel Hiebert: So, during that winter break, you didn't have any kind of a job, you, your job was just to find an internship. So, kind of that long term perspective to a certain extent. Do I have that right?�
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Aidan Ryan: Yeah, I didn't. I've worked a bunch over the course of the school year and worked hard in my classes. And I was just like, I'm taking the time. And I'm going to take a little bit of time off, but I can't sit still, so I was like I need something to put my mind on to, and finding an internship was kinda like the thing I was really focused on and building, like, you know, we were talking about the emails. And I was building structure, writing drafts and testing different things, and that's where I packaged everything. And then I put it into action. Early in 2,023 in January.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Gotcha. That's fascinating. I think that's just a great approach. You know. I've suggested that to students not to say that I thought about it first or anything. It's all you. But I think for some of us there's some students go in with. I'm gonna aim for one or 2 companies and see if I can get an internship. And you know, just going through the hiring process myself, and you know, but on both sides, just looking for positions, but also interviewing candidates.�
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Daniel Hiebert: I think sometimes just having a good list of 10. Just write them down and like you say, they're not. They don't have a posting. Maybe they do. But I've got this list of 10 that I'm working. and if one drops off I just work the other 10. So instead of going to the table, just one or 2 go with several, and maybe you can weed them out from there.�
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Aidan Ryan: Why, that is a really good approach, especially as young students, because, you know, a lot of people might have sort of, II wanna say, like tunnel vision. But it's kind of what it is. It might have like one thing they wanna do. They're only looking at it but looking at the broad scope. And that's kinda what I was thinking. I was like, you know, I'm a student. I'm going through school, but I don't really know anything about the field, and I was really looking for affirm, with a mentor that could really teach me the business, and what goes into the business, and how it operates and things like that. And so I was looking for the best fit. I wasn't chasing the most amount of money.� was not looking what was the best fit for me at the time. Where can I learn the most? And you know I was just kind of living in the moment if you will.�
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Daniel Hiebert: And so you mentioned a couple of things in your in your search. Mentioned reviewing their vision mission values. If they have those posted. Did they, like a lot of firms post on their website that you could find or did some of them?���
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Aidan Ryan: yeah. A lot of them did a lot of the firm's websites I looked at hand, you know, videos explaining what they do, introductions to some of the staff. Which is really helpful. They always had a meet the team area, and then a sort of a vision statement or their mission what they were doing with the firm. And so that was really helpful for me to read, and then kind of see which one really aligned with me, and which kind of spoke to me in a way, and then those are the firms I really tried to pursue.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Gotcha, and you mentioned, too, also your goals. Do you want� to share some of your goals? Did you communicate those goals in your interviews, or how did you approach that?�
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Aidan Ryan: Yes, so I had a a few different, you know. I had, like some sit down conversations where you know, we might have like a cup of coffee or something like that. But then I had formal interviews, and I was very upfront that I am not by no means an expert in anything. I don't really have any experience in financial planning. I had a little bit of experience in the insurance Erin at an insurance internship last year. But I was really coming in just fresh out of school, and I was really focused on personal growth. And I came in. And I said, I want to really learn more about the profession. I wanted to grow in the profession. I wanted to grow my communication skills and learn how to interact with clients and learn some of the software and learn how to do different procedures and things like that. That's what drove me. And I was very upfront about that. I said it immediately. And a lot of people responded well to that because I was prepared right? II came into the interview, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. We have this planning mindset. I had the same thing. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, what I wanted to accomplish, what I wanted to be exposed to, and when I came to that and had everything paired in black and white.�
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Daniel Hiebert: They responded. Well, to that. I think that is awesome. That's a smart approach that's off to you for doing that. You know, when you first started the process back in winter break, did you have? Did you have any expectations about it? Do you think it was going to take a long time? Or�
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Aidan Ryan: I was stressed and nervous. A lot of the people I knew in the college we're getting internships already, or had things lined up, and I was kind of like, I have no idea what I'm doing. I was kind of scared. I wasn't gonna find a place. And so I really took that time to really grind hard and really figure this out. Because it. It was a big stressor for me, because I did want to learn the industry, and I wanted to find a place where I could grow, and II felt comfortable but also had the ability to go a little bit outside my comfort zone and things like that. And so I was super stressed, and that might have led to me grinding out a lot of this stuff really quickly. But that was, that's probably where it came from. So, yeah, I think that I think that's a situation that goes on with a lot of students, too. And I think you know as as leaders at the college and at school we we do emphasize that internships are important, but you know there are success stories, too, of people that don't have internships. So, I think, all things being equal, you'd want to have one. But it's not something that is going to torpedo your career or anything. But it's certainly a good thing to have for sure.�
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Aidan Ryan: Well, to that point- for me the internship does a couple of things, and, Austin, Charlie, you all can chime in on this one. But the internship really helps to expose you to the industry. To make sure� it's a right fit, right? We're going to school for this for financial planning. At least, you know, the guys in this did, and it was a nice way for an internship to kind of immerse you in the field. See what it actually is. What's the day to day, and things like that. And so that gave me a lot of experience, it just in the field. But I don't know how you guys, how do you guys feel about that.�
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Daniel Hiebert: How about you, Charlie?�
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Charlie Frazzini: Yeah, I would agree. For when I'm thinking about how I want to get the best experience and how I, wanna you know, move forward and learn the most, I think, of an internship or any working experience with a mentor or a job. You know, school is great. We're all here in a four-year program and you can learn a lot from school. But you know the best learning is done hands-on at the job, you know, working through different challenges that are presented to you that you really can't get when you're in a classroom setting.�
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Charlie Frazzini: So you know, really getting hands on and doing the job that you intend on doing in the future, in your career. I think that's the best way to kind of push yourself, grow, learn, and move forward.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, totally agree. And aid and kind of just swinging back to you. just kind of closing up for you. What kind of advice would you give to those in their internship search? Take the same path that you did, or how would you? What kind of tips would you get?�
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Aidan Ryan: You know, I think finding the internships a very individualized process. I know that a lot of people are gonna be looking for the top dollar right? Who's paying the most? Where can I go? A lot of people are looking for certain location, right? Do they want to be close to home, especially as sophomores. That can be really nice, you know. You're not having to move to a different city and pay rent and things like that.�
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Aidan Ryan: But the biggest thing I would say is find a place where you feel comfortable. And that really matches with your values, and it doesn't. You know I'm so I'm talking about financial planning. But it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. If you are looking at an accounting firm. Right? Make sure that that accounting firm's values line up with yours. Or maybe you're interning at any of the other firms that come to campus during like the college of business, meet the firms event that's coming up. And I think that really what I would just say is, find something that works. But do your research on the actual internship as well. And the other thing I would say is, start early because a lot of these positions are going to be taken pretty quickly. A lot of people are really eager and then hungry for those positions. And people are going to fight for right? This is a space where qualifications do matter. And your amount of drive is, going to get you the job or won't. And it's really up to you. You know it's that kind of that thing where the day that you I can't remember this exact analogy. But you know, if I take a day off, someone else isn't taking a day off right? They're going for the internship. They're doing that. So, I would say, start early, really find a place that you feel comfortable. and that's a good fit for you, but also some, you know, in a within a field that you're really passionate about, because I was really passionate for this financial planning, and when I was in this internship was really easy for me fall in love with the work. And I loved doing what I did these past few months, and you know, I just think that if you were kind of miserable or going into something you wouldn't want to. That would be kind of a tough thing. But that's what's perfect about an internship is, it's temporary right. It's only a few months or 12 weeks, or whatever that may be. And so you get that exposure to a field, even if you might not super enjoy it, you can always go a different path. And so yeah, that's kind of the advice I'd give it to students. But honestly, just go for it reach out to these firms, even if they don't have a posting. Say something, get your name out there, and maybe if they don't even have something. Now, maybe they have something next year. And just because your drive got you in front of them one year, even though they didn't have anything, they're going to remember that. And they're going to keep that in. So I would just say, Reach out and everything else. And so that's my, that's super insightful. I think�
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Daniel Hiebert: Again just hat's off to you for taking that approach. I can maybe share when I was at a firm doing hiring, we had an intern kind of, and reminds me of your story. This particular individual was graduated from a small school in Western Minnesota. Didn't have much experience, and he came in and did actually a a group interview with a couple of us. We all were in kind of the same room and he was just upfront about it, he said. �Look, I wanted to play college football I wasn't good enough to go to a big school, but I wanted to play. I joined my team. I walked on. I've worked hard. I was the most improved player. By the time I was a senior I was the captain and I come to you with no experience. But I will. I will say this. If you take me on as an intern, I will be the first to come in every single morning I will be the last to leave. I get along great with people. I ask my teammates. Ask my fellow captains, ask my coach. They'll give you terrific references. I'll be your hardest worker. I'll be your sponge for information. I get along with everybody. I'm a positive thinker. I have a can do attitude and that's my story� And we hired him on the spot. I don't even think, he finished, that we said you got it who wouldn't want to have someone like that? And I think sometimes students come in and say, Hey. I have enough experience. You're like, you know. I'm kind of nervous about reaching out, and I just don't have what's looking for other requirements. So what? Let them say? No, first, don't say no yourself. Go in and sell yourself. And if you've got those other qualities, you're going to be definitely going to the top of the list for sure, for sure. So�
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Aidan Ryan: Yeah, that's really. That's really good information, too. II think a lot of us experience that imposter syndrome a little bit. You don't think that we're qualified enough for this position, and I certainly do not think I was qualified enough for the position that I had over the summer. But the great thing about an internship is you're not really supposed to be qualified right? They're looking for someone who knows their stuff, but is personable. Someone that can be around the office, get their work done on time, not, you know, make those deadlines, and the work will come. And so I think that you get that experience as you continue to go on. And it just builds on each other. And that's yeah. That's a perfect thing. They're really looking to hire you and they're not really looking to you for to hire someone to do all this work because they wanna show you how to do the work. They want you to learn how to do the work and practice, then apply what you know to the work. So you know, going in. You won't know everything cause even, I mean the firms that we work at use different software. They have different methods of doing things, different procedures, different policies and things like that. So no matter where you go, as long as you have basic information, you're good with people. You're polite, you know. You're punctual. You're on time every day. Things like that. Those are going to take you really far.���
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, totally agree. Well, thanks, Aidan, much appreciate a terrific story. Thanks for sharing that. Charlie. let's swing over to you and maybe talk about your experiences finding your internship. How did you go about finding yours?�
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Charlie Frazzini: Yeah. So I kinda did a combination of everything. So I know Aidan did a Google search and did some deep diving into firms, and.looked at internships that way. But I also did-� Linkedin, indeed, Handshake. I went to company websites. I used a lot of the resources that the financial planning department and the College of business here provided. So, meet the firms, career fairs, club meetings, all that kind of stuff.�
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Charlie Frazzini: And initially, II started looking in my sophomore year. I'm a senior now, but I didn't always want to go into financial planning. So I initially started looking at. You know, finance,� I wanted to be a financial analyst in my sophomore year. And I wanted to kind of do that route. and you know, I kept applying, using those avenues of Linkedin, handshake, Google, all that kind of stuff. And II realized it just wasn't a fit for me. The more I read these job descriptions, and the more. I had a couple of interviews during my sophomore year. But it just didn't seem right. It just didn't seem like the right fit for me. I ended up working, going into my junior year. I did a banking internship. That's what I thought I wanted to do, be a financial analyst or do corporate banking? but then, from that banking experience. I worked with people, opened accounts, did all the retail banking kind of stuff, and that's kind of where I found that I liked working with people. I liked personal finances. and that's where that kind of came together. So then. entering my junior year, I kind of started looking at the financial planning route pretty seriously. I'd been involved with the club a financial planning club In the middle of my sophomore year, but I didn't really know if that was a route I wanted to go to. I had kind of this conception that the financial planning was you know a lot of sales, and it was, you know, insurance stuff, and it just didn't really seem like a good fit for me. But the more I involved myself in club meetings and did more research. I really found out that this is what I want to do. So then, Junior Year, I did the same row where I used a bunch of different avenues to find jobs, same things, but more with a financial planning focus. So, I actually found the current internship I'm working at through a club connection. The firm I'm currently working at came in to speak to our financial planning club. And they had a great presentation. I thought. you know, II really connected with some of their ideas, and you know they had connections to how people spend money and deal with money in a way I had never really seen before. And I was like, wow, this is super cool. So then I actually went to their website and did a cover letter and resume� wrote that all up. Typed it up, you know. I introduced myself and said, Hey. I'm a student at Minnesota State, Mankato, and I'm a junior financial planning student. And I, you know, I went on about what I liked about the firm and sent that off. And it took a couple of months. It actually took. you know, a month and a half at least of you know. Follow up calls emails a couple of interviews. which actually made me feel really good, because when a firm or anybody hiring you takes that amount of time to really gauge who the person is. You know you're in a good spot, because the less time somebody spends kind of vetting the person. the more questions should be raised for the interviewer or the person in or being interviewed. so yeah, that's kind of how I got my internship. I utilized all avenues, but at. In the end. It was more of a school connection or financial planning club�
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Daniel Hiebert: Very insightful, I think, to just kind of add on for the length of time. You know. I think that it's really a los- lose if it's not a good fit, you lose, obviously, but they lose as well. So kind of to your point. I think, when they take that time that really wanted to make sure that it's going to be a win-win for both parties, and sometimes you can tell that right away. But I think more often than not you just need a little bit of�
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Charlie Frazzini:� Just more like you say more questions, more. Just dialogue back and forth, just to make sure it's a good fit. But yeah, absolutely. So how long? Go ahead? Oh, I was just gonna add and while you're interviewing with these firms and companies the ones that take a long time to kind of, you know. See who the person is and get through that process. So, it takes a long time. But you should also be putting yourself out there to other firms. Because, if you just like in said have tunnel vision.�
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Charlie Frazzini: and you only look at that firm you're going to be in the interview process, and hey, you might not be the right candidate for the firm, and I go with somebody else, and then that is a month or 2 of your time. That was, you know, wasted. because, you know, you just thought of that one company, and you were excited about working there and thought that that was the only place. But there's other fish in the sea you could say so great, excellent point.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah. And I think kind of getting, you know, just my thought of having a list of 10 and kind of doing a combination of what both of you guys did. I thought it would be, you know, just as Aiden did. Just look at the firms that you really admire and put those on your list, even if they don't have a posting again, let them say no first. So get them on the list. And Charlie to your point, go to some of the social media sites like LinkedIn network with other with clubs and just employers when they come in, get that list going, and then, like, you say, if one does not pan out. I mean, I have seen situations where people go through 4, 5, 6 interviews. And then, they get the oh, jeez, we're gonna go in another direction, or you know, we picked another candidate, and then you just thought, man, I just wasted 6 interviews. But you know again, if you've got that list, you just say, Okay, I'll just go to the next one instead of like you say. putting all your chips on one you know, in one bet. So having everything on red footing, everything there's that's what I was thinking of. It's kind of dangerous to know, you know, gambling terms, Charlie. So you want to be careful with that. But and� did you have strong expectations going in that you could I mean, what? What were your expectations going into the whole process. And how long did it take? Yeah. So I expected it to be shorter than it actually was. But I didn't really understand that concept that the longer the interview process the better for you.�
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Charlie Frazzini: So yeah, I expected it to be a little bit shorter. And I wouldn't say the interview process was intense, but I would say I expected it to be less involved. So when I was going through the process, my firm send some different. You know, personality tests. I had to do a sample problem for them, that I would be kind of doing in the actual job. And I was like, Whoa, this is. This is cool. This is next level, and I didn't really expect it.�
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Daniel Hiebert: But once I got through that, then what?�
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Charlie Frazzini: The process started going along, I felt more comfortable. And yeah, so kind of blew the expectations away.�
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Daniel Hiebert: But in a good way, correct? And so what kind of advice would you give for someone? That's maybe just starting their search or thinking about starting their search for an internship?�
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Charlie Frazzini: I think a great piece of advice is. Well, first- there's so many jobs out there in general, but there's so many that are not posted that are kind of hidden you know, those jobs are actually probably the best. Because to get those jobs you need to show initiative, you need to show a level of professionalism and your emails and your cold approach, as you could say, cause as an interviewer when they see somebody, you know, go out of their way and write a professional email introducing themselves, and you know they do it with good grammar. And you know everything is all there from a professionalism standpoint that really stands out to somebody who's hiring and that would just boost you to the top of their list, I would say, and even if it doesn't work out. Maybe you're too young, or you know you're they're not looking for an intern right away. I got that a couple of times there. Their firm couldn't handle an intern, and they needed to hire somebody else. You'll go to the top of their list. And maybe, for next year, not right now, but next year. So all those kinds of I guess lines you throw out. Some might not stick right now, but in the future they could. And then those people you reach out to could refer you to another firm, because in the financial planning world. Everybody's pretty connected with each other. And you know, if somebody likes you, maybe they couldn't hire you. They could refer you to somebody else. And you could get in that pipeline. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So that's one piece of advice. Another one is, even if you don't have experience there's 3 things that you can always have. And that would be professionalism. So good grammar in your emails. Firm handshake. You dress well all those things you know you can really do without having any experience at all. Once you have those things, then the third thing would be the willingness to learn and the willingness to just get in there do whatever it takes, be a sponge. Learn work well with people. All that kind of stuff is invaluable, you know. You can go in there and know everything. So to say everything and be really intelligent. Book smart. But if you don't have no professionalism, you don't dress well, you think you know everything that's just going to set you back way further than somebody who has no experience but can do all those other things.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, I totally agree. And I really like your comment on knowing everything. And this is something I'm really trying to emphasize just in the last few years for me is people and leaders need to have humility and admit when they're wrong and admit that they don't know everything. I think that's just a quality that's really gotten lost and myself included. So I've really been trying to improve on that. You're the second person, too, that's brought up the handshake and, interestingly. you know, we teach handshakes in one of my classes, and it's the it's the Iowa handshake. Iowa University actually did research on what makes a good handshake. And you can go on Youtube and see it. And It's hard to describe in a podcast but it's basically. the fundamentals are reaching out with your hand in a firm web to web. So web of your hand to the web, so try and line those up together. 2 shakes. look, make eye contact. But don't glare. Keep your elbow at a 90-degree angle. Don't reach, which is what I always do, and I really try and catch myself not doing that. So don't reach over the table. Just keep your elbow at that 90 degree 2 shakes, and then let go. Apparently, in their research, they found that that's the most effective business handshake.��
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Charlie Frazzini: I think it. It would be good to do some practice with that before you go in, because I feel like I'd be going in there, reaching my hand out 90 degrees, trying to think about everything. Do it before I actually do it. But yeah, that's great.�
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Daniel Hiebert: We actually, we actually tested we, we practice it in class. But we had to turn it down with Covid but we'll come back to it for sure. Heck! I'll do that in our next class, Charlie. That could be fun.�
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Charlie Frazzini: Alright. I look forward to it. But I was gonna say, you know, first impressions. I know people might say they're everything. That might be a little bit far, but they are a lot. So if you can look the part and make good eye contact and have a good handshake, you know that is going to be the first thing that somebody thinks about you. And then, you know, the rest will take care of itself.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, I totally agree. And it's not that if you don't make a good impression that all is lost just gets to be an uphill battle trying to just kind of redeem yourself. It can happen. But, like you say. having a good. First impression is usually the right approach. Totally. Yeah. good. Thanks, Charlie, much appreciate it, Austin. You've been patiently, waiting.�
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Daniel Hiebert: But let's kind of talk about your experience. If you've got a few minutes, I know that. We�re excited to hear your story, but I think yours is a little bit different than the other 2. So� how about how about starting it off?�
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Austin Deike: Yeah, absolutely. I have a little bit of a different approach than Charlie and Aiden. I had no internship experience, and I went straight into the career trying to find an entry level position. So I'm kind of on the podcast here to talk to the people that are listening. That kind of like oh, no! Like all this hurrah! Internship stuff. What about me? Am I gonna be okay? Cause going into the interview process, I felt pretty insecure about having that lack of experience on my resume. And I went into that with a big chip on my shoulder. So I'm here on the other side of things, having to have accepted a position within the field, saying that you know it is going to be okay. An internship isn't the only make or break. There is light on the other end of the tunnel.�
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Daniel Hiebert: And it's not a train coming at you, either, right, absolutely great. So go ahead. Ho! How long did you? So you just I know you're extremely hardworking. You work a couple jSo it's not the lack of trying. But so internships you just didn't. You got a late start, or how did you? How did that? How did that work out?�
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Austin Deike: That's a great question.�
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Daniel Hiebert: I went into college, and my goal was to Cash Flow college.�
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Austin Deike: The Cashflow College. I needed an income. So I was going to school full time, and I was working full time. So I was really invested into the job that I had, and I was planning on getting an internship. My junior going into my senior year of college but I actually, I ended up climbing up the ladder within my position and getting a management role. And I was like, well, this management role. This is pretty useful. I'm I'm leading people. This is pretty nice to have on my resume. So I really invested hard into that and got really involved, and just wanted to leave a good impression within that company.. And as I got the gears going in college, I ended up graduating a year earlier than I planned. So that summer that I was planning on getting an internship was actually my last semester of school. So it put me into a position of oh, I wanted an internship, but I got done with school er earlier, which- outside or looking in that seems like a pretty impressive thing. But now I know I want to move to the Metro area, and I want to get started within the field right away. I don't want to get started doing a different job, you know, because I just, I really want to get established within the career. So I was like, what does that look like having no experience. And how can that look like for me?�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah. And I know you and I kind of worked on some things and some opportunities kind of during that time. How did you overcome? So when you applied for positions? Did the internship part ever come up in your interviews.�
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Austin Deike: Yeah. So I got started just a starting with the club, the financial planning club here on campus that was really useful for me, cause I got I got connected with so many different. I got listen to so many different firms and their ideologies, and kinda just making sure to talk to those people after the club meeting, so they remember your face. They remember your name connecting with them on Linkedin afterwards. Just so. I knew I knew what was out there and then I hopped on handshake. That was huge for me. I really liked handshake, because what happened for me was I had actually a couple of firms reach out to me via a direct message, and they like, hey, I saw your profile. I see you're graduating here soon. I see you don't really have much experience. Just wanted to see if you'd be willing to come. Talk to our firm and see if you want to transition with your new with your new step in life. I was able to go and talk to Lowell's firms and there's because I was in that awkward spot. It's like I'm going to school summer. I'm wanting to hopping to a career at the end of summer. Should I get an internship as well, you know, and take on 3 3 things at once. Well, with the job that I accepted. Now I applied for that back in April, and I got offered the job in July. So like the guys talked about. I really didn't want to get stuck in the position of having all my eggs in one basket, but I knew with the job that I with the firm I'm going with now. I knew II love what they stood for. I love what the position was. and that's where I wanted to be. But after having conversations with you, Dan, and, like you mentioned earlier, having a list of 10 firms, you know, and kind of having that list and starting to work at Number one reaching out, even if they don't have any postings like we've already said, reach out to them. Put your name off there, and like Dan, you said, the worst thing they can say is no- and then it's on to number 2, 3, 4 down that list of the people that you're wanting to work for. So from April to July, which is quite a long. Throughout that I was getting zoom interviews I was getting in person interviews. I was being sent assessments like Charlie talked about but throughout the and every step was a step closer to where you wanted to be. But throughout that I was reaching out to other firms kinda like, hey, I see this internship you just posted on handshake, you know. Let's talk. And I got put into position of getting offered internships. Hey? Do you want to take this, or do you want to?� except this position that I was waiting on that job I was waiting on. So that was a little bit of a rock and a hard place, because I really respected the firms that were offering me these things. But it's like, I want. I'm really like holding on to this 1 one job I'd been waiting for. So I was just made sure to be transparent throughout that, and I ended up reaching out to the firm that I'm I'm with now. And I said, Hey, I got offered this internship. I know nothing's guaranteed with this job. Would you find it useful if I did this internship and had this underneath my belt? And what I really liked about the firm that I'm with now is they basically just said. you know, they II listed them what my obligations would be within the internship, and they're like that's really awesome. But that that internship would just show us that you can do admin work. And we understand that we can teach you admin work, and that really doesn't there that this is firm, specific, they're like for us. That doesn't really show us too much extra. It just shows that work. And because of your because of all the experience you've already had. We know you're a hardworking person. We know you can work, and the least that we're concerned about is admin work. They're like, make sure to do what you think. But us as just man to man. We think it might be best if you just take this time to relax and focus on my finance at the time, and just work on that stuff so that really stuck out to me within the firm I'm with now. Because, like, okay, they're good people that care about me. And they kind of told me like, Hey, don't stress it like we know who you are as a person and us as a firm. We think that's good enough for where you want to be.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, I think that's great. and that's just a smart approach by your employer hats off for doing that. It's impressive, you know. I think it is too kind of to your point finding out what the culture is. I don't know if you guys took time to do that. I know you're looking at things like their vision and mission, and their philosophy is to what they do for their clients. It's hard to find culture, though. Did you guys have any time to look at that or ask questions along those lines, or what? what's your response?�
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Aidan Ryan: Well, Dan, I definitely did.� I just went into the office and meeting with these firms and individuals, like the first time I walk in, everybody that worked there would greeting, a conversation, and then, you know, we'd sit and talk for an hour and walk around. But what was big on, or what I really wanted to do was meet everybody that worked at the firm, or at least anybody that I'd be interacting with, just to kind of see if it was a good fit, and if I kind of aligned with what everybody felt, was the best way to go about the business, and for me that was really beneficial just to meet everybody that works there, and just introduce myself. Talk for a little bit. Oh, what got you in this route? Oh, you know. Where are you from? Oh, and then we talk about high school sports, or something like that, right? And just a little bit of small talk. But you really get an idea of the firm, I think just being in the building for a little bit, or at least a little bit of the culture. Obviously you won't know what the actual work looks like until you start doing it. But I think if the people are really good. The place is bound to be pretty good. At least, that's been my experience. And so that's what I did right out the gate. I just tried to meet everyone they introduced myself. Be nice, be friendly, see if they were friendly back if they were. You know a lot of people are really. Oh, what are you doing. Oh, you're doing the CFP track and make it. Oh, that's so cool and so like we had this conversation and things like that, and just getting to know people right away was really beneficial. And that's kind of how I went about it.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Gotcha, that's a smart approach, too. How about you, Charlie?�
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Charlie Frazzini: Yeah. So an experience that I had was when I was interviewing for with a firm hadn't had too much interaction with, you know, office life and day to day kind of stuff. And in one of the interviews they asked me, So what have you liked about the culture here and really stomped me, cause. It's like, how am I supposed to know what I like about the culture when I haven't really experienced it yet. So with the culture question, it's kind of like you have to really go in there meet people. you know. Maybe even start working a little bit to see if the culture is really a fit for you, because you don't know until you're really in the trenches, and you have to work with people, bounce ideas off of them. And really. You know, rely on each other. That's when you start to know if the culture is a fit for you. And I know culture and teamwork, and it's all kind of a newer thing being pushed. And it's very important. But I feel like you have to really get hands on before. You really know, if you like that culture, if you fit in with it.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, totally agree. And kind of along those lines on teamwork. There's a couple of good books for students and just myself. Even my wife is a director at per organization. It's the 5 dysfunctions of teams by Pat Lencioni. It's an easy read. You can listen to it on audio books, but it's a really good book about teaming. And like you say, Charlie, teaming is really important.� It's the wave of the future, if not already, and just knowing how to be a good teammate. And how to operate on a team. I think it's just super crucial team of teams by Stanley or Crystal is also excellent book, with maybe one of the best books I've ever read. Period, not just on teaming, but also a really good book as well.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Good. How about you, Austin?�
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Austin Deike: Yeah, Dan, I'm sure you can testify this to this a little bit, but some when I talked to multiple firms, but one firm that shot up a couple of red flags, and you and I were discussing it. But a quick teller of culture is just seeing how long people have been there. If a firm is having consistent Rollover, and this isn't like this isn't in stone, like, if people are leaving, it's a bad culture, cause things happen. Moves happen, life changes for individuals. But if there's3, 4 5 advisors leaving or people leaving. That's a quick teller of. This culture isn't a long-term culture. These young people don't want to stay where maybe a good culture, as you're looking through the web page or meeting the team. And this person's been here for 14 years. This person's been here for 12 years. This person's been here since 2,008. There's not a lot of people leaving. There's people sticking around. It means there's something to stick around, for there's someone that they want to work for. And I think that shows a lot. Yeah, totally agree. Various to be able to spot that for sure. Yeah. Good. Call. Any other closing comments about job searches. Internships things along those lines by anyone.�
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Austin Deike: Yeah, I think my advice for people just trying to go throughout the interview process. It can be a little intimidating, especially walking into a room and people asking you some hard questions. But I just wanna say it's really exhausting to be someone you're not. Obviously, you want to be pulled together. You want to be respectful, but make sure you're showing up with who you are. You don't want� to give someone a bunch of false answers, you know, and then show up and be a totally different person. That's just exhausting. I went in, and I was honest with who I am. This is where I am, Matt. This is where I want to be, and here's the things I don't know. Here's the things that I need help with. I would love for you to show me.I had a question where it's like, how comfortable do you feel with these kind of things? I just gave him a bold answer, and I was like, I don't know. I've never done that before. Once I learn it I want to be the best at it, but I don't know right now, and they said that was the that was the answer. They're kind of looking for. So just being honest, being humble, just being you other than leaving a good mark on wherever you're at having good references, people having good things to say about you, and it being authentic. Goes along ways. And I think that's what the other guys are talking about having imposter syndrome. It's kind of hard to say you're the hardest worker. You're the especially for humble people. It's hard to be XY and Z. But if you can have past employers, past professors, class teachers, past coaches, being able to put in a good word for you, because wherever you are at, you left a great mark that will carry you a long way within the interview process.�
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Daniel Hiebert: Yeah, excellent point. Authenticity, for sure. And I apologize. I supposed to think I supposed to ask you about your best practices. So that's totally my problem. Thanks for covering for me. But yeah, so. but yeah, and like, like, you say, Austin and I agree 100. And I think you other guys, you guys, too, as well.� If you're not authentic, they'll find out. And wouldn't you rather know? Wouldn't you rather just be authentic upfront first, rather than having them find out a little bit later? And then what do you do you leave then, or they fire you? I'll let's you know. I'll look play out from there, so yeah, absolutely. And sometimes it's hard you want to give the right answer, to be able to keep the process moving. But, as you say. being authentic, I think, is always going to be the best fallback approach.�
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Charlie Frazzini: It's probably 1 one piece of advice. Kind of builds off of the top 10 lists that you mentioned, Dan. But no, it can be scary getting started applying for internships and doing the job search. But in your first couple of interviews a good thing to keep in mind is the worst that can happen is that you get interviewing experience. That's how I kind of looked at it.� And every interview I did. You know, it got better and better, and things snowballed, and my answers to questions got better. My ability to speak. Everything got better just from the experience of actually being in those interviews. So just think of it. The worst thing that can happen is you're just get better at interviewing.�
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Daniel Hiebert: That's excellent point, and I don't you know. Sometimes I think, and I've never really done it. But you Maybe some of the responses that I had, or questions. Just so I can get better doing this. That might take a little courage, but certainly could be helpful to approach. Yeah, II have actually done that before. And it really, yeah, it.�
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Charlie Frazzini: You know, the interviewer, the person interviewing me really admired that. And you know they gave me a couple of tips of things I could work on, or questions I could have answered better. And then you just take that and apply it to the next interview, and I think in a good amount of them. I knew after I'd answered whatever question they asked. You know I kind of could gauge if I was clear with my answer if I gave the correct answer, or you know if I didn't. So you know you can do it on your own, but if you ask for feedback, you know there'd be more than likely to give it to you�
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Daniel Hiebert: that sounds good. Alright, you guys, any parting thoughts here before we close up shop for today?�
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Aidan Ryan: I don't think so. Just some advice to everybody is just go for it. If you don't feel qualified, you know, if it feels like the right fit and the right thing to do, go for it. Surprise- everybody has imposter syndrome from time to time. We all do so just got to like you say, just get over it and just get going�
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Daniel Hiebert: Terrific podcast this is one of the best ones we've had. So thanks very much for your time and your input and sharing your experiences, much appreciated. And I think that it's going to be very helpful for listeners as they plot out and plan out their internship strategies and job strategies, both of them, so thanks very much. You guys have a terrific evening and for you listeners. Thanks again for listening and catch us on the next episode.��
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