Thinking ahead..any internship possibilities? (Boston: high school, college, cost)

[Matthew0915]

Hi guys,
I am new to the forums so I apologize in advance for any wrongdoings on my behalf. Anyways, I'm a 17 year old who knows he wants to be a financial analyst when he's older. I've spent countless hours trying to find any sort of internship in the Boston area regarding finance or something similar but have came up with nothing. I don't care if it's paid or not, I'm just trying to get experience now because my biggest fear is not getting a job as a financial analyst when I am older. If anyone knows of anything similar to what I am looking for it would be greatly appreciated if you let me know. Thanks.

[millerm277]

As a 17 year old you do not have any hope of getting a professional internship unless you are an absolute Einstein-level genius, or have a strong personal connection (ex: parent in a high-level position). Otherwise, internships are for college students/the college-age.

Calm yourself down, work on your grades for getting into a good school, and perhaps getting some normal work experience with the typical teenage jobs, retail and such.

[Urban Peasant]

I don't mean to offend you in any way but 17 years old is a bit too young to worry about not getting a job as a financial analyst in the future in my opinion and I am not surprised if most internship employers feel the same way. That might actually be a reason you are having a hard time finding an internship because the employers might not feel you are skilled enough or mature enough to handle financial responsibility, even as an intern. Are you in college or are you in high school? Have you spoken to any career advisers (college) or PIC officers/guidance counselors (high school) about finding an internship? Boston is a tough city to land an internship in any field because even though there are numerous opportunities, there are also many many young people competing for them, the majority of them already in college or even graduate school. You will face intense competition so you have to bring your A game with you when applying.

Which leads me to ask if you have ever thought of marketing your skills and experiences by doing a side project and then putting it up on social media. Have you also conducted any "information" interviews as well? Information interviews are not job interviews. They are intended for you the career seeker to ask questions about a particular field and find out as much about it in the course of one interview session. Why not find a couple of firms, call them up, and ask if anyone is willing to sit with you for a short time and inform you what it takes to start a career in their field? You'll likely find out why you are having a tough time finding an internship and improve on your shortcomings.

Keep this in mind also, an internship is an opportunity for you the individual but an internship is also an opportunity cost for a firm, even if it is unpaid. By offering you an internship, a firm is actually investing their time and resources for you. This is why you need to prove you are a right fit for the firm and the career in order to get that internship.

I hope this helps.

[sharencare]

State Street sometimes has internships for high school and college students.

[Matthew0915]

Thanks for the help guys. I didn't mean like a big internship or anything of that sort, I just wanted to find any sort of internship for the summer that would look good for a future resume. I couldn't really find anything for a high schooler, so I was just curious if such internships existed.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by Matthew0915

Thanks for the help guys. I didn't mean like a big internship or anything of that sort, I just wanted to find any sort of internship for the summer that would look good for a future resume. I couldn't really find anything for a high schooler, so I was just curious if such internships existed.

The best people to ask are Private Industry Council (PIC) officers if your school has one or at least your guidance counselor. You might also want to seek assistance in preparing for interviews with those folks.