MEGAN FELLA, J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO.

, POSITION: FINANCIAL ANALYST INTERN

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION PRESENTS:
EDITOR: JOE KEARNS PRINT EDUCATION COORDINATOR
CONTRIBUTORS: MEGAN FELLA, JOE KEARNS, COLE LENNON,
BRIAN PASMORE, SHAAN PATTNI, VISHAL SADHASIVAN
September 16, 2014
THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP GUIDE
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For the duration of the summer of 2014, I worked for JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a
regulatory reporting financial analyst, focusing specifically on credit derivatives.
Consequently, most of the assignments I was given dealt with the preparation of
reports, such as the FRY 9C, FCO1, and 10Q, for the FED and SEC. The calcula-
tion of risk weighted assets (RWA) for Basel I was a major part of the work I did.
This essentially establishes a floor (minimum) for the capital the firm must have on
hand to cover the risk associated with our credit derivatives. From a personal devel-
opment stand point, JPMorgan encouraged its new hires to shadow others in order
to learn more about the business and offered a number of networking opportunities
with senior level executives. Furthermore, JPMorgan encouraged a community-like
feel by hosting events such as paint ball, a mini-golf tournament, baseball games, and
happy hours.
JOE KEARNS, FEDERATED INVESTORS, POSITION: INTERNAL SALES INTERN
I worked this summer as an intern for the Internal Sales division of Federated Investors,
a financial services company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. Federated has over $350
billion in assets under management and offers investment products like domestic and
international equity, fixed-income and money market funds. Throughout the summer, I
attended departmental meetings and training workshops on sales techniques, product
updates, and competitive analysis. Additionally, I collaborated with full-time sales em-
ployees on projects which improved inefficiencies and inaccuracies in the companys
client contact database. Along with my intrigue in sales, I developed an interest in trad-
ing. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend parts of several days on the trad-
ing floor interacting with members of the International Fixed Income group. Federated
offered several networking events which allowed me to learn from executives in vari-
ous divisions of the company. Regardless of whether you want a career in financial ser-
vices, I hope my experience provided some insight into the benefits of an internship
experience with a quality organization.
BRIAN PASMORE, SOUNDVIEW PAPER, POSITION: FORECASTING INTERN
This summer, I was a forecasting intern at Soundview Paper, the owner of the Marcal brand
of paper towels and bath tissue. My original work involved doing error analysis and attempt-
ing to identify areas that could help improve the companys forecasting. The company is not
particularly large, with a comparatively small office staff, so I was given great flexibility with
the way I could approach this problem. In the end, working with some other employees we
developed a new excel based forecasting system for the sales managers to use. This intern-
ship was just as valuable as my three previous years of schooling. Not only did I get an inside
view of how a business works, but I also learned how to operate in a corporate environ-
ment. The size of my company gave me more opportunity to branch out and have more
control over my project, so dont be afraid to intern at a smaller company.
COLE LENNON, OPPORTUNITY FINANCE NETWORK, POSITION: KNOWLEDGE SHARING INTERN
My internship this summer with Opportunity Finance Network gave me exposure to
the importance of economic development to local communities. OFN is a leadership
network for CDFIs; the term CDFI stands for community development financial institu-
tions, and CDFIs can become official OFN Members. One of OFNs main goals is to
help OFN Members provide access to responsible financial products and services. CDFI
functions also resemble those of banks. Both institutions give loans to borrowers who
pay back those loans with interest, with the interest generating income for the institu-
tion. CDFIs, however, refocus this business model in two important ways: Their finan-
cial products and services go to low-income and low-wealth communities, and they
offer assistance to help small businesses start and grow. As an intern in OFNs
Knowledge Sharing department, I communicated with leaders of CDFIs and helped
compile their CDFIs audits. My work allowed OFN to see how OFN Members were
helping communities, and this information can help OFN better assist CDFIs in serving
low-income and low-wealth communities. Working for OFN was particularly fulfilling,
as they tackle the immense economic challenges of today. OFN, CDFIs, and allies of
this opportunity finance industry are thankfully succeeding at addressing them.
SHAAN PATTNI, M/A-COM TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INC., POSITION: CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT INTERN
This summer, I worked at M/A-COM (may-com) Technology Solutions Inc., a semiconduc-
tor company, in Lowell, Massachusetts as a Corporate Development (fancy terminology for
Mergers and Acquisitions) Intern. I primarily researched and analyzed profitable end mar-
kets, potentially acquirable companies, and competitor financials/strategies, and delivered
them in various forms of reports and presentations. A difficulty for me was in not being an
electrical engineer. I did not have the technical knowledge to understand the companys
products beyond a superficial level. However, M/A-COM is a small company (500 employ-
ees) that is a strong promoter of youth and new ideas (especially for a corporate company). I
was able to take advantage of this culture to fill my knowledge gap and my internship
through a focused effort on building a network. I took the time to sit, chat, and learn from
successful and content individuals, who were, reversely, very eager to share their experienc-
es and advice. Thanks to this effort, my time at M/A-COM was both rewarding and memo-
rable.
VISHAL SADHASIVAN, LAW OFFICES OF PASQUARELLA, KUNNEL & POMO, POSITION: LEGAL INTERN
Being an intern at a law firm is a very interesting experience, especially for someone who
wants to go to law school. Since you dont have a law degree, you will need some experi-
ence with legal studies, which can include classes taken in college. The typical day without
a legal proceeding went from 8AM to 3PM. As an intern I was mainly asked to compile
and organize data and evidence in a presentable fashion so it could be used in trials or arbi-
trations. The ability to read quickly while accurately analyzing information is key in this
position. Any mistake made could result in the wrong person having to pay penalties. Any
day with a legal proceeding, which includes depositions, arbitrations, and trials, consisted
of only that, along with a client preparation beforehand and a short recap afterwards. My
job was to have the organized evidence ready to go in the lawyers hand two hours before
the proceeding. In the end, this was a great experience for me. Though it is mainly a lot of
paperwork, reading, and analyzing information, working with clients and other lawyers
can really make each day unique and interesting.