My name is Mariella Caruso and I am a junior at Chapman University majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and a minor in Psychology, and am graduating a semester early in the Fall of 2021. This summer, I will be interning with D.A. Davidson & Co. in Los Angeles as a Finance and Wealth Management Intern. I am thrilled to begin this chapter in my professional career and to have the opportunity to apply the financial and analytical skills that I have developed in the classroom to a real-world financial setting.

I first heard of this internship opportunity while researching different wealth management firms in the Orange County and Los Angeles area. Wanting to learn more about the industry, the everyday roles of wealth management, and D.A. Davidson’s internship program, I set up an informational interview with the Vice President of the branch, Mr. Steven Jackson. This meeting not only reinforced my interest in the company and its internship program but also helped me to put my “foot in the door”, so to speak, moving forward in the recruiting process. Throughout my internship search, I worked closely with the Argyros School Career Center on both my resume and LinkedIn profile so as to better highlight my strengths and previous job experience, as well as attended the numerous job fairs, networking, and alumni events provided by Chapman for Finance and Business majors.

My advice to other students looking for an internship role or job in Business is to be confident and go ahead and schedule that informational interview, reach out to that connection on LinkedIn, and not be afraid to ask for help or advice. In my experience, each person that I have met truly has something to offer and can always be learned from. At the very least you walk away with more information and a connection, or you might even have started a relationship that will result in an internship!