Name: Riley Mech

Year: Junior

Major: Economics

Minor: Legal Studies

CFS Class: Business Field Studies

Employer: Cook M&A

Doing an internship through CFS allows one to gain valuable experience in their desired prospective industry. It greatly complements the quarter system’s fast paced nature and the class associated with your line of work ties it all together. With the help of CFS, I found a position at an M&A firm which turned out to be a mix of business, law and finance. The amount of exposure is invaluable, especially being able to hear the experiences of fellow students in your class. I was someone who didn’t exactly know what I wanted to do going into CFS, and I think this opportunity has helped me narrow down my choices.

In addition to the industry specific skills and knowledge gained through an internship, I am really enjoying the perspective gained from working full time. Doing a full time internship through CFS has allowed me to temporarily remove myself from the college life and try out the working life. While at times it can be exhausting and unpleasant, having the opportunity to be exposed to the lifestyle is eye-opening. A benefit of working full time in a smaller firm is that I have significant responsibility. I am not getting coffee, doing mindless busy work, or any of the filler tasks that you hear most interns having to do. Everything I’ve done is vital to the operations of the firm. There is a large amount of trust put in me because of this; I have my own projects to manage with their own deadlines, but for the most part that’s all the structure I have been given. I need to allocate my time accordingly and structure my days to achieve those goals. Being given responsibility is very rewarding and is a significant aspect as to why doing a full time internship through CFS is enjoyable.