The Intern Diaries (S2E5): Follow the Orange Brick Road

Somewhere over the ‘L’ train, interns fly… or at least they are through this summer program! Can you believe we’re halfway done already? Many of us are in complete denial – we love having the interns here and are not prepared for the separation anxiety to come when they head back to school. Week 5 was met with many adventures; click your sensible work heels three times to follow along!

Escaping the Tornado of a Bad Mindset

You ever think this is your boss?

Well… it might be; I don’t know your situation. BUT it also might be you, hi (just kidding, you’re perfect!). Veteran intern Sarah Welch (decorated, with honors) presented an amazing deck on receiving feedback to aid in the performance review process, explaining how crucial it is to be open, listen actively and most importantly: ask for feedback. The presentation really resonated with the team. Tax analyst intern Will Miltenberger shared, “My favorite learning series this week was the one about receiving feedback. Being able to give and receive feedback is an essential skill to enable growth as a professional and an individual. Being able to learn and reflect on how I currently handle feedback was very eye opening for me.” We couldn’t be happier, Will!

Thanks to her great presentation, the interns are ready to grow and excel in anything they set their minds to. No cowardly lions here.

An Audience with the Good Witch of NYC: Stephanie Link

The first lunch-and-learn this week was more magical than one short day in the Emerald City because the interns got to meet Chief Investment Strategist Stephanie Link. A frequent contributor on CNBC, Stephanie is no stranger to dealing with the flying monkeys of the markets and she has tons of investment industry experience. At the wave of her wand, the interns were able to tap into her expertise, and the time they spent with her was invaluable. Talent acquisition intern Caleb Carlson said, “Her career path is very inspiring, especially how she knew what she wanted to do and what goals she wanted to reach and didn’t stop working until she reached them. Stephanie also gave us great advice on the importance of having mentors throughout your career, which I appreciated.” Take this as a sign to find your own Glinda to help you defy gravity in your own life.

The Wonderful Wizard of IT

The second lunch-and-learn (TWO LUNCHEONS?!) was with Chief Technology Officer, Doug Besso. Pay attention to the man behind the curtain because he’s got a lot of tech knowledge to impart. Doug talked about the rapid evolution of technology and how we are moving with all these changes. He also shared one of the reasons he enjoys working at Hightower is because of the size of the organization and how it really shows how involved and passionate everybody is about their work. (Work is a secret code for snacks).

Quotes Czar, and “Intern of the Week”, Caleb Carlson was inspired by the event. He said, “It was very cool hearing from Doug last week, even though his field of work is way outside my understanding, he was very personable and welcoming, and it was great to meet somebody else here who is from Iowa State!” Go *quickly asks Caleb* Cyclones! Honestly so on-brand for Wizard of Oz theme.

There’s No Place Like Hightower

The interns have been working on projects big and small on their whimsical journey to their final project: the Hack-a-thon! No worries, they aren’t going to take all our data and sell it to the highest bidder (fingers crossed). But they are going to come up with some unique solutions to specific challenges facing certain departments: Risk, IT and HR. We can always use more brain, heart and courage and this is one good way to do it.

Welp, it’s time to head back to Kansas or wherever you’re from. Hope you enjoyed this virtual trip to the Emerald City. Tune in next week to see what the interns are moving the needle on with their dynamic synergies.