Hello! My name is Shivika Churiwalla, and I am a senior Data Analytics and Financial Economics double major. Throughout my time at Denison, I have gained innumerable experiences through clubs, academia, sports, and other extracurricular, which have shaped me into the person I am today.
Last summer, I interned as a Data Strategy & Innovation intern at Morningstar, an investment research and management company in Chicago that aimed to empower investor success. My project involved leading a global team to create workflows to automate multiple manual processes onto Morningstar’s database acquisition website. I ended up landing a job with this company which I will be taking once I graduate.
After my incredible summer experience and my personal journey of applying for internships throughout the last few years, I am a big advocate for starting early and starting now. The Knowlton Career Center was one of my most significant resources for learning about the entire career exploration process. If you would ask me a year ago, I did not even know what field I wanted to get into or how to start applying for internships. I knew I was interested in consulting and finance, but I was confused about what roles to apply to and how to begin the internship application process.
So, here are a few starting steps that I feel is vital to everyone’s career exploration process:
- Recognize your interests & refine your resume
The Knowlton Career Center has walk-in Peer Advisor hours and some incredible career mentors to guide you through the process. A refined resume is key to the internship application process.
- Network!
Denison has a plethora of alumni in all industries who are always willing to help. LinkedIn and Wisr are good resources to connect with Denison alumni. Even if you are not sure about the field you want to enter, talking with alumni and learning about their experiences can be helpful to understand where you might fit better.
- Research about the industry you want to get into
Different industries open their applications at different times. Research when is the most optimal time to apply to the industry of your liking and what their application process involves.
- Set aside some time in your schedule to apply for internships or jobs
Time Management and consistently applying are the key. LinkedIn and Handshake are great platforms to start your application process.
