Transfer Student Earns Two Financial Internships and Shares His Journey
Robert Polanco
When Robert Polanco (Senior, Finance) transferred to SDSU in Fall 2019, he was determined to get involved on campus and gain professional experience through internships. Polanco has since joined the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi as well as the Finance and Investment Society, where he currently serves as the Vice President of Finance. He also earned two financial internships: one at Merrill Lynch and one at CFG Wealth Management. Polanco shares his experiences as both a student leader and intern while offering advice for students who want to enhance their professional skills.
Student Leader, Robert Polanco
Name: Robert Polanco
Major (and minor): Finance
Current campus affiliations / organizations: Finance and Investment Society
Q: As a student leader involved with an organization at SDSU, can you share why you got involved and what your experience has been like so far?
I got involved with FIS because I was a transfer student from Los Angeles with no friends in San Diego and I wanted to join a community of like-minded individuals who could help me grow professionally and individually. My experience has been amazing and it has allowed me to grow more than I ever would have imagined. I've made lifelong friends and because of the organization I have found the career choice I want to pursue.
Q: What has been your favorite SDSU memory so far?
My favorite memory was getting the call that I received my first internship and the next day I got my second internship. It was a moment where I realized all the hard work that I have put in was starting to pay off.
Q: If you could go back to your first year at SDSU, what advice would you give yourself?
I would tell myself: “trust yourself and your abilities.” As college students we have that fear in not knowing our future and can often doubt ourselves. This is normal for everyone and I wish I would have believed in myself more and took on more challenges. Trust your hard work, take every semester one day at a time, and the rest will play itself out.
Q: What is the best advice you have received during your time at SDSU?
The best advice I have received is to get involved. When you get involved on campus it allows you to grow and meet new people you wouldn’t have met otherwise. This can help you professionally and hopefully could even lead to landing your first internship.
Q: What career aspirations do you have following your time at SDSU?
Following my time at SDSU, I plan on working as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and obtaining my CFP and CFA license. I want to inspire other minorities working in finance and hopefully use my passion to help families grow their wealth and understand the importance of financial literacy.
Merrill Lynch Internship
Q: When did you complete this internship and how did you hear about the opportunity?
I completed this internship in the summer of 2020. I found this opportunity through my own research and applied early.
Polanco and friends at his initiation into the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity.
Q: What skills did you have going into the internship and how did this internship help you build on those skills or gain new ones?
Time management was critical specifically for this internship. Due to the pandemic this internship was fully online and I was oftentimes doing work on my own in my room with little help. It was on you to wake up early and get your work done.
Q: What challenges did you face during this internship?
Adapting to the virtual environment was difficult and working in teams virtually was a bit challenging. For me personally, it was hard because we couldn’t use zoom or skype to do teamwork. We had to use a secure line over the phone and work with interns across various departments. However, it was also a great experience getting to work with those interns.
Q: What was your favorite part about this internship?
My favorite part was talking to senior advisors and hearing their advice. I was assigned a mentor who really helped guide me and realize my passion for the field of financial advising. I can honestly say I found my dream job and I am extremely blessed.
Q: What advice do you have for students seeking internships?
Apply early, apply early. Don’t wait until the last minute. The deadline for this internship was September or October 2019 a full 9 months before the internship even started. Also, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it. I was declined 5 times from other internships before I got my first one.
CFG Wealth Management Internship
Polanco at his first internship with CFG Wealth Management.
Q: When did you complete this internship and how did you hear about the opportunity?
I completed this internship from Dec 2019 – March 2020. I actually applied to this internship on Handshake and got a call back the week after.
Q: What skills did you have going into the internship and how did this internship help you build on those skills or gain new ones?
People skills were extremely important. I was cold calling all day and my personality really enabled me to exceed.
Q: What challenges did you face during this internship?
Working in La Jolla while going to school full-time at SDSU was challenging, but I created a schedule and every hour I had something to do.
Q: What was your favorite part about this internship?
My favorite part about this internship was realizing my potential and being around people that allowed me to grow professionally. This was my first internship and I am beyond grateful for them not only taking a chance on me but believing in me.
Q: Why do you believe internships are valuable for college students?
I can’t stress the importance of getting as many internships as possible. Internships allow students to work in different fields to test themselves and see what fields they can possibly be working in. As for myself, I never thought I'd want to cold call and become an advisor, but I took the internship and I realized how much I loved it. Don’t say no to opportunities before you even try them because you can be missing out on an amazing experience. Oftentimes we are so fixed on a career choice that we don’t give others a chance and this can hurt graduates because they don’t have any experience in other fields in which they actually might like.
*Group photos were taken prior to March 2020
