Garrett Kula interned with Lantern Investments this past summer in Chicago, Illinois as Financial Analyst Intern.

What were your internship responsibilities?

Some of my responsibilities during my internship were talking to clients, building a client database, book keeping, filing, analyzing stocks and mutual funds, and looking at portfolios put together for our clients. Other general responsibilities were being on time, staying on task, meeting deadlines, and always being organized and alert for anything that may arise in the market. 

What did a normal day look like at Lantern Investments?

I would normally start the day off by analyzing our 100 most traded stocks and seeing if there were any discrepancies, noticeable increases or decreases, or mergers that would cause concern. I would then take a look at some of the prospectuses of certain mutual funds and go over their forecasts. In the financial industry, organization is extremely important, so everything must be filed and kept in a very specific manner. So, another substantial part of my day when I was not analyzing was spent filling out books and filing away documents.

What were the most impactful things you learned?

Some of the most valuable skills I have learned while working at Lantern were how to manage my time and how to communicate with clients. With all of the short and long-term projects I received during my time there, it definitely helped me to master my schedule-planning, both during the work day and outside of work. Also, because I worked with our clients on a daily basis, my internship helped me to be able to communicate with people on both a professional and personal level.

What was the best part of your internship?

My favorite part of my experience at Lantern has to be the connections I’ve made and everything I am going to take away from it. Not only was the networking phenomenal, but the people themselves are all wonderful people who have taught me more than any book ever could. Learning the skills in school is certainly one part of gaining knowledge, but experience and learning from your peers and supervisors definitely plays a major part, as well.