Sydney Acie Completed an Internship - 5 Points

 Over the summer, I had the opportunity to complete my internship at LPL Financial as a Business Trust Development Intern. During this experience, I worked closely with the private trust company team to learn more about trusts, how they operate, and how they impact families and their long-term financial planning. I learned about the different types of trusts, how they’re structured, and why they’re an important part of wealth management. A big part of my role involved finding ways to encourage more financial advisors within LPL to open and utilize trusts through the company’s private trust division. Since LPL owns the private trust company, they want more advisors to be aware of it and see the benefits of offering these services to their clients, so I got to help brainstorm and assist with outreach strategies to make that happen.

Throughout my internship, I gained a lot of valuable skills that I know will help me in the future. I learned about time management, how to stay organized when juggling multiple projects, and how to communicate professionally—whether it was answering phone calls, writing emails, or collaborating with coworkers. I also got to work a lot in Excel, which was both one of the most useful and most challenging parts of my experience. There’s so much to learn within Excel, and I spent time figuring out how to use different formulas, organize data, and make reports look professional. It was tedious at times, but it taught me patience and problem-solving. Another challenge was that my manager was very busy, so there were moments when I had to be independent and figure things out on my own. Even though that was difficult at first, it helped me build confidence and become more resourceful.

Looking back, I really enjoyed my internship because it gave me a real-world view of what working in finance and business development is like. It also connected strongly to my coursework in business and finance. Many of the concepts I learned in class—like understanding financial products, managing client relationships, and analyzing data—showed up in my day-to-day tasks. It was rewarding to see how classroom lessons apply in a professional setting. Overall, the experience helped me grow not only professionally but also personally, and it confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in finance and business development.