Phoebe Hyde '13 found her passion after a professor suggested she consider majoring in finance, which led to her internship at the bank.
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Not knowing what academic major to pursue, Elon University senior Phoebe Hyde turned to a professor for advice, and she quickly found a calling in finance. When it came to internships, the finance major from Dover, Mass., knew exactly where she wanted to apply: Credit Suisse.
The international banking giant with American offices in Raleigh, N.C., gave Hyde the opportunity to develop her professional network while learning more about foreign exchange products and processes. She credits her experience to Career Services staff who helped prepare her for the role.
Hyde is the latest person to be featured this year in a series of E-net profiles on the recent experiences of students and alumni who use the Student Professional Development Center to not only find job and internship openings, but to prepare for interviews and improve applications with guidance from Career Services staff.
She answered questions recently from the Office of University Communications.
Tell me about Credit Suisse and your role in the company.
I work as a treasury operations summer analyst at Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse is a leading global investment bank that has a major presence in four regions—EMEA, Americas, Asia Pacific and Switzerland—with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. The company has more than 48,000 employees worldwide, and our three core businesses are private banking, investment banking and asset management. Treasury operations provides confirmation and settlement support for foreign exchange and money market products, which are traded by the sales and trading desks in Asia, America and Europe.
I am responsible for ensuring that the trade details known by Credit Suisse match the details known by a given counterparty. This is done to minimize risk to the firm, and is completed through phone or e-mail correspondences with clients.
How did your interest in the internship develop?
An Elon professor first introduced me to the opportunities that would become available to me if I were to major in finance, including an internship or job with a reputable, global firm. I didn’t originally have a clear idea of what I wanted to study in school, but I did know that I wanted to be successful doing something I enjoyed, so I asked my professor for advice. He guided me toward a major in finance because I had strong quantitative and communication skills. When I started looking for internships, I looked for roles that matched my major and GPA, but I also wanted an interesting and challenging role that would help prepare me for a long-term career. I immediately recognized Credit Suisse as a reputable company that would be hosting interviews on campus, so I completed the application, went through four rounds of interviews and was offered an internship.
What did you learn from the experience?
Working in operations at such a global firm has provided an important foundation that will undoubtedly benefit me in the future. I‘ve gained a comprehensive understanding of foreign exchange products and processes. I have also been exposed to many different areas of the company, and have enhanced my customer service skills. I have learned the fundamental details that are essential to the success of any front office transaction. Finally, and equally as important, my internship has given me the opportunity to network and interact with people in the corporate world.
Who did you work with in Career Services and the Student Professional Development Center to prepare for your internship, and what help did you receive?
Career Services guided me through navigating the Elon Job Network, connecting with Elon alums, and viewing available job and networking opportunities through career fairs and companies’ campus visits. Once I accepted the internship at Credit Suisse, I was largely supported by Jan Pagoria, the director of internships. She provided important information about how to prepare for the internship, how to act on the job, and how to effectively track my experiences through weekly journaling and objective setting. I am also required to reflect on my experience, measure my performance against my objectives, and update my resume to detail the specifics of the internship.
How do you plan on using Career Services in the future?
I will undoubtedly rely on it to further my network and to determine future job opportunities. This resource is easy to use and is very accessible. It is also a great way to interact with Elon alumni, who can provide additional guidance and support. Elon’s Career Services office is also a reliable resource for hearing about company presentations and pursuing interview opportunities, especially those that are hosted on campus.
In addition to simply being informed of job opportunities, I definitely plan to use Career Services for help to prepare for interviews. Career Services offers mock interview opportunities, as well as several other soft-skill enhancing courses that I can certainly benefit from.
What recommendations would you share with other students about Career Services and the Student Professional Development Center?
Connect with Career Services sooner rather than later! There is no better way to get a jump start on planning for and determining your career path. Even if it’s only to get help creating your resume for the first time. Get this done early so that you can build upon it, enhance it, and perfect it throughout your college career and be well prepared for any internship and job opportunities that arise.
Also, don’t overlook the small efforts that Career Services does to help you stand out as a candidate—sign up to receive business cards and to get a professional photo taken for your LinkedIn profile. And if you don’t know what LinkedIn is, ask Career Services!