Kyle Joyce, Agili Intern
Written by Kyle Joyce
Every day at Agili begins the same — I walk in and am greeted by everyone in the office. The friendly environment at Agili immediately extinguished any anxiety I had when I initially started. After I get to my desk, I log on to my computer. The computer system at Agili is definitely secure, and the two-factor authentication can feel more like five-factor authentication sometimes.
Tasks and Projects
Each day at Agili I am tasked with new objectives. The variety in the day-to-day work is challenging yet engaging. The role I fill as the intern at Agili is to assist others so that they can better serve our clients. This typically means filling out spreadsheets, filling out paperwork or filing documents. These tasks can feel incredibly tedious at times; however, it is really rewarding to know that I am serving our clients every day. I don’t particularly mind the drudgery of some of my work because I recognize that if I am knocking out the tedious work, it allows others at Agili to focus on serving the clients. Additionally, I am given very detail-oriented instructions for my daily tasks and any questions I may have are answered.
Attending Client Meetings
Most days I can sit in on a client meeting with one of our strategists. While these meetings are geared to the client, of course, they can also be a valuable learning experience to an intern such as myself. It is informative to listen to and learn about the concepts the strategists are discussing with the clients. It is beneficial to me to get accustomed to the jargon used in these meetings. I feel comfortable contributing to meetings when I can. Agili’s strategists are incredibly approachable and make sure to answer any questions I may have. The strategists make sure to teach me terms that I may not be familiar with after meetings. It is also a joy to meet Agili’s clients.
Participating in Team Meetings
Client meetings are not the only meetings I participate in. I also often sit in marketing and investment planning meetings. In these meetings I am invited and encouraged to participate. These meetings are a great opportunity to learn about all the functions of the company. In the investment planning meetings, it is beneficial to me to hear everyone’s thoughts on investments. It is also helpful to learn about the company’s investment strategies and the reasoning behind those strategies. The marketing meetings are also informative to participate in.
Challenging Work
At Agili I am assigned challenging work and projects. The challenging work is rewarding to complete, and I end every day with a sense of accomplishment. The wide variety of tasks I am assigned prepares me for my future with a large, diversified set of skills. Each day I am learning and gaining confidence in my work. When I am staggered by a difficult assignment, overcoming that roadblock, and completing that assignment is unbelievably fulfilling. I am not accustomed to working in an office, but when the day-to-day monotony of a desk job feels like it is catching up to me, I encounter a task or project that pulls me in and excites me.
Working with the Agili Team
My absolute favorite part about interning at Agili is the people that surround me. Agili is a friendly and welcoming place filled with so many great personalities. Whenever I am struggling with a task, all I have to do is ask someone for help and they are more than happy to assist me. Everyone at Agili treats me as their coworker. I always feel included and that my voice matters. I also feel that everyone understands the purpose of my internship is to learn and gain experience as everyone gives me advice and teaching points throughout the day.
My experience as an intern at Agili has been wonderful. Every day I am faced with tasks that challenge me yet are engaging and rewarding. My daily work is varied and gives me a wide set of skills for my future. I receive daily learning experiences in meetings. Best of all, I work in a welcoming and friendly environment where everyone helps me to learn.
Kyle Joyce is a summer intern at Agili. He is a rising junior at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, near Chicago, where he also plays lacrosse. Kyle is a graduate of Benedictine College Preparatory in Richmond, VA.