Marketing and business management double major, Samantha Muzarol ’19, found herself as one of only two non-Northeastern University (NU) interns on day one at in July 2018. While intimidated at first, she soon realized this gave her the edge she needed to stand out amongst the 88 NU Huskies.
Stand out she did. Fast forward one year, and Muzarol is a full-time employee with State Street working as a private equity performance analyst—the same department where she learned and refined these skills as an intern.
Muzarol, who is responsible for preparing investment performance reporting, ongoing quality control checks, data research, and analyzing financial information, says that she knew within the first month of her internship that State Street was the place for her. She credits the growth potential and responsibility given—even as an intern—as just a couple of reasons why. “This is the environment that I wanted to work in so that I didn’t get comfortable in a role and not want to leave. I want to be in a company where I can keep learning and moving up.”
It takes on 35 minutes via MBTA for Endicott
students to access Boston, home to industry-leading
companies and their co-op/internship opportunities.Officer in State Street’s Private Equity department and Muzarol’s Internship Manager, John Christoforo, shares how internships are not only beneficial for students, but they are also crucial for companies as they can ease the search process when looking for top candidates: “The knowledge gained during an internship sets a student apart from another candidate because of how much they already know about the company. Hiring Samantha was an easy decision because we already knew her work ethic. She was a great fit for our team as an intern and now as a full-time employee.”
While interning at State Street, Muzarol says that she worked on a lot of projects that weren’t originally assigned to her, but ones that she asked to help with. She says that this initiative proved her strong work ethic and desire to learn, which enabled her to turn her internship into a full-time role.
Now that she’s gone through the process, Muzarol has advice for students contemplating their career path. “Put yourself out there when you land an internship. This can be very scary in a new place, but networking is a skill that will help you for the rest of your career. The business world has a lot to do with who you know, and you will be surprised with who you will meet and how much they could help you.” She also says that asking questions is a key ingredient needed to succeed. “Ask everything you can and absorb as much information as possible. Questions will help you learn more and keep you engaged with the work you are doing.”
“Each internship was a stepping stone to the next and it eventually landed me where I am today.”
Samantha Muzarol '19
Muzarol has more to say about Endicott's internship program and how it helped her land her dream job.
What are your thoughts on Endicott's internship program?
The internship program is one of the main reasons why I came to Endicott. The program sets students apart from other schools because you graduate with a resume. This is particularly important in business because it allows you to network. Internships give students an idea of what they do or don’t want for a career.
How did Endicott's internship program prepare you for success at State Street?
Endicott’s internship courses prepared me for what to expect and taught me how to succeed in the roles I was given. My internships taught me everything from the basics of running a business to working with clients and now working for a billion-dollar company.
How did the internship program help you narrow your career plans?
Through various internships, I was able to realize what career path I wanted to pursue. All three of the internships I completed were very different from each other. This was helpful for me because it allowed me to see different aspects of business and what parts I was interested in. The size of the companies was also different, which gave me insight into what kind of company I wanted to work for.
Each internship was a stepping stone to the next and it eventually landed me where I am today. The connections I made helped me learn more about the career paths others had taken and allowed me to see what options I had in a particular field and if I wanted to pursue the same path.