Something I loved about MFS was their company culture. They value their employees and their growth as professionals. Everyone was extremely welcoming when I joined and wanted to contribute to my experience at the company whether that be shadowing opportunities, coffee chats, or simply wanting to get to know you as an individual. My team in HR prioritized my growth and development by giving me numerous opportunities to accomplish my goals.
What I wish was different
I wish there had been more casual opportunities for Interns to get to know each other rather than mostly networking events. This way the whole cohort could get to know each other and build connections rather than knowing only the Interns in your specific teams.
Advice
One piece of advice is, be a sponge! A 10-week internship flies by very quickly so it is crucial you soak in all the company has to offer as best as you can. Be willing to learn about the variety of areas in the industry whether they interest you or not because you will gain new perspectives which is so important to your growth.
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Global Distribution Solutions Intern
June - August 2024 • Boston, MA
What I liked
My internship at MFS has been incredibly meaningful and fulfilling for these core reasons:
- Culture: the culture at MFS is incredibly collaborative, welcoming, and supportive. Everyone I have interacted with has been excited to have coffee chats and speak more to me about their role, facilitating learning about different aspects of the financial industry as well as MFS as a firm. Though I worked in Risk & Regulatory, I now have a better grasp on Sustainability, Business Strategy, US Retail, etc. due to the opportunities to learn from others here.
- Capstone Experience: the non-investment interns were separated into groups and asked to create a 15-20-minute presentation based on an issue they have seen at MFS and a potential solution. This opportunity allowed my group to speak to nearly a dozen people across the firm for their thoughts, as well as conducting research on a topic we got to choose.
- Company Values: the values of long-term foresight, risk management, and corporate responsibility are evident at MFS through more than just talking points. People here take pride in their work no matter which team they are on, and they will remind you that your work is also contributing to a broader mission.
What I wish was different
While there were plenty of intern/networking/speaker/volunteer events later in the program, I wished that they had been scheduled for the beginning of the summer instead. I feel that it is difficult to meet other interns organically outside of these events, so by holding them towards the beginning, it would be easier to break the ice.
Within my team, I would also like to see more clearly delineated projects and responsibilities. I enjoyed the work I was doing because I learned so much about records, FINRA regulations, and procedures. But in addition to the short-term projects I was working on, it would have been nice to have more consistent projects relating to Risk & Regulatory.
Advice
Reaching out to people and maintaining those connections is the most important thing you can do in the course of this internship, but don't just see it as a networking opportunity-just absorb everything you are learning with sincerity. You will learn so much about the industry and company over the course of just 10 weeks, and you need to be open to how that may change your own perspectives and goals. Also, MFS is a large firm, and reaching out to people will familiarize you with the structure and purpose of the firm.
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Corporate Finance Intern
June - August 2023 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I liked that from the very beginning MFS had made it clear that this was a very open-minded environment and that interns should feel free to email and chat with employees throughout the entire organization and not just their direct supervisors. All interns were encouraged to learn as much as possible about MFS, which was something appreciated a lot as we transitioned into our last years of undergrad. I felt very supported by all the individuals that I spoke with at MFS.
What I wish was different
I really enjoyed my time at MFS as an Intern and feel like I got to know so many different people that worked there. However, I really didn’t get to connect with many of the interns in my cohort. I wish there were more opportunities to mingle with and get to know the other interns in the cohort.
Advice
My biggest piece of advice is to find ways to network that work best for you. MFS provides so many avenues to meet new people and learn more about potential career paths, it’s just finding the one that works best for you.
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Institutional Sales Intern
June - August 2023 • Toronto, Ontario
What I liked
MFS has an amazing atmosphere and during my time working with the team in both Toronto and with the interns in Boston, I was given the opportunity to learn from some incredible and very insightful people. Personally, I really enjoyed working on the intern Capstone project as it gave me the chance to not only connect and learn from the interns in Boston, but also speak to different individuals from various teams and gain a well-rounded experience. I never felt a disconnect, despite being in another city, which I think really speaks for how MFS has a great culture and environment. I was also given the chance to step outside of my comfort zone and work on projects that I may not have had a lot of experience with, but truly allowed me to learn and grow. Working at MFS for the last two months has been an incredible experience that I am very grateful for and would recommend to anyone!
What I wish was different
Personally, I think that my experience at MFS was truly amazing and educational but I do wish I had been available to join the ERG’s such as WE (Women Everywhere) and YPN (Young Professionals Network), which would have been a great opportunity to connect with others across different countries.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share is to just put yourself out there and truly just be engaged in everything that you do. MFS fosters an incredible culture and environment, and this experience helped me step outside of my comfort zone and become more confident in my ideas, questions, and projects. This is an opportunity to connect with people who have been in the industry for years and have so much to share and learn from. Give your best and put yourself out there, and you’ll have the best experience working with so many different individuals at MFS.
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Independent Risk Management Intern
June - August 2023 • Boston, MA
What I liked
What I enjoyed the most about my experience at MFS was the culture of the firm. All employees were willing to work and meet with me about almost anything, from project specific requirements to simple chats over coffee. My team made me feel like an employee not just an intern, filling me in on all aspects of the department and giving me meaningful work from the very beginning. I was provided multiple opportunities to learn and improve both my skills and confidence in a professional setting. I am very grateful to be provided the opportunity to make mistakes and learn while being supported by my team and the overall firm. I would recommend this Internship opportunity to anyone regardless of department.
What I wish was different
The only thing I wished was different about my internship was to be able to attend more events provided by the firm. The events I was able to attend were very beneficial, however scheduling conflicts sometimes limited my ability to attend.
Advice
My one piece of advice about this internship to future interns would be to learn as much as you can during your time here. MFS truly provides a place to ask questions and supports anyone who walks through their doors. Everyone I met with was more than happy to share their experiences and provide advice for my future career, and an internship is the perfect opportunity to begin to develop your network.
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HR Intern
June - September 2023 • Boston, MA
What I liked
MFS has an amazing culture and puts a lot of care and effort into their interns. During my time, I was treated like a full-time employee and had the chance to grow my skills and confidence exponentially. I was given important projects and was also looped in on meetings keeping me current with all things HR. My team and manager were pertinent to my success and creating such a welcoming environment for me early on. An overall great experience that I would recommend to anyone.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been available to attend more corporate citizenship volunteer opportunities. It would have been a great addition to my internship.
Advice
Take this opportunity as a chance to build your network and learn from different members of the firm. Everyone is so receptive to chatting about their experiences and what they can do to support you as a young professional. Do not be afraid to reach out, for this is the perfect opportunity to put yourself out there.
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Enterprise Risk Management Intern
July 2021 • Boston, MA
What I liked
Great people, really interested in helping you learn. They also set up informational interviews for me with different people in the company so that I could learn about different positions. Also, I had a group Intern Capstone Project where we pitched a new idea to senior management, and they wound up liking my team's so much that they are in the process of implementing it!
What I wish was different
They had one surprise project pop up that wound up consuming over half of my internship, so I didn't get to experience quite as many projects.
Advice
Definitely take advantage of offers to speak with as many people as possible.
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Defined Contribution Financial Sales Intern
June - August 2021 • Boston, MA
What I liked
This experience was great in that it allowed me to learn about an area of the financial industry that I had not yet been exposed to. My work helped me to understand the sales chain from an asset manager such as MFS through a record keeper and finally to a plan sponsor. Furthermore, I was able to have conversations with several people in different groups throughout the company and was able to learn about portfolio management, product analysis, and marketing
What I wish was different
I wish it could have been in-person rather than on zoom (Covid). This would have made my experience much more engaging
Advice
Make sure to use the internship to network throughout the entire company. Everyone is willing to have conversations and are willing to help you learn.
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Corporate Finance
June - August 2020 • Boston, MA
What I liked
The culture at MFS is amazing - everyone is very welcoming and instantly makes you feel like a part of the team.
What I wish was different
I wish that my experience was in person rather than virtual, but I am thankful that the internship was not cancelled.
Advice
Network as much as possible to make the most of your experience!
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Market research intern
June - August 2020 • Boston, MA
What I liked
the people
What I wish was different
in person
Advice
absorb all the knowledge you can
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Competitive Analyst
July - December 2019 • Boston, MA
What I liked
The people. Everyone was willing to meet and help you have the best experience whether it was learning finance or just life questions.
What I wish was different
I wish the company allowed co-ops to participate in after work gatherings or events that went on for fun during work hours.
Advice
Learn as much as you can and be open to literally everything. It will only help you be successful in your co-op and even other aspects as well.
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Corperate Treasury coop
July 2019 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I liked the team and how involved I was in the day to day flow of work for the company.
What I wish was different
I wish there were more opportunities to problem solve and innovate.
Advice
For this job know it is really like working a full time job for 6 months. There is a lot of work to gain experience from.
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Data Integrity Co-op
January - July 2019 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I had a very helpful and supportive team that made my experience worth while. I also learned a lot about the investment management landscape and made a lot of friends.
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
Connect with as many people around the company as you can. Everyone is approachable and very willing to help students out and give them advice.
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Corporate Financial Analyst
June - August 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
Being employed
What I wish was different
I wish I had more quantitative analysis knowledge and training so that it wouldn't have been so hard in the beginning to learn everything
