I interned at a hedge fund when I was 16. It was the smartest decision I made as a teenager, and it set me on the path to a career in finance.

• Yi Ke Cao got her first internship at a hedge fund at the age of 16.

• Cao says the two-week period, while short, was a pivotal moment in her career development.

• The internship not only confirmed her interest in finance, but also motivated her to go to business school.

This as told essay is based on a conversation with Yi Ke Cao20, a second-year student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Cao began her internship journey in high school when she interned at a hedge fund. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her education and employment history.

My parents both worked in the financial world. When I was much younger, like most kids, I had no idea what my path in the working world would look like. But my parents told me stories about corporate finance and what it was like to be part of the industry. That sparked my interest in the field.

I’m not gonna lie. Money was one of the main draws of the industry, but for me it wasn’t the only thing that mattered.

When I started looking for a job, I knew I wanted to work for an employer that could offer me a positive work-life balance and hopefully a place with a good atmosphere and great colleagues.

That said, I wasn’t set on working in finance from the start. I had no practical experience at the time, but I wanted to discover what a career in the financial world would look like.

As the youngest intern, she started working at a hedge fund

Unexpectedly, when I was sixteen, I got the opportunity to do an internship at a hedge fund.

I was still in high school when my school gave me a list of internship opportunities as part of their work experience program.

That’s when I happened to join a Singapore-based hedge fund, Modular Asset Management, for two weeks.

This was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so most of the internships listed were remote positions. But the position at Modular Asset Management was different: it happened on location.

I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to gain some exposure to the industry and broaden my network.

As part of my application, I sent my CV and a video introduction. I managed to secure the internship after being shortlisted and passing an interview with my future mentor and supervisor.

Honestly, I don’t think I had the best resume out of the ten other candidates I competed against. For example, I didn’t have that many achievements on paper. However, my mentor said she decided to take a chance on me because I seemed curious and willing to learn.

The story continues

I started my internship in December 2020 and was the youngest intern there.

Overcoming my imposter syndrome

The first few days of my internship were terrifying.

I felt overwhelmed by the new environment. I didn’t know what my colleagues expected of me because I had no prior knowledge or technical skills to offer.

I did my best to contribute to the team. I had a basic understanding of Excel, but the learning curve was steep. I had to master advanced Excel techniques in just a few days so that I could help my supervisor prepare profit and loss statements.

I still benefit from that experience today: I now use the Excel techniques I learned during my internship at business school.

And while I didn’t contribute to any major projects at the hedge fund, I still got a better sense of how the different departments worked together.

I was able to participate in strategic discussions between departments and witness part of their decision-making process as a trader. I started to realize how rigorous and demanding you have to be if you want to be a good portfolio manager.

Interning at the fund as a 16-year-old was a crucial moment in my career development

Looking back, interning at the hedge fund was a pivotal moment in my life.

Not only did it give me an early exposure to a professional work environment, but it also helped me confirm my interest in a career in finance and solidified my decision to go to business school.

If I could turn back the clock, I would have done more internships as a teenager. Although the scope of the work would probably have been limited, it would still have been good exposure for me.

Most people don’t know what they want to do for a living at the age of sixteen. But by doing an internship earlier, I think you can gain a better insight into the business world.

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