Jacob Carlson-Featured Intern

Wells Fargo is one of the largest banks in the world. Wells Fargo ranks third among domestic banks in total assets at 1.9 trillion. Wells Fargo has over 265,000 employees and nearly 70 million customers.

As an intern I was responsible for completing a variety of tasks throughout the summer. The main tasks I worked on during the summer were annual reviews and credit write-ups. Annual reviews are conducted to ensure companies with exposure with the bank are still in good standing. Write-ups are much more in depth than annual reviews and incorporate many components that relate to the companies financial standing. In addition to these credit based tasks I also worked on a project involving programs servicing where I analyzed processes and created recommendations. I also participated in three case studies centered around lending decisions.

During this internship I have gained a much better understanding of the credit underwriting process. I have also learned more advanced ways to analyze financial statements. In particular I learned what specific things to look for in statements that are most important when making a lending decision. I also learned how much time and effort goes into each lending decision. I gained exposure to many different groups and lines of business within Wells Fargo. This gave me a better understanding of how the bank worked and how different parts of the bank interact.

One piece of advice I would offer fellow students is to take initiative and a leadership role. Challenging yourself to take on additional tasks and learn new things is a great way to set yourself apart from other interns. If you need help with a task don’t be afraid to reach out to coworkers for assistance. Finally, show interest by networking with coworkers and by asking good questions in meetings or when with coworkers.