So it's been two full weeks and I haven't said anything about my internship yet. The truth is, there is not much to report. The first day or so was incredibly overwhelming, but once I realized I was to be a stereotypical "intern" (i.e. coffee grabbing, errand runner) I calmed down a fair amount. The day consists mostly of crosswords or chick lit and praying that a trader needs someone to go buy him lunch so I can see some sunlight.
The people are certainly the most interesting part of the job. Many times it feels like I'm working with a bunch of overgrown frat stars, which is often probably the case. It's a total Boys Club feel, out of hundreds of traders, runners, monitors, etc. there are probably only 10-20 girls on the floor and not many of them work together. Luckily for me there are two girls at my firm that I spend most of my time with; they're both south siders, totally brash and able to hang with the guys and all their crude jokes and foul language. I'm not quite so brash, but I think I've made it clear I'm not quite as dainty as everyone thinks.
I do worry that my supervisor thinks I'm not doing enough, so when he gave me a textbook on options trading and futures contracts, I totally dove in. I've been highlighting and taking notes, quizzing myself at the end of each chapter. My goal is to finish the book by the time Joe comes to visit. My other goal is to be able to explain, in layman's terms, what, exactly, my company does. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), none of the other interns seem to share my drive. When I explained to one fellow intern how excited I was to have an on-going project and something to learn/study because I get antsy when I have nothing to do, I was met with a blank stare. Actually, it was beyond blank. He looked at me like I was from outer space.
But it's really a great job and a great opportunity. It's weird to think that I only have six weeks (18 days?!) left. I'm looking forward to learning and picking up even more as I go along.
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