Student Stories

Metcalf Memoirs: Vlad Krokhmal

As the summer internship season kicks off, the College media team has gathered reflections from a few students in each UChicago Careers In... (UCI) program who held Jeff Metcalf internships this past summer. Here is what they had to say about their experiences.

Vlad Krokhmal, Class of 2014Economics major, Statistics minorPrimary UCI program: BusinessName of internship: J.P. Morgan Investment ManagementInternship location: New York, NY

Q: What attracted you to the Metcalf internship that you have been doing this summer?

A: Three factors were important: I wanted to experience the buy-side, J.P. Morgan had a great reputation (especially workplace culture), and after interviewing with the company I got the sense that I would really enjoy it.

Q: How does your major or other coursework at UChicago relate to the kind of work that you are doing for your Metcalf?

A: A lot, actually. A thorough understanding of macroeconomics and monetary policy was key to understanding market fluctuations, and I caught myself thinking back to Econ 201-202 quite often.

Q: What was going through your mind as you prepared and showed up for your first day on the job?

A: I was nervous. Even with some previous experience, the corporate setting was new to me. Luckily, J.P. Morgan had a great training program that eased the intern class into their roles and gave the interns an opportunity to get to know each other.

Photo courtesy of Vlad Krokhmal, Class of 2014

Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of your Metcalf, and how have you dealt with or overcome that challenge?

A: This sounds like an interview question for the internship itself ;) . A difficulty I had was to convincingly convey the results of my work to my higher-ups. By nature I am a cautious person and like to modify my statements with words such as "perhaps" and "likely." However, I had to teach myself to either fully stand behind an idea or not to present it in the first place.

Q: What is the most interesting, memorable, or unique experience/assignment you have had while working in the capacity of your Metcalf?

A: The most exciting part of the job was attending panels hosted by various research firms presenting their insights into the economic environment. It was very interesting to read about economic events in the newspapers and then see those events analyzed in depth by professionals.

Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned or the most rewarding experience you have had?

A: To see the work that I did on developing an investment strategy for European securities taken seriously by the portfolio manager, and even implemented in part.

Q: How would you sum up your Metcalf experience?

A: My summer was a great mix of learning, meeting people, and pushing the limits of my productivity. My team did a great job of giving me extra material to read up on about the industry (REITs) that I was covering, and I ended up learning so much about this sector. I was also encouraged to set aside time to meet people all over the firm, forge connections, and get a feeling for where I belonged. Lastly, by the end of the summer, I ended up creating an investment thesis that I presented to my team—a big project that I was proud of!

For more Metcalf reflections, check out the overview articleTo read the profiles that Career Advancement collects, click here.

UChicago Careers in Business (UCIB), a program of Career Advancement, is a selective, three-year program "designed in collaboration with the top-ranked University of Chicago Booth School of Business exclusively for undergraduates in the College." UCIB offers Jeff Metcalf internships, which are paid, substantive internships exclusively for UChicago undergraduates. For more information, visit the Metcalf Internship Program website.

Metcalf Internships are available to College students throughout the academic year, and especially during the summer internship season. To learn more about currently posted Metcalf Internships, log into your Chicago Career Connection account to search for opportunities, and to make an appointment with a Career Advancement adviser.