In the Nasdaq Internship Program, we offer a variety of professional experiences for emerging talent through an immersive 10 to 12-week internship program. From Stockholm to the US, whether it’s in person or remotely, we are getting an inside look of the bright minds and personalities that encompass the next generation of investors, disrupters and leaders.
In honor of Internship Season, we spoke with Justin McGriff, Business Intelligence Intern, about exploring and developing skills in diverse subjects to learn something new every day.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your position at Nasdaq.
My name is Justin McGriff, and I am a Business Intelligence intern working with the Global Technology unit at Nasdaq. I was born in Ambler, Pennsylvania and I am finishing up my senior year at Cheyney University with a major in Computer Science. I love trying new things when it comes to new software and food with gyros being my favorite food currently. I am hoping to become a data scientist.
Outside of career goals, I play soccer and video games. My favorite soccer team currently is Manchester United. My most played video games are League of Legends and Overwatch.
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on thus far, or one that you’re looking forward to?
A project I am working on is creating a visual dashboard in Power BI. The goal is to have the new dashboard implemented into Azure that will report any errors received. For the project, I am using Informatica, Power BI and SQL.
What about Nasdaq stood out the most now that you are part of the global team?
What stood out to me the most was the employee network groups and the push for sustainability. I think it is amazing that there are networks within the company that really make #NasdaqFam what it is. I am grateful to have met some amazing people from GLOBE early into the internship. Additionally, knowing Nasdaq cares about the environment and is actively taking steps to help maintain it is important to me.
What is your goal as a #NasdaqFam intern? How is Nasdaq supporting your goals long term?
As a #NasdaqFam intern, my goals are to explore and develop skills. I believe learning never ends. I think Nasdaq’s internship is a great way to gather work experience and connect with others. Nasdaq supports these goals by having a good coffee machine in the office and ensuring your voice is heard, while having professionals who can really help you develop your skills.
What advice would you give to future interns?
Advice I would give to future interns is to ask questions and explore. Exploration leads to discovery and there is a lot of professionals who can share a lot. Taking good notes is important -- it relieves pressure on remembering everything. I personally use OneNote a lot. Also have fun and make sure to attend the social events when your office has them.
Fun fact – what's yours?
I will be graduating one semester early and taking classes at West Chester University. Also, I built my first PC in 2016 that I still use today.
Intern budgeting 101: do you have any tips for budgeting and managing finances out of college?
It is always good to track your expenses, as knowing where your money is key to creating a budget. Having a budget allows for good personal finance skills. If you google ‘free budgeting template,’ ones for either Google Sheets or Excel will pop up. I would recommend starting from there. There are also a lot of YouTube channels that go over ways to manage finances and budget.
How did you prepare for your internship?
I prepared for my internship by being curious and ready to take notes. I also downloaded new software on my personal machine that I would use during my internship to try it out. During onboarding, I made sure to ask any questions that I had. And lastly, I got in touch with the other interns that will be in the same office.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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Elizabeth Glusko
Nasdaq
Elizabeth is a social media editor, strategist and producer at Nasdaq. Her team helps reimagine the way Nasdaq tells stories about Nasdaq’s role in the future of technology and the employees driving this role via video and social content.
Read Elizabeth's Bio