“Step up, have confidence and embrace the richness of experiences you can have.” Mike O’Grady, Northern Trust Global Chairman and CEO, in his welcome comments to our 2024 North America summer interns.

Our North American Intern Program

So, what is Northern Trust’s internship program? Our internships are structured as a short- to medium-term work experience (usually for current students) that provides entry-level exposure in the financial services and funds world.

Here’s how our internship program works:

As an intern at Northern Trust, students have the opportunity to spend ten weeks (from early June to mid-August) working on meaningful projects, developing relevant skills to jump start their career, all while becoming a part of our inclusive and collaborative culture.

Interns complete the same type of work as those in an entry level role after graduation, giving them real world experience. This allows them to gain tangible skills to take forward in their careers and have a clearer future focus as they enter the full-time workforce after graduation.

We recently asked some of our current and past summer interns to share their perspectives on our internship program and  their experiences this summer.

Here what they told us……

William Gerami

Audit Intern | Audit Services

The Northern Trust internship program is preparing me for the world of work after graduation by exposing me to a fast-paced environment while providing the opportunity to network with incredible, high-level partners throughout the firm.  The Lunch and Learn* sessions have been very beneficial as they allow time to network with the other Chicago Interns and learn more about the other business units in the Bank outside of Audit Services, conducive to achieving a well-rounded understanding of Northern Trust.

I also think the “One Northern Trust” culture sets this program apart and as a result I am looking forward to the Case Challenge later this month. Overall, I have appreciated the opportunity to utilize my skills towards helping my team and look forwa

*Our Lunch and Learn series provide our interns with the opportunity to engage with each other and Senior and Executive-level leadership on a weekly basis. During these hour-long sessions, interns learn more about each key business unit at a high level and have the opportunity for a Q&A session with these leaders.

Samantha Farsht

Summer Intern | Global Services

My internship is preparing me for the world of work after university by exposing me to project management, cross-functional team communication and knowledge of the financial services industry. I have gained additional confidence in my analytical skills and my communication skills. However, the most important aspect is the mentorship and learning how to navigate a large corporate environment.

The best part so far is the community and mentorship amongst my teams and the other interns. I am enjoying getting to know my teammates and everyone has been so welcoming, no matter their title.

The Lunch & Learns is an example of how I am staying engaged as well as the continuous emphasis on networking. In addition, having accountability and deadlines in my projects are keeping me focused on results and key goals.

The structure of the program is a key differentiator. I could not imagine a better environment so early on in my career: being in person, at the office, with a structured program that includes education, networking, social events.

Dominic Reiley

Senior Investment Associate | Wealth Management

My experience at Northern Trust prepared me for work outside college in the respect that working full time requires discipline. The internship gives you a good taste of how to establish a routine: waking up early, getting to work, going to the gym, utilizing free time, etc. I know myself, and probably many, did not have that strong of a routine established during college.

The best part of my Northern Trust internship was meeting all of the great partners. I established friendships that I still maintain today – even with partners no longer working for Northern.

Northern Trust kept me engaged during the internship by constantly finding meetings where I could jump in. Attending a wide array of meetings allowed me to see how different business units operate, and what I may be interested in after school.

I believe Northern’s internship program differs from the rest in that we focus heavily on integration of the intern into the work. I’ve heard of other internship programs at large banks, where the interns follow an entirely separate curriculum and receive limited work experience. During my internship, I was essentially doing the work of an investment associate, which is the role I am now in.

I chose Northern Trust for my internship experience for reasons including finances, geography (where the job was based), and most importantly, wealth management was what I wanted to do.

I then decided to join Northern Trust full-time after graduation because I had already done the hard work – meeting people and creating new relationships. Finding a place where you fit in can be incredibly hard and invaluable over the long run. I did not want to risk joining another firm that would have a completely different culture, or just have people who are not as friendly as Northern!

Anthony Morris

Summer Intern | Global Family & Private Investment Offices

The Northern Trust internship is preparing me extremely well for work upon graduation. The campus recruiting team has done an amazing job by scheduling company executives to come and speak about how Northern Trust operates. I’ve also learned a lot through the networking events and professional workshops which has strengthen a lot of my communication and business professional skills. I believe these experiences will allow me to succeed in my future career.

My favorite part about the Northern Trust internship is being able to sit in on GFO Wealth Management client meetings. Learning about the complexity of a GFO client’s wealth has been an amazing learning experience. It has taught me a lot of critical thinking skills needed to manage a client of such large wealth.

Northern Trust has kept me engaged during my internship through meetings with wealth management executives from each segment across the Global Family Office. Being able to have group discussions with these executives has made me a more well-rounded intern.

I believe Northern Trust’s internship program differentiates itself from other programs due to the culture here. Partners all across the bank want to see you succeed in your career. They are more than willing to have a chat and help you out in any way possible regardless of their title. Extremely welcoming and inclusive environment is what separates Northern Trust from any other internship program.

Evan Metaj

Analyst | Clearing & Settlements | Hedge Fund Services

Coming from out of state and having never lived in Chicago before, the Northern Trust internship gave me a “trial run” into the work culture of the bank and the downtown city life! I obviously loved both as I am still here 2+ years later.

My favorite part about the internship was the networking opportunities amongst the senior leaders and my intern peers. Everyone was so welcoming and would always be willing to have a coffee chat no matter how senior the partner was.  

The Northern Trust internship program does an amazing job balancing actual business unit work as well as bringing all the interns together for learning sessions such as lunch and learns, and the intern case challenge. 

Jordan Roth

Intern | Wealth Management

The best part of my Northern Trust internship has been learning and working with so many talented and intelligent professionals in all aspects of the business. From administrators to portfolio advisors, and those working in senior management, each and every partner is a wealth of knowledge committed to your success. Northern Trust is a culture that celebrates ongoing learning and creativity, with an open door policy allowing for continuous learning and growth.

Learn more about our global early career opportunities by visiting the Students & Grads section of our Careers page.