I interned at a hedge fund when I was 16. It was the smartest decision I made as a teen, and it set me on the path to a career in finance.

The first few days of my internship were terrifying.

I felt overwhelmed by the new environment. I didn’t know what my colleagues were expecting from me because I had no prior knowledge or technical skills to offer.

I did try my best to contribute to the team. I had a foundational knowledge of Excel, but the learning curve was steep. I had to pick up advanced Excel techniques in a matter of days so I could help my supervisor compile profit and loss sheets.

That experience has benefited me to this day — I use the Excel techniques I learned at my internship in business school now.

And though I didn’t contribute to major projects at the hedge fund, I was still able to get a better sense of how its different departments worked together.

I got to sit in on strategic discussions between departments and witness part of their decision-making process as traders. I began to see how meticulous and exacting you have to be if you wanted to be a good portfolio manager.

Interning at the fund as a 16-year-old was a pivotal moment in my career development

Looking back, interning at the hedge fund was a pivotal moment in my life.

Besides giving me early exposure to a professional working environment, it helped me confirm my interest in a finance career and solidified my decision to go to business school.

If I could turn back the clock, I would have done more internships as a teenager. Even though the work scope would likely have been limited, it would still have been good exposure for me.

Most people don’t know what they want to do for a living at 16. But by interning earlier, I think one can gain a better understanding of the corporate world.