As an undergraduate student double majoring in political science and economics, I have always been attracted to the world of finances and investments. While I have had some professional opportunities related to the field of political science, including an internship at the Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence (city hall), I had not explored much of the area of economics, which is why I wanted to deepen my expertise in this world by diving into it. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, I was worried I would not be able to find an internship during my last summer as a McGill undergraduate. Fortunately, I found a remote internship at KEYS, a real estate agency based in Montreal, specialised in working with foreign investors and dealing with rental management. Through this internship, I aimed to put my knowledge of economics and finance to good use and broaden my skills in this domain, in a context differing from McGill's classrooms, in order to enrich my professional background, and gain new skills.
Given my interests to many I will not be receiving credits for this internship as I prefer to enjoy McGill's academic prestige for my last semester in this successful institution.
During this internship, my main mission was to conduct, verify and present financial analyses in order to check financial viability of rental property investments. My supervisor was in constant contact with me in order to mentor me in learning how to use different relevant softwares. I mainly worked using Matrix, Centris, the OACIQ estimations and my supervisors's expertise on Montreal's real estate. These softwares gave me access to the rental records of properties that sparked an interest for a potential investor, allowing me to utilize comparative analyses in order to choose the most advantageous financial option. Armed with these tools, I was able to estimate investment properties' expected returns and show potential clients long-term profits while considering monthly rent, interest rates, taxes, occupancy rates, mortgage payments, monthly expenses, theclient's budgets and preferences. I also completed the company's audit, kept track of transactions such as expenses and rents and managed and organised past as well as current receipts and paperwork through the company's Dropbox. As a secondary role, I assisted on market searches to find new properties and communications with investors and potential clients.
This internship enhanced my analytical and research skills as I was responsible of preparing financial analyses for potential clients. I also developed my technical skills by mastering new financial and real estate softwares. Lastly, I deepened my communication abilities through interactions with investors and work colleagues. I believe this internship will be very helpful for my future professional endeavours, as I have gained specialised skills in the field of real estate and sales.It has greatly increased my interest in investments and the real estate financial, which are dynamic fields
I found genuine satisfaction and fulfilment in the way my days were organised, as it helped me stay productive. The first few days were centred on understanding and becoming accustomed to the company's database and technical tools, with the mentoring of my supervisor. After this traineeship and theoretical period, I put my new knowledge and skills to use. Each day, my supervisor and I scheduled two calls: one in the morning to clarify my tasks and responsibilities of the day and make sure all my questions were answered, and another one at the end of my workday for a debriefing session on my progression and challenges. Other than that, my supervisor was available during the day of I had any issue.
While remote internships can seem - and most of the time, are - less stressful than regular physical internships, they still have their fair share of inconveniences. Most importantly, I understood the importance of asking questions and reaching out, especially with a supervisor only available remotely. What was also important for me was to find a work space separate from my space of relaxation, in order to distinguish work from leisure I also learnt the value of taking walks and regular breaks, as well as switching up my workspace in order to stay dynamic and energised.
I received the Arts Internship Award, funded by the generous support of McGill alumni and the Arts Undergraduate Society, and want to sincerely thank them for their help. These funds have been used for my monthly expenses during the summer. Thank you for believing in my abilities and encouraging my endeavours!
