University of Alabama senior Bailey Tibbs gained valuable insight about her career aspirations during her time as a summer intern at Vector Wealth Strategies.
“I enjoy financial planning and sitting in on client meetings, but I also realized that I love the behind the scenes work — the projects, the research and organization of information,” Bailey said. “I got to do a lot of work and research involving Vector’s social media accounts, which I enjoyed a lot and would like to incorporate that as a part of my career.”
During her time at Vector, Bailey focused on building people skills, working in teams and understanding the nuances of communication.
“Those are things I only could have learned outside of the classroom,” Bailey said. “My classes at school prepared me topically on things we discuss with clients like life insurance and taxes, but the experience of meeting with clients is unlike anything I have learned at school.”
Vector’s involvement in local philanthropy inspired Bailey as well.
“I loved getting to see the direct impact that Vector is making in the community,” Bailey said. “Even with all the changes and chaos of 2020, they have not neglected to give. I really enjoyed being able to see how the work we do contributes to greater good.”
Bailey is a finance major with a minor in personal wealth management.
For Freed-Hardeman University senior Colby Shelton, spending the summer as a financial planning intern at Vector Wealth Strategies confirmed that he was on the right career path.
“This internship has shown me what being a financial advisor is really like day-to-day and that it isn’t just about the numbers,” Colby said. “A lot of it is about how to relate to clients and understanding what they want. Communication is key because it can lead to other conversations that need to happen.”
Not only did Shelton get a feeling for the business, but he also discovered the type of business atmosphere he wanted to join.
“You can really tell that everyone here loves what they do,” Colby said. “They have great relationships with their clients. I was fortunate to attend a few grant presentations to local charities and foundations, and I think it’s awesome how they not only help clients by managing their finances, but they are blessed to help other organizations they care about.”
Shelton, a finance major, will graduate Spring 2021.
