There’s something special about starting your career where your work truly matters — where your ideas don’t just sit in a folder but help shape daily decisions. That’s one of the biggest discoveries interns make when they join us at Channing Capital.
For many students, internships are the bridge between the classroom and the career they hope to build — a chance to apply what they’ve learned, gain confidence, and see how real teams work together every day. In fact, according to a 2024 survey conducted by online career platform Handshake, of the 6,400 survey participants, 56% said completing an internship was essential to making career progress.
That’s why we invite a handful of college students to join us every summer for an internship. We keep the numbers low so that we can focus on giving students real exposure, meaningful responsibility, and direct mentorship from people who’ve spent years doing this work.
Real Work, Real Results
While a big-name firm might look great on a résumé, there’s real value in starting your career where you are part of the real work, not just watching it happen. As our co-founder and CIO Wendell Mackey, CFA, explains, “A lot of students set their sights on interning with large Wall Street firms, but they’ll see more and do more at a boutique firm like ours.”
Interns don’t just watch from the sidelines at Channing. They get in the game. They roll up their sleeves and take on the kind of technical work our analysts tackle every day: building models, analyzing balance sheets, testing ideas, and writing up recommendations that support real decisions.
Another benefit of staying small is that no two internships look exactly the same. We get to know each student’s background and interests and shape the work around them. Some spend nearly all their time with the investment team. Others split their days between research and client work. If an intern has a marketing focus, we find ways to put those skills to use. The goal is to make the experience meaningful and practical, not one-size-fits-all.
Where Our Interns Come From
There’s no single path that brings interns to Channing. Some find us through our alma maters, like Howard University, where Wendell earned his undergraduate degree. Some come to us through programs that place students from underrepresented communities with firms like ours, such as the University of Chicago or the Wall Street Diversity Accelerator Program. And sometimes, it’s as simple as a professor’s tip or a word-of-mouth recommendation that lands the right student at our door. However they arrive, they all share one thing: they’re ready to do the work.
Hands-On Mentorship
Good internships give students a front-row seat. Great ones put them right in the middle of the action with plenty of support. At Channing, interns meet with team members every day, check in on projects, ask questions, and get real feedback that sharpens their skills and builds confidence.
Everyone pitches in to guide them along the way. While each intern has a main point of contact, they also work side by side with several Channing colleagues and get to see how different pieces of the firm connect. One week might be deep in equity research; the next might include a client project or a marketing assignment. That variety keeps the learning practical and personal.
Mutually Beneficial
When the work is meaningful, everyone benefits. Running a hands-on internship program gives us a chance to work with bright, motivated students who might someday return to Channing or take what they’ve learned and build careers elsewhere. Either way, we see it as a responsibility and a privilege to help expand the pool of graduates ready to hit the ground running.
As Wendell often says, “We believe that if we put enough good people out there, those blessings will come back to us.”
And while our small, boutique structure isn’t always conducive to adding new team members every year, the connections built between college interns and full-time employees often last well beyond graduation. Many former interns stay in touch, sharing how the experience shaped their path or gave them an edge in landing that first big job.
Small-Firm Internships Differentiate
At a boutique investment firm like Channing, students see their ideas go further. This is an environment where questions are welcomed, fresh perspectives are valued, and the impact of good work is clear from day one.
It’s not just about what our interns take with them — it’s about what they help build while they’re here. And that’s an experience that stays with all of us.