Olivia Deval

What were your job responsibilities as a VPF intern?

• Engaging with clients and firm partners in advisory consultations.
• Supporting the advisors' curation of portfolios with Riskalyze software.
• Expanding marketing strategy across the website and social media platforms including Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Redesigning and optimizing the website.
• Assisting in the firm's daily operations by organizing documents and communicating with clients.

What was your biggest takeaway from interning at VPF?

My biggest takeaway from my internship at VPF is just how valuable and impactful mentorship in the workplace can be, especially for young women. During my time at VPF, David, Ashley, and Joanna greatly emphasized the importance of encouraging women to enter the financial advising field, an industry that is highly male-dominated. In following this commitment to improving the industry's gender balance, they fostered an incredible learning environment for me to gain first-hand exposure to financial advising. I am very grateful I had the opportunity to shadow and learn under the mentorship of David, Ashley, and Joanna!

What is one of your favorite memories from interning at VPF?

One of my favorite memories from interning at VPF was the cookout we hosted for clients in the summer of 2021. It was exciting to meet many of VPF's clients in person since the majority of the firm's consultations were virtual at the time due to COVID. I also greatly enjoyed attending the Commonwealth Financial Network 2021 National Conference at Fenway in Boston. It was a great opportunity to meet and network with Commonwealth Financial Network advisors!

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your internship experience at VPF and how it altered your post-graduation aspirations?

My internship at VPF was a great introduction to the financial advising field and has made me eager to return to the industry post-graduation. I plan on pursuing the certifications and licenses required to work as a financial advisor in the near future.

If you had one piece of advice for future interns, what would it be?

One piece of advice I’d give future interns would be to embrace your curiosity and ask questions! The more engaged you are with the inner workings of VPF, the more you will get out of this great hands-on learning opportunity.