Federico Farina, a John Cabot University student majoring in Economics and Finance, completed an internship at the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability (EIIS) in Rome as a Financial Analyst, an opportunity he secured through JCU’s Center for Career Services.
EIIS is an international institute focused on education and innovation for sustainability. Through academic programs and initiatives for professionals and organizations, it promotes the skills and tools needed to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into decision-making processes.
What did you work on during your internship?
One of the projects I worked on involved creating a competitor analysis and a financial model . I started by researching data on competitors online, then collected and analyzed the information before organizing it into the model.
I managed the process from beginning to end, from finding the data and identifying useful insights to developing the model and presenting my findings to my manager. It was a great opportunity to not only learn how to work with Excel, but also to understand how data can be utilized to support real business decisions.
What was one of the highlights of your experience?
One of the highlights was participating in the EIIS Annual Summit in Rome, where executives from some of the most important companies in Italy came together to share their perspectives.
It was particularly interesting because I got to see how major companies are approaching sustainability. I learned about the investments they are making and how sustainability and ESG goals are becoming part of their long-term strategies.
How did the internship connect to what you have learned at JCU?
I study Economics and Finance, so of course I learned from different courses how to how to work with and analyze data. I finally had the opportunity to apply all these skills in practice because I was not just completing an assignment at university. I was finding data and structuring it in a way that had to be useful for the company, helping it understand the direction of the industry.
Did the experience change the way you think about sustainability?
When we think about a company's profits, we often think only about what generates the most earnings. But if we include sustainability and ESG goals in our plans, they can actually shape the future of the company.
Working in a company with many products related to sustainability made my work more meaningful because I felt that I was actually contributing to a positive change in the world.
Did this internship make you more career-ready?
Yes. I felt part of the team. I worked alongside them at the same table and saw them speaking with clients, solving problems, and experiencing how the company operates and what their daily work looks like.
At the same time, I had to produce work to a certain professional standard and was evaluated on it. This gave me a better understanding of what working in a company is really like and prepared me for what I will do in the next few years of my career.
