At Berkadia, our success is built upon the talent and hard work of a broad, diversely skilled team. From analysts to loan closing specialists to managing directors each of our people brings a unique background, perspective and expertise. Their work allows Berkadia to remain a leader in the commercial real estate industry.
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Erik Ojert, an intern in the servicing department, to learn more about his internship at Berkadia, what stood out about Berkadia when interviewing, and what he has learned about himself and his future career, while interning at Berkadia.
Can you tell us about yourself and describe your internship at Berkadia so far?
I recently graduated from Ursinus college with an economics major. In the fall, I will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for graduate school and get my MBA. My brother, Max Ojert, is a Financial Statements Analyst in the servicing department, and he introduced me to Berkadia and the commercial real estate industry. So far, this summer has been awesome, the reserves team welcomed me with open arms and has been great to learn from and work alongside. I am working under Vince McGovern, and he has made this summer great so far. I’ve been treated as if I were a full-time employee rather than an intern, which has been fun. The rest of the reserves team has been great at walking me through tasks and answering any of the questions I’ve had this summer.
If you’ve had other internships, how does Berkadia’s internship program differ?
This is actually my second summer interning with Berkadia. Last summer I worked as a client relations intern, and I was lucky enough to work alongside great people, and this summer has been just as great as last year! Everyone I have met and worked with has been so nice and helpful, the employees at Berkadia really want the best for their interns and will go out of their way to help them.
Were you always interested in CRE? If not, how did you get into CRE?
I never knew what industry I wanted to be in. When my brother introduced me to Berkadia, it made me more interested in commercial real estate and excited me about the industry. As I mentioned, this is my second internship with Berkadia, and I still feel like I can learn so much more about the industry and am always eager to ask questions.
What stood out about Berkadia when you were interviewing for your internship role?
Something that stood out to me when interviewing was how comfortable I felt talking to the interviewers. I could tell from speaking with the employees that they really enjoyed working at Berkadia because of how passionate they were about the company and culture. I believe this speaks volumes about the people working for Berkadia.
What advice would you have for landing an internship at Berkadia?
The best piece of advice I could give to a student would be to ask questions. Berkadia has so much to offer and many different departments, so it is important to ask as many questions as possible to familiarize yourself with Berkadia capabilities and core values.
What has your internship at Berkadia taught you about your future career or yourself?
My internship with Berkadia has taught me the importance of communication in the workplace. I feel comfortable speaking up and asking questions because I know that the people around me want to help out as much as they can. The internship has also taught me meaningful skills to manage a handful of different tasks at once.
Explore Opportunities to Be Berkadia.
– Erik Ojert, Intern-Servicing