When I applied for an internship at Quicken Loans, I first and foremost wanted to become a part of a company that was playing a major role in the redevelopment of Detroit. My number one goal was to get my hands on some of the real estate developments the company was involved in, since in the past, I worked in the real estate field. With no internships available in real estate-related teams, I was thrown into the wild world of mortgage banking at one of the largest lenders in the country.
Without any past experience in finance, I was nervous to see how my skills would translate to the fast pace work environment of mortgage banking. Over the last two months I have learned so much about the mortgage industry, and I have realized that to be a successful banker, you have to be motivated, focused, and confident in what you do. The reputation and credibility of Quicken Loans goes a long way, and just talking to bankers, it is evident that they are proud to represent Quicken Loans to their clients and that they enjoy coming to work here every day. Even as an intern, I feel that working in mortgage banking is extremely rewarding due to the feeling of accountability for the company’s growth and success. Obviously, the company wouldn’t run effectively without the combined efforts from every team, but being a part of the core business of the company is especially gratifying.
I’ve also learned that there are no ceilings in mortgage banking— you will get out whatever you put in— a hard worker’s dream. There are tons of opportunities for creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking with regard to spurring a banker’s motivation and focus. Working directly for a regional vice president, I am really starting to get a feel for how the incredible leadership at Quicken Loans translates to successful individual team members and thus a successful organization.
Back to Detroit: Driving downtown to work every morning makes me feel great. I feel like I am part of something much bigger than myself— a movement to revitalize one of the most cultured cities in the country with an extremely rich history. Even though I am not wandering the streets looking for ways to improve Detroit, or working to redevelop the city from the real estate perspective, I feel that I am tangibly contributing to its growth simply by coming downtown five days a week. I truly feel that in 30, 40, or 50 years, people will credit companies like Quicken Loans with turning around the city of Detroit. In my eyes, Dan Gilbert was the man to run for the defibrillator when the D appeared to be unconscious, and bring the city back to life with a quick jolt of energy, innovation, and passion.
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