Assisting Community Member with Investment Platform Setup and Navigation
For my IT-related volunteering, I assisted a member of my community with setting up and navigating her investment account. She was initially having difficulty creating and understanding her brokerage platform, so I guided her through the full account setup process and helped her become familiar with the system. As a dual major in Finance and MIS, I was able to explain both the technical functions of the platform and answer finance-related questions about investing. I specifically helped her navigate the stock purchasing page, where I identified a default setting that could have resulted in the accidental purchase of 100 shares, potentially costing thousands of dollars. By walking her through the interface, I helped prevent costly mistakes and improved her confidence in using the platform.
As a result of my assistance, she is now able to independently purchase stocks, monitor her portfolio performance, and navigate the platform more efficiently. While this volunteering involved elements of finance, the primary focus was on improving her ability to use technology effectively and enhancing her overall user experience. This has been an ongoing activity, beginning in late February and continuing through March and most recently, where I helped resolve an issue related to currency display within her account. Through this experience, I strengthened my ability to communicate technical concepts clearly, apply my knowledge, and support others in using digital financial tools.