I interned at a hedge fund when I was 16. It was the smartest decision I made as a teen, and it set me on the path to a career in finance.

Yi Ke Cao, now 20, did her first internship at a hedge fund when she was 16. She's now pursuing dual degrees in accountancy and business at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

Yi Ke Cao

• Yi Ke Cao did her first internship at a hedge fund when she was 16.
• Cao says the two week stint, though brief, was a pivotal moment in her career development.
• Besides confirming her interest in finance, the internship motivated her to attend business school.

This...