Inside the Internship

Internship is always a mixed bag of experience for one and all. While some claim to have learnt a lot, others feel they just wasted time during the internship period.

What follows are some points which I have collected through experience, talking to people and observation that may make an internship experience more valuable:

1. Professionalism is your profession!

The first thing to remember is that an internship is no different from the actual work environment. So, you should be a thorough professional in whatever you do during the internship. Common courtesy, ethics, team work and a positive attitude go a long way in determining what you experience during the internship and what you make others experience around you. Remember many companies are now increasing the intake of their regular employees through the PPO route. Whether or not you get a PPO depends on whether you are seen as a potential employee who is professional in your dealings and whether you fit with the company value system. So, at no point think that you are still a student and it is ok for you to slack on professionalism. In the corporate setting, you are the employee of the organization and they will expect no less from you.

2. Initiate the initiative inside!

When people tell me that they were not given any work during the internship or that for the initial few weeks, even the guides were not clear of what to do with them, I tell them that such a case presents itself as an ideal opportunity to show one of the greatest strengths that organizations look for: Initiative.

Remember that internship is not only about the organization to extract work from you but also for you to highlight your worth and value. Remember also that in the real corporate life also there will be times when you are not given fresh responsibilities and you see yourself doing the same ‘damn thing’. In such a case too, it is up to you to seek new opportunities and show how else you can add value. A similar logic applies to internships. If the guides are not clear what to do with you, you make a list of tasks that you think you can complete till something concrete is decided for you and that may add value and discuss them with your guides. This helps in two ways. One, you show initiative and eagerness to add value (a big positive) and second it gives you something meaningful to do with your time. This small task that you have chosen also serves as a good opportunity to show your quality of work so treat it as important and do it thoroughly.

Tasks selected can be as simple as creating a list of ‘Dos and Donts’ for interns when they join the team (something you can make easily based on your own experience and by finding out from some other interns in your unit) or cleaning up redundancy in the LAN with the help of someone senior or just asking other employees in your team if there is something you can do to help them. I have seen that everyone is more than happy to offload some work to someone who is willing. Don’t crib at what work is being given to you. Remember it is just a temporary arrangement till you get something your project.

Always remember that it is in your hands how much you take out of the internship. If you just wait for opportunities to come to you, you may or may not get something but if you go out there and hunt down opportunities proactively, you will always be the winner.

3. Don’t be single; Mingle!

If at the end of the internship only your guide knows you, you may not have made the best use of your time in the organization. Remember, that internship is an opportunity for you to know the organization and for the organization to know you. By talking to people, not only in your immediate team but across teams or even units, helps you get a proper perspective of how the company is. Even if you finally decide not to join the company, you still have benefitted by expanding your business network.

Here again initiative is needed. Your project may be such that interaction with other people in the organization may not be needed but that should not stop you from contacting your Alumni in the organization or discussing some issues and experiences with other team members or even with other fellow interns. I am not saying that one should deliberately try to forge relationships just for gain rather the idea should be learning about the organization and how it would be like working for it.

4. One Date you don’t want to miss: Update!

It is very important that you establish clear channels of communication with those who are the stakeholders in your project. At all times the stakeholders should know what you are up to and where things stand. It may be worthwhile to agree with your guide for a quick update (through a mail or a meeting) on the progress of the project atleast once a week. This not only helps the guides know whether you are on track but also helps them remember you atleast once in a week! If you offer to make such an arrangement, it again shows initiative on your part.

Also, get a mid term review done by all stakeholders. A mid term review helps in highlighting your work to one and all (remember some people might not be able to make it to the final presentation at the end of the internship) and also know how you are doing and what else you can do to improve the quality of your work.

Be professional and agree to a date beforehand and block everyone’s calendar. A reminder with the agenda (agreed upon by others) a day before the meeting is a good practice to avoid last minute hiccups. Book the room well in advance, inspect the room to see if all the apparatus you need work and whether appropriate number of chairs are there (if this is a large gathering).

You can make an impression by showing your meeting handling skills too!

5. Fill it, shut it, DON’T forget it

Remember that if you have decided to work for the company, you will most probable be working with the same people you worked with during your internship. Otherwise as well, never lose contact with them. It is always good to keep in touch even after the internship. Whether you get the PPO or not, relationships should always be maintained.

How to choose the right B-School

Collecting my earlier articles at one place.

This one was oriniginally published on rediff.com (May 08, 2006)

http://ia.rediff.com/getahead/2006/may/08mba.htm

Happy Reading..

How to choose the right B-school

Surya Saurabh May 08, 2006

Seeing your name on the list of accepted candidates for the B-schools of your choice leaves you feeling both happy and relieved. Unfortunately, this state of mind is short-lived as you are immediately faced with another crucial decision: which institute should you finally opt for?

This decision causes an understandable amount of apprehension and anxiety; the choice you make now will impact you for the rest of your life. I would even go so far as to say your career will partly be shaped by the decision you make now.

Here are a few parameters to go by when deciding which institute is 'hot' and which is not:

Ask the right question.

What do you want from this MBA?

Are you just content with the brand value of a degree? After all, you are going to join your dad's business and it just seems more savvy to have an MBA. Or are you serious about getting an education?

Are you solely concerned with bagging a good job placement?

Are you looking forward to being a student?Maybe, your answer is a combination of all the above in varying degrees.

My sincere advice is not to be guided purely by the placement statistics that seem to overshadow every other facet of management education. Remember, a good B-school is not a placement agency.I am not saying good placements are not important, but don't let that be the sole determining criteria.

Who's your teacher?

While choosing a B-school, you should look at the quality of education you will receive. The calibre of the faculty is a very important parameter. This can be easily obtained from the institutes' web sites.

Almost all institutes have detailed profiles of their faculty members, their educational background, industry links, research and teaching experience.

Talk to people who have graduated from various institutes and see what they have to say.

What will life be like?

Also important is campus life at the institute of your choice. You should look at the student community, their profiles, work experience and background. This data is again easily obtained from the institutes' web sites.

A good institute should have a healthy mix of people with various years of experience in the industry, in varied domains and with sound educational background. Such a mix helps add value to the course by way of the differing perspectives the students bring with them.

Campus life also includes the plethora of activities students get involved with. Education in an institute of repute is not only about classroom learning, it is about taking on responsibility, getting involved in events, managing the show.

Look for various seminars the students organise, the formal and informal events they conduct, the committees and clubs they have and the activities they undertake.

The pressure of the rigorous curriculum will never lessen such activities if the students have the potential, zeal and enthusiasm to handle the additional strain with aplomb.

Once you join the institute of your choice, don't shun the pressure. It will be a part and parcel of your working life in the years to come.

All work and no play?

It should never be all work and no time to unwind. After all, you are still a student. Campus life is complete only with the inclusion of fun and frolic. Look for how students unwind, relax and take respite from the demands of the course.

Cultural events, games, outings, parties all contribute to the overall experience the course provides.

All this information can be obtained by talking to the current students or alumni. Look at online student forums and groups where most of these aspects are discussed.

Always bear in mind that it is not the lifeless walls that make a institute what it is. It is the people there, the buzz they create and the experience they provide by just being themselves.

Surya Saurabh is part of the PGDM Class of 2007 at IIM-Kozhikode.

P.S. - I graduated on March 17, 2007 :)