The internship season is on full sail across the industry and Deloitte India (Offices of the US) has launched the Talent Internship Program 2022. This brings back memories of the summer of 2019 when I joined Deloitte as a Talent Intern—eight weeks of the Talent Internship which were nothing short of a lifetime experience.
I strongly believe that with the right attitude and support, an internship can truly broaden your horizon and teach you lots of new things.
Here are a few tips that I’ve drawn out from my experience as an intern and a full-time professional, which I would like to share with the interns, in no order of importance:
- The mindset you choose to have can change the experience you have. While everyone aims to get a pre-placement offer (PPO), let the driving factor be what can you learn and contribute. Decide on what you want your internship legacy to be and work towards that. It may feel like a short two-month stint, but the resources and opportunities made available can add a meaningful step to building a world class solution.
- Understand the scope and goal of the project. Take a step back, gauge the challenge that the project aims to solve. Draw a road map of all the milestones that you understand as those that need to be crossed, before you reach the end goal. Use a whiteboard or a mental map and this should help you visualize the details. While reverse engineering is the key many times, don't hesitate to question the feasibility.
- Drive your check-ins with your mentors and stakeholders. Continually assess if all stakeholders are on the same page in terms of the end goal and the process. What gaps can you bridge and where you may need help. Identify mentors beyond your team. Ask for feedback not validation.
- Network if you haven't heard that one enough. Over and above the stakeholders, reach out to the alumni, past interns who have been through the experience, and don't shy away from reaching out to people in other organizations too. It's not just about building a network but also leveraging the one we already have. Interact with faculty members, add a flavor of academic concepts where applicable.
- Play to your strengths, but first, explore your strengths as well as areas of improvements. To begin with, ask yourself if you are a detail-oriented person? Is it easier for you to see the bigger picture? Go beyond yourself, what are the strengths of the people around you and explore how you can learn from them.
- Always go prepared for meetings. There is a possibility that the conversation may steer toward a different path, from what you had originally planned, but it is paramount to keep your eye on what you want to achieve. Don't limit yourself though to the initial plan, spontaneity is important too. A major part of the preparation is to research on the parameters of success of the project and the internship.
- Collaboration goes beyond competition. The world is connected and so are the solutions we are building. It's imperative to learn from peers and support each other. Amidst everything, learning is a journey, that ideally should never take a back seat. During the internship, take up a few courses to aid you. Try ‘Design thinking’ or even a course in developing/ enhancing communication skills—after all, communication is one of the most important skills.
Personally, it is a full circle this year to be a part of the project management team for the Talent Internship Program 2022 at Deloitte—from designing the structure of the internship to visualizing every day in the eight-week calendar. I find this project invigorating and it is probably my favorite part of the year at work—to see the energy and feel the enthusiasm, as I get to be a part of this journey of our world-class Talent interns. To them I would like to say, ‘It’s your internship. Bring your authentic perspective and make an impact that matters!’
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About the author:
Rishika Chawla is a member of the Campus recruitment team at Deloitte Consulting India Private Limited. She joined Deloitte as an intern with the Talent team in 2019 and onboarded as a full-time employee in 2020. She has worked with Contingent Workforce management and continues to work with Campus hiring workstream.
The views expressed here are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of her current, former, or future employers or any organization with which she is associated.