LEARNINGS FROM MY INTERNSHIP

About two months ago, I started my internship at the Promise Foundation. In the initial days, it was made clear to me that my role would revolve more around learning and less around what I could contribute to the team. This came as a pleasant surprise. A workplace where my learning was prioritized was just a starter to what great things lay ahead. Though at the same time, to me, this was also the single most important place to prove my worth. It was my battlefield. For I had to find out whether the skills I had acquired as a student in college worked in real life or not.

From Day One: I was pushed to give my input during team meetings; my suggestions were heard and I was implored to ask questions: big questions, small questions, dumb questions, smart questions, everything was welcomed. There was never a fear of judgment and never did I feel that I couldn’t approach a specific person. Yet there were newer things that took me time to get accustomed to. For instance, there were no titles in the workplace, no addressing individuals as “Sir” or “Ma’am”.  

Now, this was an approach that proved difficult for me to follow. Coming from rigorous academic spaces where a lot of time, energy, and attention is given to establishing the same titles; rather institutions teaching you from a young age that that’s how you show respect to your seniors- by addressing them in a certain way. This was the exact opposite. Thus, it took me some time to shed that singular belief system. I realized that in the workplace there are no hierarchies, no ranks and that you can still be respectful without adding a “sir” before anyone’s name. This brings me to my next point.

The internship helped me in sharpening the skills which I already possessed, such as my communication skills. I was fairly used to interacting with my professors and peers in both academic and non-academic situations. But here I learned the ability to communicate with people in a professional setting. I can now say that I’m aware of the appropriate manner in which one behaves as a professional. I got to observe and learn how everyone would engage and interact with each other as co-workers, which helped me build up my communication skills.

Coming to my core learnings, here’s a list of the same:

1. Organizing An Event: I was fortunate enough to witness the behind-the-scenes of PRAXIS 2022. I realized the sheer hard work and managing it takes to pull off an event at such a huge scale. Be it continuously checking the correct spellings of the attendees (there were more than 600 of them) or looking for the cost of music licenses that would eventually ensure live music to be played at the event, it was an insightful ride. I successfully learned how to look for contacts of celebrities, how to interact with their managers, and how to book them for your event whilst giving away as little information as possible. I understood how to book banquet halls of esteemed hotels, and how to talk to the hotel’s event planning staff and get offers from them at lower prices (the key is to book the hall at least 6 to 12 months before your events). Whilst placing big-scale orders, I realized the value of assertiveness, conviction, and confidence in your speech. The same would single-handedly lead you to persuade as well as convince people according to your needs.
2. New and Improved Skills: I got to learn efficient tools like Explara with which one can monetize their audiences in multiple ways and strive towards growth in their revenue. Through its platform, I saw how you can make tickets for your events, build communities and do everything in one, single place. It was a great software and I got to learn all the nitty-gritties of it. In addition to Explara, I got the opportunity to explore Canva and design creatives for the team. I learned about what all goes for professional designs and what doesn’t. Last but not the least, the internship helped me to significantly improve my Excel skills. Two months ago, I wasn’t as versed and quick with the countless functions Excel provides, but right about now, I can do things that I didn’t even imagine. A few honorary mentions: I learned about Google Calendar, Zoom, Gmail, and Live Tweeting.
3. Enhancement of writing and storytelling abilities: The constant note-taking, listening to how professionally others would speak, and opportunities, where I could express myself creatively and independently helped in enhancing my writing abilities. One of the biggest contributors to the same would be the essay-writing contest organized in the memory of Anant Rangaswami by Reputation Today magazine.  “ARMEC” (the contest) helped me to channel my storytelling abilities and gave me the freedom to write as innovatively as I could. More than just writing, I got to read all entries which were sent by the country’s top corporate communications professionals. This, in turn, gave me a lot of insights on how to improve myself. In addition to that, I understood the cruciality of checking your pieces for plagiarism. Any piece which is not original doesn’t stand a chance to enter professional contests such as this. 
4. Other Important Takeaways: During my role as an intern, I recognized the sheer significance of punctuality and discipline, whether it was being on time, submitting tasks before the deadline, or reaching out to your co-workers during working hours- these actions always made a great impression. Additionally, I learned how to work independently, make my own decisions, and trust myself. I found success in moving forward by figuring out when and how to ask for help. The exciting realization was that it was up to me to decide how the end goal had to be reached. With little guidance from the sidelines, it felt immensely liberating to work like this. 

Towards the end, I had some heartfelt realizations. The people I worked with were so comfortable in being themselves that I felt safe to be myself too. I learned that it is okay to be relentless in pursuing what you want and be patient enough to wait for your efforts to pay off. At the same time, standing up for your beliefs despite how different your perceptions might be. I understood that my age or my experience was not the only thing that would make me earn respect, but rather my ability to build trustworthy relations, my curiosity and enthusiasm about learning a new thing every day, and my values were more important.

Lastly, I got to see first-hand how a Reputation Management professional works and operates. Drinking a lot of water in online meetings but creating the safest, securest environment for a person half their age. I feel immensely opportune to have gained such mentors.