Personal Reflection
This week did not leave me with a lot to report on, and so I have decided to give a personal reflection on my experience at my internship. While I feel like I have contributed to the internal work at Cavi, as well as the intern projects, I still have not completed my work goals for the summer. As I previously stated, the most valuable experience that I was hoping to have at Cavi was to gain consulting experience through client work. I am currently working on a client project, and while we have started drafting the entire process and scope of the project, including our entire timeline and end goals, it is starting slowly. However, now that the project charter has officially been approved and I am starting to take more action, I am hoping the project will pick up this week. I think that this client project is essential in order for me to make a judgement on whether or not I would like to pursue a career in consulting next year.
However, what I have learned so far is that I do not personally enjoy the remote aspect of this company. I miss the social atmosphere of an office space. I think that a physical office space allows for more collaboration and would present me with more opportunities to take on responsibilities. Without the ability to ask for more work or talk to other employees face to face, I have found myself unable to proceed and waiting for my projects to progress. As a young professional, I think that the social aspect and ability to work with others is very important to me. I knew that I am an extroverted person and work well with others, however, during this internship, it is become clear to me that working with other people is one of the things I value most.
I am hoping that my client project will begin to move at a faster pace this week and that I will be able to make a fair and reasonable evaluation of my opinions about consulting. I also hope that I can continue to evaluate specific aspects of the job that I like and dislike to help steer myself in my plan for next year.
It sounds as though your revelations about the remote environment at Cavi and the kind of environment you seek are really important. Sometimes internships confirm things for you, whether they actually provide you with what it is that you want/prefer. But there are lots of consulting opportunities that would be based in a more traditional office setting and perhaps provide you the type of collegial environment you are seeking…if you find you like the client work that is part of consulting. But having a better sense of the environment you seek will better equip you as you interview companies while looking for employment. Yes, while you are interviewing for jobs, you should be interviewing them and making certain that the things you value, need, etc. are things that organization can fulfill. So now you know to ask about remote work; is it part of the culture, is it the primary culture, the extent to which you (or colleagues) would work remotely, etc.