It will soon be time for the summer break, and all those in the first year of their management programmes will be gearing up for their summer placements and training stints.
I had shared some thoughts about what you should look out for when searching for and evaluating any summer project/ training stint.
But it is possible that by now, many of you would have taken whatever option was available. This is usually rationalised with the argument that placements were not very good and that not many good companies came. So why whine about what’s passed, instead of making full use of what lies ahead?
Invariably, these few months fly past in a blur, with joining formalities, the actual work, reports that have to be submitted to the institute and then finally, the project report itself and the presentation. In this whirlwind of activities, it is very easy to lose sight of crucial objectives, and get caught up in a series of time consuming activities.
So if you want to maximise your summer placement or training stint, follow some of the following guidelines.
~ Set a clear objective for yourself : This could be anything, right from intense learning to getting a pre-placement offer. Once you have defined a clear objective you should work towards it.
However, I would caution against having an objective of pre-placement offer alone. Apart from being very narrow, it often tends to cloud your entire experience and you could end up losing sight of other opportunities. In one of next articles, I shall share some thoughts about whether pre-placement offers are really worth pursuing.
~ Understand the organisation and interpersonal dynamics : Each organisation is different, and operates distinctly. Therefore, they approach the summer placement process with varying levels of seriousness and involvement. Understanding the organisational dynamics would help you align your expectations to how the company treats summer trainees.
~ Build a strong professional network : Actively connect with professionals in the organisation and outside, whom you might interact with in the course of your career. Apart from exchanging contact details, follow it up with an invitation to connect on professional networking sites like LinkedIn.
However, follow the guidelines of using such sites, especially when sending out invitations. Never send a bland, template invitation. Still not clear about using the professional networking site? Read a previous article on How to use LinkedIn effectively .
~ Keep in touch with your batchmates : And exchange notes about their experiences and learning. Here, by batchmates, I don’t mean only those who are from your own institute doing projects in other organisations. I also mean those from other institutes who are working with you in the same organisation.
While not everyone might be open to the idea of sharing their insights and experiences, there’s no harm in asking. Any additional inputs you get will only help.