Summer Saga 2020 - 'Is Virtual Mode A Way Forward For The Future Internships?'

My entire internship experience can be broadly divided into three phases:

Phase 1 – The Preparation

A good beginning is half work done ~ Puerto Rican Proverb

The journey for the internship begins way before the interview. During the initial phase, you will be bombarded with a lot of advice and guidance from your seniors. It is very important to filter out the noise and to research and prepare on the topics that you want to excel in (pun intended). For me, I found that solving case studies with my friends gave me a good grip on the real-life problem statements which I could encounter once I joined the firm. It also helps in providing an understanding of the needs and trends in the industry. For example, Philips had its case study: 'The Think Up Challenge', which gave me good insights into the company and the challenges that the industry is facing.
The process is generally quite enriching as you brainstorm, evaluate the problem from every angle possible, conclude, and get to hear out the point of view of your batch-mates and seniors as well.

Once you bag the internship it’s all about partying and also a bit of prepping oneself to get set to work with some of the brightest minds in the country. This is also the time you join the committees in your college. Joining a good committee helps you in developing soft skills such as team building, interpersonal skills, as well as providing a network of people (who eventually become your best friends).

Phase 2 – The unexpected visitor

 Life’s journey isn’t linear, and its complexities reveal our authentic strengths ~ Anonymous

The last week of March, gave us a story worthy of narration to the next generation. The colleges were shut down in a day’s notice, Nations around the globe were being locked down, death tolls were increasing day by day, and economic collapse was being predicted. A generally ignored risk factor (A global pandemic), changed the entire equation.
A virtual mode of the internship was being considered, a week before the joining dates. It was the time of utter chaos.
Even though the internship was delayed by a few weeks (the duration remaining intact), I sighed a breath of relief when I received the Project Charter. A huge shout out to the HR team for making the transition to the virtual mode a seamless one.

The virtual internship began with some fun get to know sessions and introduction to my team – DXR(Direct X-Ray) team. They gave me a warm welcome and made me feel at ease.

However, once the workstream and the entire module was explained to me, I realized the gravity of the piece being handed over. The project was about improving the efficiency of the existing Product Design Change (PDC) process. My project involved suggesting ways to improve the lead time of the existing process.

The first two weeks seemed overwhelming as I undertook a lot of literature reviews to understand the existing process and analyze how process improvements are made in the Medical Device industry. Medical Device industry, from what I learned, is a highly regulated marketplace. Therefore it was important to suggest solutions keeping in mind the nature of the industry. You will need to try out a key in a lot of locks before you unlock the right one, or else change the key and start the process all over again. I could find the right key to the problem only because of the firm’s highly collaborative culture. At Philips, people believe in giving and taking constructive feedback regularly.

Phase 3 – The Dependable Phase

You have to be vigilant about keeping your own fire alive ~ Tift Merritt

The best part of the internship was that in a span of 2 months, the magnitude of things you learn is humongous. It is always good to seek frequent feedback from the mentor/ manager to know what is exactly expected out of you and how you can quickly improve yourself.

Broadly focus is on having a

• A structured way of thinking
• Data Analysing skills
• Interpersonal Skills (Especially for a virtual mode)

It is also very important to understand the Point of View of each stakeholder before you deep dive into solving an issue. Using a holistic approach works every single time. You will be appreciated if your solution addresses the root cause of the issue. I spoke to around 25 internal stakeholders to understand the problem from every possible angle and to provide a comprehensive solution.
The internal DXR team was very cooperative, and I shared a great dynamic working with the team members, especially my Mentor and Guide, Mr. Sathish Kumar, and Mr. Sandeep Patil. Even before my Mid-Reviews, I had run the idea across multiple seniors members and their appreciation gave me confidence in the solution which I had proposed.

Key Takeaways from The Internship

• Every opportunity is a pathway for growth and development. Our batch was the first one to witness a virtual mode of internship, but it also paved the way for a lot of new learnings. I strongly believe that the virtual way of working is going to be commonplace in the next few years. Therefore, this opportunity gave me an ample amount of opportunity to experiment with different features in collaborative tools such as Microsoft Teams.
• Procrastination kills. More than anything, the onus of the project lies on your shoulder. There were a lot of times during the virtual mode when people were not able to take time out of their busy schedules. It is up to you to plan the entire week and schedule the meeting according to their free time.
• Talk to people, listen to people. A lot can be resolved by talking to people, seeking advice, and diligently following them. Most people in the firm genuinely believe in collective growth and will not leave any stone unturned to help you out.

Sometimes the best results come when you’re thrown in the deep end ~ Natalie Cook

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