Empower yourself to ask questions during your summer internship orientation
I just completed my first-day internship orientation at National Grid. National Grid is a Britsh energy and utility company focused on bringing clean energy in the UK and Northeast US. As someone with no real knowledge of the utility industry, I was nervous at first at the orientation. The friendly intern cohort group that I was placed into made me feel welcomed and I realized that even though I may not have much professional experience, but I am pushing myself towards the right direction in my learning experience.
The orientation started off quiet, however, as the day went by I started to feel more passionate about the company I am about to intern at. This notion empowered me to ask questions that may seem “logical” or “simple”. During the orientation, one of the executive leaders spoke to us about the different aspects of the company and even though I was just a newbie, some might say, however, my drive to learn prompted me to speak up. For future interns, I would advise trying interning at companies that may seem unfamiliar to you. Even though I cannot say I am strongly passionate about gas and utilities, however, I learned today that I am passionate about the corporate strategy at large companies. For those who are not particularly passionate about their internship, find aspects that you appreciate about the company and use it to drive your learning experience.
My final insight from my orientation was inspired by my welcoming meeting with my direct manager. He told me not to focus a lot on the impact that I am trying to give, but rather what I can learn from this summer. This speaks volumes for those interning at large companies because interns may not seem to provide much impact, but the learning experience that comes with is invaluable.