What I aim to achieve this summer?
As spring semester came towards an end, I began thinking what I really wanted to achieve through the course of my stay in Los Angeles. While thinking about being a data intern, I aimed at grooming my skills in data analytics by becoming familiar with popular industrial software and becoming more knowledgeable about data in general. Other areas I aimed to grow in included becoming a better networker, communicator, team member, being more punctual and several others too. Outside of my internship, I aimed to take advantage of the weather in California and explore LA and surrounding cities. Although, something that I did not anticipate from before was that being in a new city for 10 weeks would provide me with several different learnings outside of my internship!
The many experiences an intern typically has at a company is getting familiar with the work culture and the day-to-day operations of the company. Similarly, I began to get familiar with the various tools and software that the workers at Saucey typically use. As expected I have become familiar with software such as Looker and Amplitude, which are software that is commonly used for data analytics. Additionally, I aimed to learn more about data analytics as a subject too. In my time at Saucey, I have learned how to use data analytics in a practical setting and how to make recommendations supported by data. Becoming well versed with the tools a company uses is often a good practice for an employee! In addition, I made an effort to learn about the company’s operations to understand how Saucey functions by sitting in orientations and reading its company wiki. Focusing only on your job is helpful to a certain extent, although it may be additionally helpful to learn more about the company as a job is usually different in every company.
Apart from learning more about data analytics, another goal I hoped to achieve was to grow holistically during the span of my internship. An important experience of an internship is to enhance a range of skills such as networking, punctuality, communication and being a motivated team member. Addressing these, an important result of an internship is having an expanded network, and therefore I have tried to take advantage of the friendly and community-like culture Saucey has. For instance, one tactic I have often used is to introduce myself and talk to people about the project I am working on and to see if they can help me in any way. Moreover, I update my supervisor about all the work I complete so that he knows the progress I make. In addition, I have taken advantage of team lunches by often taking an active part in the conversation. More importantly, one goal I have set for myself is to get to know all the workers and make sure they know me by name at the least.
Becoming a good employee and developing good work ethics is another goal I aim at achieving through my internship. Good work ethics include being punctual to meetings, being an effective communicator and overall being a reliable team member. I aim at developing these work ethics, as it is something that would be extremely useful for me after my summer and in future jobs too! Punctuality in terms of being in time for meetings and submitting things before deadlines are important in creating a good impression, as no employer likes a person that always has incomplete work. Moreover, it is vital that you are present at least a few minutes prior to meetings, especially as an intern. Other important work ethics include being a good communicator. I aim at developing this skill by being an active participant in meetings and asking many relevant questions to ensure I am positively contributing to the company. Like any mid-sized company, Saucey too operates in teams such as operations, product, developers, etc. Being a reliable team member can be helpful in a company that operates in teams. Since each employee performs certain tasks and may have a different level of expertise in different areas, working together can help improve the overall operation of the team. Similarly, I aim at taking lead in any way I can, for instance coming up with and proposing recommendations and changes to improve areas of the business. Developing my work ethics and becoming a good employee would certainly help me become a strong asset for my company!
Apart from internship related goals, I created a list of things I want to do outside of my internship. I aim at exploring California by traveling however much I can and taking advantage of being in a completely new city. In addition, through the 10 weeks in LA, I hope to try new restaurants and explore new kinds of food too! Having the opportunity to intern at Saucey, I have learned several new things within data analytics and about working in a company in general. Moreover, I have learned the importance of developing good work ethics through several means to ensure I contribute to my fullest. Both of these are primarily my goals for my summer internship. I find it important to make the most of this internship, and therefore it is important to contribute to the company and more importantly grow as an individual.