Page 40 - PPO Diaries

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PPO Diaries

❖ What did you do right and what did you do wrong?

Things that I did right:
I had charted a rough breakdown of tasks and planned a timeline for the various milestones within the project
– this really helped prioritizing the tasks and planning my meets with the various stakeholders; Also I always
carried a notepad around (though this sounds cliched – it goes a long way in ensuring that you capture most of
the requirements/interactions which is typically missed out during a routine conversation). I also ensured that
I had regular status meetings (usually on a weekly basis) with both my manager and the function head to ensure

that I was on track for the intended deliverables ; In addition to the deliverables, I had also researched relevant
aspects of the project – which really helped (I could bring a couple of new ideas which acted as delighters –
which provided a different take on how they wanted the execution of the deliverable); I had also prepared a
dossier of my learnings (for my own perusal) during my internship which I had shared with my manager – this
proved to be a huge help for my other teammates aiding them to understand the nuances better
Things that I could have done better/Things I did wrong:

• There was a particular area where I was asked to research, which turned out to be a dead end – despite me
spending considerable time, primarily owing to multiple roadblocks in obtaining the relevant data.
• Could have interacted more with various co-interns with regards to the projects (to gain knowledge of the
different functions).

❖ What are the things to keep in mind in the internship?

Attention to detail is a huge positive and one is rewarded for it. Being open to learning is quite vital – be it
related to the project or outside the scope of the project. Always keep your manager/boss posted about the
progress, if you hit a brick-wall, do not shy away from seeking help. Keep drafting/updating a .ppt on a weekly
basis – might come in handy during the mid-review or final review when you are time pressed with other
deliverables. A key aspect – typically for presentations (both mid-review/final review) would be to storyboard
your project/ideas which helped me a lot. And last but not the least – do not obsess about the PPO – work on
your deliverables and ensure takeaways (both on a personal and professional front).

❖ What pre-internship preparation do you suggest for juniors?

Reach out to alums and seniors who had previously interned in the company. Get to know about the domain of
the projects, catch up on the company’s latest activities – and need I say – brush up on your Excel & .ppt skills
(work on your presentation skills as well).

❖ Anything else you would like to add

Be inquisitive about the various aspects of the value chain of the function/business you are in. Connect with the
employees, co-interns, it helps. And lastly, have fun – after all, it is going to be an enriching summer!

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