CADEN, YEAR UP INTERN - NEW YORK

 

THREE LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY INTERNSHIP SO FAR

 

It is hard to believe I’m already well into my second month of my internship/apprenticeship at Capco. My first month has been dynamic, stimulating, and full of surprises. While the training I received at Year Up was comprehensive, I was taken aback by how different and complex things were outside of the classroom environment.

That said, my transition from Year Up to Capco has been straightforward and pleasant, thanks to the amount of thought and effort that went into the training sessions organized by the Capco Year Up team. These interactive sessions allowed us to receive direct and immediate feedback from the facilitators which helped to speed up the learning process. The topics included: MS tools, digital communications, meeting minutes, business writing, critical thinking, and data.

We were also encouraged to schedule meetings with the facilitators outside of training hours to network and ask questions. Everyone I have reached out to was not only welcoming and supportive but also genuinely interested in my experience and eager to connect me with others within their network to help grow mine. In addition, the guidance I’ve received from my mentor, Bryce Nevola, has been so crucial in my sense of feeling grounded in this new, virtual environment.

While these things may not seem extraordinary to some, as an intern/apprentice, these experiences gave great insight into the values that Capco employees embodied, as well as the company’s overall culture of inclusivity. It demonstrated the level of commitment from Capco, to not only acknowledge the new interns/apprentices but to fully engage and induct us as the newest members of the Capco community.

Writing this piece reminded me of an assignment we had to do at Year Up, which was creating a seven-second resume. Mine was:

Throughout the years, I have learned to navigate challenges with resilience and gratitude. I have no doubt that with positivity and hard work, I will be able to achieve both my professional and personal goals of paying it forward.

I feel I’m in a good place to continue pursuing the career that’s depicted in this seven-second resume. I still have a lot to explore and learn, but I’m really excited to continue my journey and see how the next four months will unfold.

Before I close, I would like to share some tips and lessons I’ve learned from my first month. I’m in no place to give advice yet, but I hope that this resonates with others and can help those who are in similar shoes as mine. It’s a good reminder for me as well since these are all works in progress.

  • Take time to understand the scope of the project first, rather than worrying about specific tools or tech used by the team. Research the industry your client and project sit under. Listen for any keywords or phrases that get repeated in your meetings and look them up
  • Change is the only constant. It will take some time to get used to how fast-paced consulting is. That said, one thing I look forward to is the agility that I’ll gain over time. As my manager, Geet Mittal, has mentioned during one of our meetings - learning how to be flexible and knowing when to shift to the right gears will be a huge plus.
  • Be curious, proactive, and most importantly, have a positive attitude. As early-career professionals, I believe the greatest asset we have is our untapped potential. There’s power in embracing that and being open to learning new things despite how challenging it may be. Ask questions, know when to reach out for help, and most importantly, have fun!


Thank you for reading,

Caden 

 

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