Want to know how a green bean grows?

Hi! I’m Soumiya, and welcome to my life as a Junior Consultant Intern!

This is me!

Having just completed my A-levels, I was looking for an internship to pick up new skills, and somewhere I could spend my time with no regrets. As I browsed through the available internships on the job platform, Mavericks caught my attention.

Why Mavericks?

The main reason is that every Maverick gets to be heard! From the decorated wix hive of our Mavericks community to the fun blog on our website (which I am currently writing for), there are ample opportunities to share your opinions and be yourself. As someone who values self-expression, I thought that Mavericks would be a place for me to thrive, and pick up the new skills I intended to gain in an internship.

Expectations vs Reality 

Still, my journey at Mavericks has not always been butterflies and rainbows - though I know this is what makes my internship experience all the more authentic. I definitely struggled during my first week here, as the jump from a guided school environment to a bustling corporate one (with real stakes!) was huge. At school, your progress only really affects yourself. But here at work, individual progress is the backbone of the team’s progress. There was undoubtedly a learning curve, and I faced difficulties managing my own workload.

But my internship mentors, and supportive MCT members saw me falling behind. They shared some valuable perspectives for me to consider, and gave me feedback so I could get back on track. Lo and behold, I started to pick up my pace once again! Sometimes, our methods of learning may not be the best. Being open to trying other ways of working, and tapping into the help from experienced teammates is something I’ve started to learn how to do. 

There was a lot of trying and testing and to be very honest, I’m still experimenting to find out what works the best for me. But, at least I'm making tangible progress instead of harping on what’s not working. While I cannot say with certainty that the remainder of my internship will go without hiccups, I’ve learnt crisis management skills that I’m sure will help me deal with such situations more efficiently.

My takeaways

Two months into my internship, I’ve learnt to step out of my comfort zone by being curious and asking questions proactively. This also includes the initiative to pick up unfamiliar tasks. While I’ve learnt the technicalities of the tasks assigned to me, I’ve also learnt to adopt an Agile mindset, which involves being receptive to feedback and continuously adapting to maximise the value we bring to the team. Additionally, I’ve also started to learn how to be unafraid of failures. While it is pertinent to consistently ensure a good quality of work, it is also equally as important to be open to learning from our mistakes. Instead of wallowing about what has been done, we should acknowledge it and try to make the best out of the situation. This includes service recovery to rectify the mistake, and a plan on how to get better at preventing such mistakes from reoccurring. Physics tells us that changing velocity gives rise to acceleration. In the same way, to accelerate our progress, there needs to be periods of change. What’s also necessary is a positive outlook and determined mindset, to ensure that the period of change is truly for the better.

Findings

Based on the results of my experience, these are the top requirements for any green bean to grow!

🫛 Be RESOURCEFUL

→ Learn how to gain the most from mentorship sessions!

🫛 Be DRIVEN

→ Push yourself to perform slightly better than the day before!

🫛 Be AGILE 

→ Have an open-mind and be receptive to feedback!

Conclusion

Needless to say, my internship here has been challenging yet fun and fulfilling, and I owe it all to the supportive Mavericks community! Although my green bean life has just started, I know I’m closer to sprouting, given everything I’ve learnt so far! Thanks for reading along.