Reflecting on my consulting internship

My time with AAB is coming to an end and I wanted to capture some of my main thoughts and learnings over the 10 weeks.

Agile:

Joining AAB, I was introduced to agile which was a new way working for me. After observing members of the team and taking part in an agile workshop, I learned how to:

  • Prioritize work depending on it’s importance according to the ‘product owner’
  • How to break down work into manageable chunks over the duration of a sprint

After working with agile for six weeks, I was able to lead a sprint being the scrum master. This was a great exercise personally for me, leading a team ensuring everyone is on track and keeping all work up to date.

Presentation skills:

One of my aims in my personal development plan for my internship was to work on my presentation skills. After presenting some research to Mark and Sian, they both provided me with brilliant feedback that has stuck with me ever since:

  • How to make a story with data presenting it in digestible ways
  • How important it is to position your audience and present in their favored way by talking through the agenda before starting
  • Less is more

After this experience, I feel increasingly confident in my abilities and is something I look forward to implementing whenever possible.

Social media:

I have a passion for social media, and after meeting with a business owner in January discussing their social media, I wanted to get some more hands on experience. Working with IMPACT-30 was the perfect opportunity. I had a desire to understand and learn how businesses aim to use their social medias, what they want from it as well as the goals they want to achieve across all channels. After exchanging emails and having meetings with various start-ups to share my own insights and creative ideas, I was able to develop on my knowledge and see social media through a business owner’s eyes. It was interesting to learn about what businesses owner’s value when it comes to social media. Whether it’s another place to generate leads, increase exposure or simply a platform to engage with their customers and create a community.

Learning more about the consultancy process:

Having worked on a consulting a start-up project as part of my University coursework, looking at how to enter markets in sub-Saharan Africa, I wanted to learn more about the consultancy process.

Most recently, I was part of the research behind a potential bid as well as meetings discussing the possibility of undertaking the bid. I found it really interesting to learn about the thought process that goes behind planning out a bid and the questions that are asked internally. For example, why do we want to do this from a personal point of view? What value can we provide that competitors can’t? Even reading emails from the team about the bid and the viability was so insightful. It was great to sit back and observe listening to the experts.

What would I do differently?

I was involved with so many exciting projects during my time. I was eager to work on as many projects as possible to make the most of my 10 weeks. Reflecting on this, I have, on occasion, taken on more than I could manage at any one time. This meant I struggled to stick to the plan I agreed to for each sprint. In hindsight, I could have taken on fewer tasks at one time and delivered one through to completion before taking on the next. I don’t necessarily regret this, as I am proud of all the things I have accomplished and contributed to but it’s something that I definitely think would help me work as efficiently as possible in future.

Being a Tottenham Hotspur fan may have helped me according to Mark, but I can’t see that happening any time soon…

What does the future hold?

This is a question I’ve been asked for a while, and up until now I didn’t really have an answer. My 10 weeks with AAB have made my future more clear than it’s ever been.

I have one more year left at University and I’m motivated to finish in a strong way and write a dissertation I am proud of and enjoy doing from start to finish. This will be a proud accomplishment, to finish University in a good way considering how the learning conditions have been.

Following University, I would love to explore consultancy further. The variety of work and the fact that every day is different really interests me and is one of my favorite things about my time with AAB. Talking to people, solving problems and watching projects develop is something I love.

After consulting a business owner about his social media back in January, and working closely with businesses from IMPACT-30, I would love to work more with businesses and their social medias.

Thank you

I can’t thank the team enough for my time at AAB. I was welcomed from day one and encouraged to learn throughout. I didn’t feel like a nuisance (in the way I understand some internships make you feel) and loved how the team went out of their way to ensure I was involved and working on projects I had an interest in.

The 10 weeks have been better than I could have imagined. I have learned so much and I can’t wait to put my learnings into use in the near future.

Ben Perry profile photo

Ben Perry

Consulting Analyst

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