Monday morning woes and Deja vu

Few weeks into the internship and here they start. The famous 'Monday morning woes'. And I said to myself - 'welcome back to the corporate world, Righty!' Far away from the goodness of 3-day-long weekends which the academic world in the US yields, I was in the midst of a deja vu. This feeling was something I had experienced for all Mondays (almost) I saw during my brief stint with the corporate world in India. In this regards, the corporate world in the US proves no different for me. But something that is very different is the fact that the rest of the weekdays start with an enthusiasm which I seldom found earlier.

A probable reason behind this enthusiasm could be the 'German' culture of the firm, where you might have many dotted lines in the corporate hierarchy over you, but when it comes to your project, you are responsible for it completely, from metamorphosis to the eventual birth. The other day while driving back home, I was trying to draw inferences using this observation of mine and the fact that the Germans are so good at innovation. Alrite Prof. Parzen, the sample size is too small to make such inferences!! But the independence and 'space' given for tackling the task assigned to me have been amazing. The basis for this approach looks quite convincing - its my learning curve and I've got to manage it no matter what! They are interested only in knowing how good the final product is.

Another certain reason behind the enthusiasm has been my direct manager. One of the most jolly, sharp and caring managers I have dealt with. And this part of an intern's life is called 'luck'. Hardly you get such managers who, inspite of knowing that you might only be with them for a few months, show so much interest in your learning. I have been really lucky to have him as my manager.

A third probable reason behind the zeal could be my first out-of-country business trip, which the company has planned for me. Although the work that keeps me
busy these days has nothing to do with the assignment I will be working while in Germany, but still, just knowing that the company is doing so much for you makes
you give more than your 100%. The Germany trip will certainly give the much needed exposure and help me make a stronger case for myself when I hunt for full times.

Whatever the reasons are, the bottomline is - if you take off the Monday mornings, I really do not feel that I am 'working' right now. My internship experience resembles more to a 'learning' opportunity rather than a 'working' opportunity. That was exactly what I was looking for, and so far, all has been well! TW!!! :)