Full Steam Ahead

This summer can't go any faster. The pressure of project deadlines are definitely peaking. I realize too that I don't have too many weekends left to explore this city. It's definitely time to hustle, both work and fun wise.

First off, work. I joined Cisco at a time when there are a lot of changes happening within the organization. It's a great opportunity for me as an intern because we get exposed to change-related initiatives. I actually see how a company reacts to market pressures. This, plus my actual project plus getting to know Cisco better have accounted for a pretty hectic summer. Navigating a highly networked organization such as Cisco is really interesting. I find that I get a lot done with building relationships. I am not really used to networking within an organization so I'm definitely developing a new skill in this respect. I am also meeting a LOT of brilliant people. It has helped me continue to shape "who I want to be when I grow up". Meeting people who do so well in a field that I am very interested in is inspiring. For that alone, I am thankful that Cisco encourages interns to reach out to whomever - and people are very receptive.

Okay on to equally important stuff - fun. I finally got the chance to go to downtown San Francisco this weekend to explore. I must admit it's growing on me and it's definitely an area that I can see myself living in. There are a lot of really cool neighborhoods, a lot of interesting spots and outdoors-y things to do. Among my favorite spots are still the De Young museum and its great observatory. I love Mission-Dolores and all of its interesting spots. I recently experienced the ferry building and all of its farmers' market wonders. A city with good food, good sights and great coffee is definitely high up my list.

Cisco: Two week mark

So, the internship begins. I am one of 7 interns for Cisco's Human Resources Leadership Program (HRLP) program. It's great to meet like-minded people from different schools because we get to exchange ideas about the projects that we are working on. It's an all female group this year so it's definitely a HUGE change from the business school environment. Another great thing about the summer is apart from our individual projects, we also get to work on "suitcase" or team projects with a few of the other interns. Fresh out of my MAP experience, I think that I could apply a lot of what I learned in the past term to this team exercise.

I am still in the process of getting to know Cisco. So far so good though. My project meets all of the objectives that I set out to achieve for the summer. The environment is a lot like Ross - people are smart, helpful and warm. Anybody I've reached out to has been willing to help me out with my project. The cohort of interns and full-time HRLP participants is very closely knit. They planned a lot of activities to make our transition into Cisco as smooth as possible - one on one's with HR leadership, Comedy Sports, Napa Trip, Baseball game. In addition to this, the Michigan alumni network is very strong. We had a Michigan meet-up last week - mostly interns and full-time Cisco employees from the supply chain division. We still have a little pocket of Ann Arbor in this San Jose campus.

The support system that Cisco builds around the HRLP program is great in helping me adjust to my first ever job in the US. The culture is a lot more informal than what I'm used to. I catch myself being inappropriately formal at times in emails and meetings. I will get better at this :)