All Good Things Must Come to an End

I can’t believe my summer stint at Ecolab is finally coming to an end. After spending 9 weeks with a group of incredibly smart and fun colleagues, I am almost tempted to extend my internship by an extra 3 weeks! Ok, I kid. My summer experience has been a phenomenal learning experience, but I am really looking forward to returning to Ann Arbor to see all my friends again! As one of my colleagues joked, it’s back to the academic bubble for the last time!

But before that happens, I have to complete my final deliverable, also known as THE final presentation. My final presentation is scheduled on the Monday of my last week at Ecolab (in 2 days’ time!) and I am feeling pretty confident about it, mainly because various colleagues in my division took the initiative and reviewed my presentation over the past week – it truly speaks volume about the company’s culture, when Directors and Senior VPs volunteer to take time off their busy schedule to offer feedback on the presentation.

Here at Ecolab, there is a tradition of inviting all the people an intern met over the summer (40-50 people in my case) to the final presentation. While it is a great opportunity to showcase my work and share my insights, one of the challenges is that the audience becomes very broad, and the content of the presentation has to cover both breadth and depth – my manager and I definitely spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how to work around this issue.

Well, as I enter into my final week of my summer internship, HR has also lined up a series of “tests” for us. We are required to complete an online aptitude / personality test, as well as spend half a day doing a leadership assessment (which includes role-playing and more online tests!) Ecolab is definitely investing more time and effort into talent acquisition and development, and as the company looks to expand overseas into emerging markets, these initiatives will ensure that Ecolab has the right talent to drive growth in these new markets.

So, one more week left before I head off to sunny San Francisco for my summer vacation. And then it is back to good ole’ Ann Arbor. See all of you in a few weeks’ time!

Go blue!

Social Events in the Twins Cities

Over the past 7 weeks at Ecolab, I have had many opportunities to learn about the inner workings of the organizations. Speaking with various people across all divisions, I understand the work of each division and how it fits into the larger organization. As I explore full-time opportunities within B2B Marketing, these conversations would definitely helped me make a more informed decision and decide if this industry is a good fit for me. And I can gladly say I really enjoy what I see right now.

That said, a summer internship is also about letting your hair down once and in while and simply enjoy the beautiful summer weather! Last weekend, MBAs in the Twin Cities gathered at CRAVE, an amazing rooftop bar in downtown Minneapolis, for the annual MBA Soiree. I was amazed to see such a huge group of MBAs in the Twin Cities. There are quite a number of companies in this region – Ecolab, Cargill, 3M, General Mills, Medtronic and Target, just to name a few – but still, the turnout was larger than I expected.

After spending a few days recovering from the late night, the Ecolab interns were once again out in full force this weekend! We were invited to watch the Minnesota Twins-Detroit Tigers baseball game from the Ecolab suite, which happens to offer the best view in the house. After a week of hard work as we tie up our project, we definitely welcomed this treat! The Twins lost the game but hey, as someone from Michigan, it was nice to see the Detroit Tigers win.

As I move into Week 8 of my project, I will be spending a lot of time reviewing my final presentation with different people in the company. While it’s good to keep the project scope focused, it might be helpful to find out if there are perspectives I failed to think about as I wrap up my project. This is the definitely the final lap, and I am excited to showcase the work I have done over the past few weeks.

Till then!

Life in the Twin Cities

I am at the mid point of my internship at Ecolab. On the work front, I scheduled a couple of mid point check-ins with my manager to ensure that we are all on the same page. The response has been very encouraging and the team is very excited to see the final presentation.

That said, I think the highlight of the week was getting a chance to tour the Twin Cities. HR organized a half-day tour for the interns, and for me, it was a great way to get a sense of the place, and ultimately decide if this is somewhere I can live in and consider a long-term career. We started the tour at Summit Avenue at downtown Saint Paul, a street known for its historical Victorian-style buildings. The architecture of the houses, churches and schools were breathtaking. It is rare to find old buildings that are so well preserved in today’s day and age – it almost felt like I was momentarily transported back in time.

We also drove to a couple of lakes: Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun to name a few. People were out and about, and everywhere you could see Minnesotans jogging around the lakes, kayaking or simply lying out in the sun to enjoy the outdoors. If you are a nature love like I am, Minnesota is definitely a place to consider doing a summer internship. Borrowing the words of our tour guide, despite how brutal winter is, summer is so gorgeous that it compensates for the cold weather. Indeed, there is a reason why Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”.

We ended the tour at Minnehaha Falls, which unfortunately, was the number one attraction in Minnesota until the Mall of America came along. I can’t deny the benefits of tax-free shopping and having an indoor amusement park, but personally, I would prefer the falls any day.

Well, that’s all for now. I am heading out to enjoy some sun, before calling it an early night. Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. The interns are taking the day off to participate in Habitat for Humanity. Time to roll up our sleeves and get some work done!

Getting Into the Groove at Ecolab

I can’t believe it has been three weeks since I started my summer internship at Ecolab! Time flies when your schedule is packed to the brim!

I spent the majority of the past two weeks learning more about the company and the project I am working on – the learning curve is definitely very steep, given the fact that my project is relatively complex in nature and high on the agenda of senior management. Having said that, my manager has been extremely supportive and has made this learning experience truly enjoyable. In addition to weekly meetings, she also checks in with me on a daily basis to review my progress and provide me with guidance if necessary. Seeing how I am getting increasingly comfortable with my work and familiar with my colleagues, my manager has also invited me to participate in a couple of high-level meetings, so I can understand how my project fits in the grand scheme of things.

During the past week, I was also asked to define my own project scope. While some interns had their project scope defined for them by their managers on Day 1, others like myself are given the opportunity to craft our own learning journey. I made sure my project was relevant to what my manager was doing, but at the same time, I also avoid something that was overly integrated with her work, since that would give me some autonomy on how I envision the final results – something that I personally enjoy.

That said, next week is going to be crunch time for me. My mid-point presentation is due and I will be presenting my work to a team of senior management. I have completed the number crunching, solicited feedback from my colleagues on my project, and it is now a matter of putting all my insights together and telling the story to the audience. Hopefully I will be able to complete all the tasks I have set out for myself, so I can enjoy July 4^th (i.e: four day weekend)!

Till then!

Greetings from Minneapolis!

Greetings from Minneapolis!

It has been a week since I started my internship at Ecolab and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Ecolab’s headquarters is located in downtown St. Paul (the older and more historical part of the Twin Cities) but I decided to live in Dinkytown Minneapolis (where you find students from the University of Minnesota, as well as tons of pubs and restaurants). To a certain extent, Dinkytown reminds me of Ann Arbor, so it’s good to have a little piece of “home” with me.

My first week at Ecolab passed by faster than I expected. My manager has been spectacular in ensuring that I could “hit the road running, right off the bat”. Quote, unquote. She arranged a total of 22 meetings for me in the first 4 weeks, making sure that I have the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with senior management. Prior to my internship, I was advised by MBA2s that the summer internship is not just about delivering a good project. It is also about familiarizing yourself with the culture of the company and getting acquainted with individuals from the organization. In fact, one of the senior executives I met advised me that as an intern, I was not expected to understand ALL the details of the business. Rather, I was there to get a holistic picture of how the business is run, and more importantly, to provide a fresh perspective on critical issues.

Apart from executive meetings, HR has also filled the interns’ calendars with multiple social events. We will be spending a full day on a Habitat for Humanity project; going for a Minnesota Twins baseball game; touring the Twin Cities; and visiting the Research and Development facilities of Ecolab, among many others.

My summer is definitely looking very busy, but again, every minute of my first week at Ecolab has been phenomenal and I am excited to find out what the next 9 weeks have in store for me.

Till then!