Reflections: plunging into a meaningful internship

“If you decide to take the plunge into an internship at DP, have faith in the process, and trust that one would emerge at the end with a sharper mind, more in tune with the corporate landscape, an expanded professional network, and a deeper understanding of marketing.”

Company.

Design Prodigy (DP) is definitely unique. A marketing firm, with ~10 full-time employees, working with several world-class MNCs, while also regularly recruiting interns from diverse non-marketing backgrounds, to tackle some of the hardest and complex marketing problems out there? And it’s all under 12 weeks? My interest was piqued when I first heard about the internship. Curious, I took the plunge and applied for its 2020 Summer Internship (12 weeks, Apr-Jul).

Covid.

Without warning, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. All workplace commutes were banned, and many internships were cancelled. However, instead of cancelling, Marc was actually galvanised by the pandemic to focus more on the internship. Resources were made available online, and countless Google Meets calls were scheduled. It took some getting used to, but Marc and the team were determined to make this internship as authentic and as challenging as the internships pre COVID.

People.

As I began my internship at DP, I was struck by how different the people at DP are. Everyone from full-time staff to fellow interns, were high-functioning, sharp, and highly driven. Being accompanied by this group of mentors and peers is definitely a highlight of the internship, as they push the project forward in new and interesting ways, and I was also pushed out of my comfort zone, which set me on the path of self-discovery and growth. It was also inspiring to work with such people, and I’m immensely grateful for all the lessons learnt.

Journey.

Looking back, the journey is full of twists and turns. Everyday was draining, mentally intense and fast-paced. Everyday we were reading up and coming up with frameworks in complex areas such as buyer needs or competitive advantages, all within a B2B space. Our project kept evolving, both in terms of scope and scale. It was a challenge to manage change while drilling down to gain deeper insights. To that end, I am extremely grateful for my teammates, who helped me through these challenges and elevated the project to greater heights.

Advice.

One word of advice I would give to future interns would be this: Always keep the bigger picture in mind. As the details of the project change over the weeks, it would still be guided by a broader purpose and direction. Once an understanding of the big picture is developed, the journey would be less turbulent, and the group would be able to adapt to changes quickly. For our project, as we had spent the first few weeks discussing the larger picture, once our project has been rescoped during the later stages to encompass new areas, we had an intuitive understanding of the new requirements and could thus deliver accordingly.

Conclusion.

Ultimately, if you decide to take the plunge into an internship at DP, have faith in the process, and trust that one would emerge at the end with a sharper mind, more in tune with the corporate landscape, an expanded professional network, and a deeper understanding of marketing. Here’s wishing all the best to the fearless who decide to take the plunge into a DP internship!