I have completed my second week of the internship program at Navy Federal. Like other financial institutions, Navy Federal employees utilize member data to provide a series of services effectively, meaning that the projects I will be working on adhere to a high level of confidentiality. I will try my best to provide critical reflections in my blog post. However, due to the nature of the business, sharing any sensitive information with any other party would be a breach of due diligence.
With that being said, let’s explore my critically reflected thoughts on my Navy Federal journey. I had lunch with my supervisor, during which we had a conversation about his background, education, and career journey. He has been part of the workforce for more than 15 years, and I believe I can learn a significant amount from him while I am here. I shared some of my personal and professional background as well. He mentioned that he had traveled to Istanbul, where I used to live, for his MBA program, which I found fascinating. I obtained a decent knowledge about India from Bollywood movies when I was a kid, which made it incredibly feasible to have a profound conversation. This signifies the importance of leaving familiar zones to learn about the unknown. Occasionally, learning about other domains, businesses, and cultures might seem irrelevant. However, one day a seemingly random piece of information will facilitate your conversation and relationship-building with a person you just met. We will probably have more lunch or coffee talks later, and taking advantage of this opportunity by asking him for feedback on my work and enhancing our professional relationship appears to be a productive use of our time. Building your professional network is the most emphasized advice that I received since my preparation started. Moreover, I plan to have at least two conversations with other employees over lunch or coffee weekly to expand my network within the organization and learn more about employees, their career journeys, and their professional advice.
From the beginning of the program, I have been involved in team meetings. Usually, we have multiple meetings during the week. Most will be about the projects and work, and one at the end of the week will be a relaxed one wrapping up the week. Usually, some people will present, or everyone will be given a few minutes to report on their progress with their work. My team members have more technical and specific reports. However, at this point, my reports are on my progress adapting to working here. There is a level of comfort every team member has because they have been in this team for a long time. However, I need to ensure that everything goes smoothly on my front as I am still making my first impression. Although I have been here for only two weeks, I am encouraged to share my thoughts and opinions at every meeting, regardless of the lack of context I have compared to my team members. This inclusive environment paves the way for me to enjoy teamwork and contribute effectively.
On Monday, I had my first meeting related to what I will work on with one of my team members. At a high level, I will be adding a new dimension to the analysis produced from the staffing models. These models are used by the workforce management unit for the real estate lending department. I have three meetings weekly with one of the team members, with whom I collaborate directly on my project, and my manager to discuss the agenda and the sub-tasks I will be expected to complete to achieve the ultimate goal of this project. I constantly communicate through the internal communication app with my team members and my manager if I have any questions related to work or miscellaneous topics. I was assigned a small exercise task as a warm-up, which I completed in a few hours and delivered. Taking notes on the requirements of the task and the deadline carries an extreme level of importance for me as it keeps me on track with my work. I don’t hesitate to ask any questions I have about anything. However, the people I work with have highly tight schedules packed with project work and meetings, and I prefer to be strategic with the formulation and timing of my questions. As we wrap up, I am unbelievably excited to begin my third week. Time flies by when you enjoy it, and it feels like I started my internship yesterday.
