Five Tips For The Start of a Career Journey
— By Jake Heller (Excel 2018) and Hadar Pode (Excel 2013)
Starting a new job or internship is always scary. As you get ready for the first day you wonder what the culture will be like, what your work will consist of, and how much of what was promised will actually become reality. Right now, this year, the same as last, and the year before, I am preparing for a new journey. I am doing my research, speaking to friends for advice, and preparing for the first day of work. I am even beginning to ask myself simple questions for the first day, “Do I wear a suit? Do I pack a lunch?” Although this year I am taking another leap into the abyss, last year I was taking a bigger one. Last year I was packing my bags for 8 months. I would leave for Birthright, then my internship with Excel in Tel Aviv, and after that a semester abroad in Copenhagen. Three drastically different environments and experiences, all of which were foreign in every sense of the word.
As the next cohort of Excelers, interns, and recent college grads get ready for their own journeys, I figured my former boss and forever mentor and I might give our own takes on some advice that might just lead to a right foot forward and a great first impression.
- Be Prepared!
Mentee (Jake)- The best way you can set yourself up for a great internship experience is to come to the first day as prepared as possible. Learn about your mentor, the company, and their clients. This learning will allow you to build out your toolbox of skills you will need for your internship. If you need to know Excel, don’t wait for the first day, use a site like LinkedIn Learning to catch up. If your company works with specific industries, read those industry reports. If your boss wrote a book, read the book! You wouldn’t show up to a test without studying, to me your first day is the first part of a ten-week test.
Mentor (Hadar) — Being prepared is highly important and won’t just help you be recognized as a professional individual, but will maximize the value you get from this once in a lifetime experience. Preparing prior to the internship is great, however, throughout the internship and summer you will be given countless opportunities where your preparation can yield into great results. For example, prior to an important meeting (either with an employee of the company or an external stakeholder) you can learn the background of such person, the purpose of the meeting and start thinking of some ideas that could contribute to the meeting. Prior to an interesting lecture, you can read more about the topic or lecturer and gain so much more out of the discussion. - At the start, set expectations for your internship and the summer.
Mentee (Jake)- For the intern, it is essential to understand what your role in the company is, what is expected of you. Depending on the company and the size of the program, you could be their first intern or number 5,000. You want to make sure from the start to know the expectations your boss and the company have for you as a short term employee. A good question for both of you to ask is, “What would make for a successful internship?” If both of you can answer this question and get on the same page, then you will have a better understanding of what success looks like.
Mentor (Hadar)- For the mentor, it is very important to understand what you wish to gain throughout the internship and summer. In order to get an invaluable experience, fulfill your goals for the summer and at the same time utilize your capabilities and skill set, you should definitely share with your mentor what you wish to achieve, your expectations and your goals for the summer. In case your mentor does not initiate such a discussion, be proactive and do it yourself. - Win the first week / Ask questions
Mentee (Jake)- At the start of any internship program, there is usually a week of either informal getting to know the company or a formal Bootcamp, take advantage of this time and learn as much as possible while at the same time asking as many questions as you can. Yes, have a filter and ask what you need to know, but this is the time where you build a foundational understanding of the company culture, protocols, and frameworks. For Deloitte specifically, understanding how to convey information using their vernacular was hugely important to understand.
Mentor (Hadar)- Asking questions is crucial, not just in order to understand what task is given to you and how should the deliverable look like, but rather to help you learn more and to reflect your interest and curiosity. Curiosity, drive and enthusiasm is everything. - Say Yes to any and all opportunities or being ‘Rosh Gadol’!
Mentee (Jake)- I remember so many times last summer Hadar or others would come into the room I was working in and say something like, “Hey Jake, do you wanna go to Company X and help then with Project Y?” The answer was always yes. The answer was yes because I knew it had to be yes. I wanted to take as full advantage of my time in Israel and at Deloitte as possible. The wonderful thing about saying yes and being open to opportunities is that once you say yes a couple of times and do great work, that work and leads to even more interesting and challenging opportunities and your efforts compound. This led to lunch meetings with heads of startups, working with one of the largest tech companies in the world on a new project, and presenting to the CEO and Managing Partners of Deloitte Israel.
Mentor (Hadar) - You never know what assignments, opportunity or person would give you the most and what door or window it might open; this is why, as a general note, you should say yes to opportunities. This does not mean you should switch a position in every couple of months, but rather when you are given an opportunity to take part in a new initiative, to lead a project or to simply work on a new assignment, saying no would be fairly easy, but saying yes could, in some cases, change your life forever. Just saying yes does not cut it, being ‘Rosh Gadol’ (literally ‘big head’ in Hebrew) means having a ‘Can-Do’ attitude and initiating new opportunities (within the internship, or within Excel) instead of waiting for an opportunity to fall into your hands. If you see a need or a demand for something, don’t wait for an official assignment but rather create the supply yourself. - Meet regularly with your mentor or project leader
Mentee (Jake)- Last summer Hadar and I would start every morning with a quick scrum. We would talk about the day’s objectives while at the same time keeping in mind the goals for the week and internship in general. We both wanted to communicate as much as possible to keep each other on the same page. Neither of us wanted to have a conversation two weeks before the internship ended with a problem we had both been keeping on the back-burner with no time to fix any issues.
Mentor (Hadar) — Communication is a key factor in any given relationship; the same applies for Birthright Israel Excel and for your internship. If something is great, make sure to communicate it! When something is bothering you, make sure to communicate it! Otherwise, you can’t really expect anything to change.
These tips are not all that it takes to have a successful internship, but they are a great start. As you go throughout your internship and other experiences remember that this should be a learning experience and the first step on your career journey. The summer goes quick and especially a program like Birthright Israel Excel goes extremely quick. In addition, beyond just your time at work, make sure to bring many of these same principles throughout your time this summer and grow personally in addition to professionally. Also, keep in mind that although the program might end the relationships and friendships you make don’t need to end with the end of summer. Have a great time, take lots of pictures, and make sure to go to the beach as much as you can!
Jake Heller is a 2018 Excel Fellow formerly of Deloitte’s ITT Division under the Ecommerce, AR/VR, and Fintech domains. A rising Senior at Babson College, Jake will be working at Innosight in Boston this Summer doing Innovation Strategy Consulting. When Jake isn’t thinking about startups or finding the perfect avocado, he loves exploring new cities and going on hikes with his dog.
Hadar Pode (Excel 2013) serves on Excel’s steering committee and for the past 3 years have mentored American and Israeli fellows. She’s an IDF 8200 alumna, a High-Tech Lawyer, led Deloitte’s startup practice and is currently the Director of the Porsche Digital Lab in Tel-Aviv.
