What do you do if your expectations of internships in Digital Strategy don't match reality?

If your expectations for internships in Digital Strategy don't align with reality, it's crucial to adjust your expectations to better fit the internship's actual scope and opportunities. Internships can vary widely in terms of responsibilities, mentorship, and learning opportunities. Reflect on what you can realistically achieve and how you can make the most of the experience. Use this as an opportunity to develop resilience, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of the field, which are valuable skills in any digital strategy role.

One key thing we need to learn is there is a difference between setting a goal and having expectations. Firstly we all need to have a goal for any activity we intend to undertake. What does this internship mean to you? Why did you choose to do it in the first place. That’s how we approach having expectations. Are you doing the internships because of the company? Are you doing it to get a competitive advantage? How does the expectation you have fit in the ultimate goal? Thats the most important step . Measuring your expectations to the goal

That's the whole point of an internship: Gain a relatively realistic glimpse of the task and the work it entails. It may not be for you! Best to find that out now, before you've invested more time in the field. Bare minimum you are learning lessons about timing, perhaps the most important factor of all.

Keep an open mind. Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions... contribute heavily with your ideas, after all you're internship is in a very advanced and dynamic sector... When you do not understand something, don't be afraid to say so and ask for more clarification. Play hard, have fun

Ouvrir le dialogue est la meilleure façon de progresser. Il y a toujours un décalage entre ce que l'on apprend en école et les réalités concrètes du terrain. Néanmoins la stratégie digitale est un sujet vaste et dépend énormément du secteur d'activité, de la taille de la boite, de ses moyens, de ses objectif et de ses valeurs. Alors essayer de comprendre au mieux les tenants et les aboutissants pour ne pas être perdu !

Quando me deparo com uma discrepância entre minhas expectativas e minhas tarefas reais, percebo a importância de buscar clareza. Isso significa iniciar uma conversa com meu supervisor para discutir minha função e expressar meu interesse em me envolver com aspectos mais estratégicos do trabalho. Comunicar minhas preocupações de forma eficaz e entender os motivos por trás das atribuições atuais é fundamental para alinhar minhas expectativas com as realidades do negócio. Ao iniciar essa conversa, não apenas busco esclarecimentos sobre minhas responsabilidades atuais, mas também demonstro minha disposição para assumir projetos mais envolvidos e estratégicos.

An intern who is proactive is an intern any company would want to keep. Look out for loopholes and innovative ways to help the team and pitch it to the supervisor, this not only makes you visible but is telling that you enjoy what you doing and want the company to grow.

Si vous pensez que quelque chose manque à la stratégie en place n'hésitez pas à le suggérer à votre référent, en toute humilité évidemment. En expliquant point par point ce que ça pourrait apporter à l'entreprise. On ne pourra que vous en être reconnaissant, et si vous vous êtes trompés, ce n'est pas grave. c'est en faisant des erreurs que l'on progresse !

Most people downplay the importance of networking and having conversations with team members and leaders. Have professional conversations and find out how you can do your work well. This helps you get in tuned with the organisation’s culture also

I can only speak from my experience, I do believe the following two things to be true: 1- skills are transferable. Use the time in internships to develop skills both hard and soft skills and learn from mentors and people who reflect or exude the presence you want to have in your career. That will help you more than you realize at the start. 2- don’t think of an internship as a filler or small role. In my experience, speaking up and pushing big ideas is a great way to kickstart connections and to showcase your thinking. It can also open doors for extending positions into full time roles.

If your expectations arent met do these 3 things : 1. Set a goal for your internships 2. Match your expectations to the goals you have set . 3. Communicate with your supervisor on some innovative ways the team can work on 4. Networking to get in tuned with the office culture

Since internship, digital and strategy can all be very broad and ambiguous in scope, it is possible that the reality does not meet expectations. Two things I would suggest: 1. Reevaluate - narrow the scope of your expectations and become more focused. Perhaps there is a specific domain area, an industry vertical or a type of technology you are most interested. Rather than digital strategy, think digital strategy for consumer banking leveraging #GenAI. 2. Once you gain more clarity, look at the current internship from a different angle. Maybe you didn't get to practice the technical skills you hoped for but you gained understanding of the digital business process. Maybe it's not the industry you want to be in but you made contacts.

If your expectations of an internship on digital strategy don’t match reality, first, assess the specific gaps between your expectations and the actual experience. Then, communicate your concerns or areas of disappointment with your supervisor or mentor in a constructive manner. Seek clarification on the goals and responsibilities of the internship, and express your willingness to adapt and learn. Use the opportunity to gain insights and skills that may still be valuable for your future career, and if necessary, explore how you can align your internship experience more closely with your initial expectations.