Day 5, almost 40 hours in office, and still, if you ask me what am I doing here, I don't think I really know. Factsheet speaks I'm doing an 8 week internship at this cool-looking heavy-slogging MNC. Worst of all, I'm working in an area probably I never will in my life, which is sheer tech, and to make it worse, sheer Chemical Engineering shit-tech. And the only thing I am 100% sure of at the moment is Hey, I'm a year too soon in here. I mean I barely
know of anyone in my senior year in my department doing a more 'technical' traning at the moment. And here I am, reading through HUNDREDS of documents and diagrams and design specs, all set to design this oil and gas plant in the middle of Sahara desert.
know of anyone in my senior year in my department doing a more 'technical' traning at the moment. And here I am, reading through HUNDREDS of documents and diagrams and design specs, all set to design this oil and gas plant in the middle of Sahara desert.
Actually, I think I have made it sound too bad. It isn't. Even chemical engineering isn't that bad, so I know that God forbid if someday I really am down to being jobless and homeless and starving, I might just take up a core job before thinking of suicide. For starters, this place is cool, like any MNC. I have a comfortable seat in a huge cubicle, my own internal phone, an official presence everywhere from the company's site to address books to mail accounts to employee data sheets. Every morning I need to reach at 8:30(yes I wake up at 6!! to get the 7:10 pickup)
all dressed up in formals, flashing my hi-tech Icard at the time recorder at the gates. It's all very grown-up types, and therefore looks nice atleast initially. since i do not have a very heavy workload yet either, even when I get home a full 12 hours after leaving, I'm still feeling good. What else could I want?
Actually I know what I want.
I seriously need some company, some conversation. None of the other interns is in my department, or even project, or even floor. I'm surrounded with Senior engineers and serious looking people who wouldn't talk to me even if I had the guts to approach them. Even my supervisor sits vertically opposite; he's very nice and he's the only person in this company, other than HR people and my cousin who works here in another building, whom I talk to. Two minutes back my supervisor told me they are changing my project and seat(and building, and maybe supervisor too)...now that I have learnt the basics of everything that's done here. So now when they give me realtime work, hopefully, I should get to do more interesting things. And I hope to get around to talking to someone.
I seriously need some company, some conversation. None of the other interns is in my department, or even project, or even floor. I'm surrounded with Senior engineers and serious looking people who wouldn't talk to me even if I had the guts to approach them. Even my supervisor sits vertically opposite; he's very nice and he's the only person in this company, other than HR people and my cousin who works here in another building, whom I talk to. Two minutes back my supervisor told me they are changing my project and seat(and building, and maybe supervisor too)...now that I have learnt the basics of everything that's done here. So now when they give me realtime work, hopefully, I should get to do more interesting things. And I hope to get around to talking to someone.
For those who know me and still are surprised by the fact that I have a problem getting a single sentence going with anyone, firstly you don't know me, and secondly, I don't even see it as a problem.
Thinking of it, however, makes me wonder about something. In a big crowd of total strangers, what kind of a person would one be attracted to talk to, as in the person profile u r more likely to be at ease with at conversation initiation. For women, one thing I can surely say is getting to talk to another women around is rather simpler, so gender bias is a sure thing. (There are no women within a 15 seat radius around me) Then, it'll be something about the body language of the people around. Happier, smiling, easy to go, talkative people are the types easier to talk to for a start right? I think i'd get to some research on this, till it's time for the next meeting. Seeya.
10 comments:
Exactly the opposite for me: all three interns sit in the same room on the same floor in the same building, even at the same table (although they are on different projects), and I do very little work. :)
I think this is the exact story every intern in any of these high-flying MNCs is living out right now!
Interesting post. I guess all internships are meant to be of the same type. Its quite a similar story here. Luckily, I have a few good looking guys around me, whom I can stare at, and a close friend who is also my project partner (but we hardly talk at that place).
Take care, Keep blogging. It was a nice comeback after that hiatus of about one and a half weeks!
Enjoy researching :P
Hyuck hyuck...enjoy as and when it comes :)!. And have a great stay...
I was blog skipping and noticed your blog... very interesting. My friend who is working in my dept has the same problem. She doesn't approach anyone coz she thinks they are intimidating. But I never thought so. Oh well I live in NZ so the working relationship here is wonderful. we have social dinners and lunches. going to festival as a staff. Its pretty fun. You said there is no female near where you are. So wouldn't that be easy. Most men i know find it better to talk to men rather then females....Anyone sharing my 2 cents.....Now skipping off to the next blog. I wonder who the poor person is going to be. Having to read my opinions and post
[robert frust]
Well, everything is an experience:)
[sunny]
:))
[tapasya]
lucky you. the onyl cute guy on my floor sits across the wall of my cubicle, and it's slightly rude to stand and stare like that u know. :(
[chitra]
thanx!
[jaya]
Welcome ma'am. Thanx for your comment. My thing is all these guys are soo senior to me, and usually busy..how can i invent a reason to talk to them!
we will have department meetings and things like that too. but i dont know how much will change.
agree with the point on men though..:)
I had similar experiences when i did my training. Knew nobody in the plant. What more the project i was on was not very much appreciated by most of the managers as it implied a closer watch on their reponsibilities.
After a month of internship, I began to like the silence. Used to go about on my work not talking much. I mean I made friends at the plant, people with whom I used to hang out after office hours. But within the office, that creepy eeriness which you first encounter, I got quite used to it.
After two months when the internship ended, I missed the ambience and the silence.
wonder why u had to make that statement about ppl being surprised that u don't talk too much... guess u read too much into harmless leg-pulling at times
have fun on ur intern... :)
[bikram]
nice to see you here, and even nicer to know that my experience is not abnormal:-)
i guess i like the silence too, so long as i keep getting work to do. and the net is always there. wat more i have a fone too.
[arpit]
thanx..that's a rare kind comment from you :P
enjoy urself...
If you ask me, it is difficult to initiate a conversation with anyone at all. Or maybe, it is easiest to talk to a person who stays quiet most of the time.
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