Let’s all start with a pretty basic post, the classic, “what I did this summer.” Well… this summer I was an intern at the McChrystal Group.

What is the McChrystal Group, you may ask?

It is a management consulting firm which helps companies gain “New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World.” (Yes, I did steal that tagline, not from the website, but from the book Team of Teams written by the founders). By now you should have read that line five times, and are perhaps still confused about what that means. Here is the short answer: Companies do not work, nor is it effective to work, in hierarchical structures. Instead, they are a networked team of teams, and to create a successful adaptive company, leaders should take the best aspects of teamwork in small teams and apply them to the company. Now of course there are many aspects to this, but that would take many more pages (288 pages to be exact).

Let’s move past the jargon of what the company does and move into what I learned while working there this summer.

When I first decided to intern here, I had one small worry (OK, maybe it was a big worry). Generally speaking, this internship really sounded like it had very little to do with my majors (Anthropology and STS), especially considering my background with computer science, and my desire to eventually work in a tech company.  It was something that people would often comment on.  I got encouraging and helpful responses (there is a hint of sarcasm here) like, “this sounds like an interesting job, but I don’t really understand why YOU are doing it.” and  “What does it have to do with your major?” This leads directly to the first important point that I discovered this summer:

1. Just because an internship doesn’t seem directly related to your major OR even what you might do in five years, it can still be an amazing developmental experience.

Through this internship, I have learned more about myself, and what I enjoy and dislike.  I now view as important everything from simple stuff like: “I want a company with a well-stocked fridge of free food” to “I like feeling (even as an intern) that I have access to high levels within the company.” This brings me to my second point:

2. Internships/past jobs have always allowed me to learn more about myself and what aspects I find important to look for in companies.

I learned how to do research for a company, and submit that research in a method that helps decisions get made. I learned that even though it is scary, public speaking is not always that bad. That feeling when I completed my first adult presentation was when I realized that in a year, I might just be ready to enter the workforce. I learned that it’s okay to say, “I don’t know” as long as you follow it with “but I’ll find out”, and actually do it. The final point being:

3. This internship has allowed me to develop great skills that I can take to any job I am going to have in the future, no matter what industry it is in.

At the end of the day, through all the anxiety, sweat and tears of the internship, I learned a lot and developed many skills that are central to moving forward. More importantly, I had a realization that even though I don’t want to do this whole “adulting thing”, I will most likely be fine at it.