Summertime is going to be quiet for me travelwise as many of the groups I work with don’t do training during the Summer months. You can never get everyone together due to good weather or people flying to good weather. I have two web apps that I’ll be working on during this time but I’ve been thinking that I’d love to learn about different types of businesses and what they do. Being chained to my own desk is boring. Sport stars cross-train and learn different disciplines, why not business people? So I’d like to do 4-5 internships, each 5-7 days in duration over the Summer months with some companies. Maybe this idea will work, maybe it won’t. Maybe other businesses should consider doing the same thing?
What I get:
I get to be immersed for a week with a company that is doing interesting things and the people are willing to show me the ropes. I learn new approaches to business and get to grips with the internal natural language of different companies. The more I understand about different businesses, the better I am with working with those business types.
What the company gets:
Me! Someone that can show them how to communicate via blogs, social networks, Twitter, do online marketing, how to do better presentations, do media stuff, tell them how to work with those web kids and encourage them to use more expletives. Ok, maybe not that last one.
Requirements:
Since I’ll still need to operate the dayjob stuff, I’ll need a desk and a net connection to answer a few things that will come in during the working day. Inventing some bogus role where I end up doing no more than licking envelopes ain’t gonna fly. Suit? Not really. I’d need to be a core part of the team/company. Bring the Corkman to meetings, you know?
There is also a premium model
Which you can steal! I’m sorry but I’m going to turn down most offers (if I get any) because I’m thinking a few companies in the same area would be interested in this. I actually think that bringing in someone for a few days in a row can work out better than having them come in now and then and consult. Again it’s down to that immersion thing. Some good examples are when you’re onsite and people ask each other advice and you know you have a better way of doing something they already believe they are doing efficiently. Bit like Twitter ain’t it? The conversational subtleties are where the gold is. I won’t be offering this right now though but as a company, if you are one, maybe you should consider doing this or offering this?
Give me a shout if you think your company would be interested in this.
