It’s been a really long time, since my last post. Mainly because I was doing my internships over at ArbitronTM and kept reaching home really late to have any time at all to blog. But now that that’s behind me, I thought I’d put in a quick post about my interns and what little I’ve learned about the IT services industry in these 2 months.
The first thing any newbie would notice about an IT services company (I’ve been told that all companies are more alike that different) is the individual-driven culture that each one follows. They seem to have realized that each person is different in how how he/she may function and the company provides ample legroom to fit in one’s personal laundry as long as the person gets the work done. And the system works. Every person is his own master and thus is actively involved in reaming out that quota of work to which he is given sole rights and for which he is responsible.
I’ve always felt that the American influence is pretty evident in all service companies. And I can see only one reason why that should happen. The IT field, as we all know is still an industry in it adolescence, compared to the “core” disciplines of engineering. The true IT boom started around the 80’s when almost all the major companies today first started out. At that time, it was generally thought that for someone to choose a career in IT, let alone one of self-employment, he had to be either a bold risk-taker or an ill-advised loon. So, the IT industry started as a collection of risk-takers and loons. And the bold among them managed to transform the industry into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. Since, the industry itself is pretty young, the core culture that guides it is also modern, trendy and worker-oriented; all the hot-shots .
All this was just a bird’s-eye view from my two month spree over at Arbitron (where, being an American company, the influence was obvious). Since, my interns wouldn’t convert I had none of the “insider” privileges as in those that did convert. Nevertheless, as soon as you start, the ferocity with which they protect their data is nothing short of creepy. Being a data-addict with a marked tendency toward manic downloading, I took a lot a heat when they found I’d downloaded 20 gigs in 5 weeks and wanted to copy the data to an external. I had to get permission from my boss, hand in a complete list of the 500 files I wanted to copy, get the files reviewed by System Services, wait two weeks until they came up with an official policy (the largest file size they had yet had a request for was 4 MB), have it further reviewed by the boss… until I gave up the entire business as being a bad job. However, once you have a look at the arena, with their rivals, the fierce market for intellectual property and data privacy, you start to understand their obsession with security of all kinds.
I don’t know it that’s how it is with all companies, but my boss over at Arbitron regarded the whole internship thing more as something good for us than a chance to milk some cheap ass for the company. Things so being we found ourselves with a pretty good project albeit with a rather relaxed deadline. We were given nearly 3 weeks to get acquainted with the in-house technologies, their frameworks, etc. The schedule, as it turned out, was roomy enough to accommodate an hour of pool and an hour-and-a-half of carroms everyday. No questions asked!
It’s been a really long time, since my last post. Mainly because I was doing my internships over at ArbitronTM and kept reaching home really late to have any time at all to blog. But now that that’s behind me, I thought I’d put in a quick post about my interns and what little I’ve learned about the IT services industry in these 2 months.
The first thing any newbie would notice about an IT services company (I’ve been told that all companies are more alike that different) is the individual-driven culture that each one follows. They seem to have realized that each person is different in how how he/she may function and the company provides ample legroom to fit in one’s personal laundry as long as the person gets the work done. And the system works. Every person is his own master and thus is actively involved in reaming out that quota of work to which he is given sole rights and for which he is responsible.
I’ve always felt that the American influence is pretty evident in all service companies. And I can see only one reason why that should happen. The IT field, as we all know is still an industry in it adolescence, compared to the “core” disciplines of engineering. The true IT boom started around the 80’s when almost all the major companies today first started out. At that time, it was generally thought that for someone to choose a career in IT, let alone one of self-employment, he had to be either a bold risk-taker or an ill-advised loon. So, the IT industry started as a collection of risk-takers and loons. And the bold among them managed to transform the industry into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. Since, the industry itself is pretty young, the core culture that guides it is also modern, trendy and worker-oriented; all the hot-shots .
All this was just a bird’s-eye view from my two month spree over at Arbitron (where, being an American company, the influence was obvious). Since, my interns wouldn’t convert I had none of the “insider” privileges as in those that did convert. Nevertheless, as soon as you start, the ferocity with which they protect their data is nothing short of creepy. Being a data-addict with a marked tendency toward manic downloading, I took a lot a heat when they found I’d downloaded 20 gigs in 5 weeks and wanted to copy the data to an external. I had to get permission from my boss, hand in a complete list of the 500 files I wanted to copy, get the files reviewed by System Services, wait two weeks until they came up with an official policy (the largest file size they had yet had a request for was 4 MB), have it further reviewed by the boss… until I gave up the entire business as being a bad job. However, once you have a look at the arena, with their rivals, the fierce market for intellectual property and data privacy, you start to understand their obsession with security of all kinds.
Once you’ve done something like this, especially when you start at the lowest rung of the work ladder, you’re better prepared to understand what different kinds of jobs could entail in the long run and what you’d rather be doing. For instance, while I liked the app-development we were entrusted, I really don’t see myself retiring while still making filter screens and login panels. Not that I ever did, but I now I also know why.
Finally, there was nothing about these interns that would change my life over (In fact, for the reason above, I’m trying to get placed and avoid Arbitron if ever they come for placements this year. I know, I’m a jerk.
Until geekier stuff, this is Karthik… trying to come up with plan B’s.
Nerdvanic G's 
