Intern Diaries – Grace Lou

What were your responsibilities?

My responsibilities were to manage the relationship with the client, design and create project roadmap, supervise the entire research process from problem framing to solution delivery, and mentor two research assistants.

What was a typical day at work?

Monday usually is the busiest day. As a project lead, I started the day by calling on a team meeting in the morning to check on each teammate’s progress and planned and assigned research tasks to be done for the week. In the afternoon, I would read into everyone’s deliverables in-depth and gave feedback. Meanwhile, I would do my own research, checked in with clients, or consulted BEAR scientists on any project related subjects.

What was your favourite part of the internship?  

I appreciate the level of autonomy and trust I was given by my supervisor and the client, which motivated me to take full ownership of the project and be more proactive in seeking solutions. I also like the good balance between academics and practicality of the work I was doing. I enjoy providing actionable solutions based on rigorous research evidence.

What skills are important for this job?

It would help if you have a good understanding of how social science research is usually conducted. It also helps if you have experience in team management and project management. Last but not least, being empathetic and curious about human beings will ensure you reap great joy from the job.

What did you least expect going into the internship?

I least expected the level of ambiguity of the project. The initial project scoping stage was a huge challenge because the client could not provide a specific problem brief. It took us a lot of efforts going through all possible internal and external resources to figure out a path to proceed. During the process, I learned the importance of being agile and iterative.

Any advice for first year MBA Students?

Fully utilize any teamwork or case competition opportunities in your first year to gain hands-on people management skills and hone your integrative thinking. These are the essential skills that will ensure your success in whichever discipline you like.

What did you do before your MBA?

I worked in the insights and analytics function at the Walt Disney Company. I used data and ethnography to help the company form consumer-centric strategies.

What are your post MBA goals?

I will continue the path of user research. I want to pivot into a technology-driven company to inform the design of innovative products and services.