I’m a rising college junior studying statistics & mathematics in Singapore, and when I first heard about the TSC internship, I thought it would be a great way to see real world applications of data science and analytics. Having just finished my internship with TSC, I think I’ve gained not only exposure to data science but also invaluable experience in all parts of the startup process. Although I signed up as a Project Management Intern, my job scope ended up involving much more as TSC gave me significant responsibility in projects, sales, and business development. I wanted to share some of the characteristics of my internship that made it a really amazing experience, and that I think anyone should look out for when looking for a summer internship.

1. Giving interns work that has value for the company

In my time at TSC, I was attached first to the Sustainable Packaging system with a focus on presenting an audit report to our Fortune 100 F&B clients. Later on, I was able to sit in on meetings with our clients and even pitch systems to them, after working with the Business Development team on our client acquisition strategy. I felt that the degree of responsibility given to the interns was really incredible, especially as we got to do work that created real impact for the company. This was balanced by the fact that the work was designed to be challenging yet manageable, and our mentors were available at all time to help answer questions and guide us through the process. The care with which my supervisors at TSC assigned and directed our work meant that I was learning something new everyday, and this greatly contributed to my growth as a member of the team.

2. Allowing interns to have the freedom to craft their own experience

My internship was planned out with me rotating between some project managers and the business developments team, designed to give interns a broad coverage of all functions. I found this to be a really great experience, as I got to see how everything comes together to make TSC work. But beyond that, the team was very supportive of interns choosing projects according to interest. I was able to extend my time with the Sustainability-focused system in order to give the necessary time to the audit, and I received a lot of support from my supervisors in this decision. My fellow interns also started off with project management work, but transitioned into doing work for the tech team and sales team as opportunities arose. I think this flexibility really allowed the interns to contribute in our areas of interest, which also meant that we produced better work overall.

3. Bringing interns in as part of the team

Something I really loved about working at TSC were the weekly Monday team meetings, where every member of the company would tell each other about the work they’d be doing that week along with any milestones achieved the week prior. I felt that it was a great way to bring the team together with the victories, as well as to highlight opportunities within our ongoing projects. Including the interns meant giving us all a real stake in the company’s future and made us all feel invested in doing our best work. It also created a really friendly and open atmosphere, where everyone in the team became approachable for jumping on new projects and helping each other out. It was a really positive experience and I hope to take this practice with me in my future projects.

Overall, I had an incredible educational experience, not least because my team had amazingly intelligent and driven people who I’ll never forget. For students looking for all of the above, I recommend applying to TSC for an unforgettable experience (plus Thursday night parties!)

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