Interning at PPS during the pandemic
Interning at PPS during the pandemic
The start of 2020 signalled the beginning of new journeys as a group of recent graduates were preparing to transition into the world of work.
Through the 12-month-long PPS Graduate Internship Development Programme (GIDP), 25 incumbents who joined the company were presented with an opportunity to gain on-the-job work experience. However, a month into the programme, the graduate interns’ experience was altered by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The new virtual world that companies such as PPS had to switch to in a very short time, became a new challenge to interns. Bulali Rozana shares how he identified opportunities for innovation, curiosity and being courageous, amid these trying circumstances.
“I started in the GIDP at PPS in February 2020 and was placed in the Operations Department within the Short-Term Insurance division. I had just started getting accustomed to the working environment – going to the office and networking – when the entire country went into the initial hard lockdown, recounts Bulali.
“The rest of the internship and our group’s time to gain work experience happened virtually. However, I gained great insights from the GIDP. One of them was the leadership course from the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI) and the University of South Africa. I come from a commercial background and TMALI exposed me to African thought leadership and its importance to the development of the continent. It also allowed me to think differently, and that way, my self-development had an added boost, which is exactly what I signed up for when I applied for the GIDP,” says Bulali.
Bulali notes that the pandemic disrupted many things, and without the right foundation, especially so early on in their professional career, one could make costly mistakes.
“I was given enough room to learn, ask questions and ensure that I remain on course. The PPS culture and values about taking extreme ownership, doing the right thing and being eternally curious were amplified and regularly reinforced. Knowing what the organisation and its people stand for helped me transition to the new world of work – it made working during a pandemic conducive and enjoyable.”
Starting one’s working career is only about highlights. Bulali says that it was a “lowlight” for him when the manager he started working under was transferred to a new role, and he had to adjust to this change. “However, there was a lot of support for me – a true example of extreme ownership.”
Bulali says he thinks that due to the lack of face-to-face interactions while adhering to lockdown regulations, he lost out on building valuable connections with prominent and experienced individuals at PPS.
“Even though many can state how difficult it was for the world to adapt to the new way of working, I genuinely believe this presented an opportunity for innovation, curiosity and being courageous. These are traits that I learnt during my time in the programme and because of that I am more than adequately prepared for the future,” concludes Bulali.