Greg S-K Ness ∞

The only method I've found that works is being honest and accurate - and bring proof to back up what you're saying. And if it's for instance a local zoning approval or similar permit with a public hearing, get to know the community over time, send your best colleagues who are relatable, patient and know the industry across verticals - and remember - it's local. Arrive early to the meetings and introduce yourself to people in the audience and staff members - just be a likable person. If you're going to a primarily agricultural county, don't send a finance person in a suit. And then show them what you're building via handouts or a trifold. NEVER trust the systems for a local government or similar public meeting space, assume they won't work.

Spending time to explain your thought process (even if seemingly mundane) pays off well when it comes to engaging and empowering your team. Avoid bogging them down with excessive reporting and facilitate cross team training so they better understand how members from other teams can support or amplify their work. Foster a work environment of collaboration and understand that different team members may express themselves differently - never fall into the "praise the extrovert" trap - often the true talent within an organization won't be the loudest voice in the room and will take note of this practice and respect the management less leading to resignations or decreased company morale.

In many cases in the renewable energy this is a result of the supervisor simply being under pressure to have the work product submitted externally (often with a concise, factual email) or upstream to investors, investment committees or similar approval bodies and thus the supervisor potentially forgot to name team members, or perhaps the setting wasn't appropriate. In other cases it's because they may be focused on an area outside of your specialty area (assuming the team has a diverse skill set), or may just not be aware of the internal dynamics between teams. In this latter scenario the best approach is to educate your supervisor (if the company is open to constructive, open feedback) about the actual vs. resume-described work you do.

I've typically found the best way to get the most out of an internship is to actively engage in the tasks you that you may find to be mundane - but are often stepping stones that, if done on time and done well, can convince your mentors to allocate more advanced assignments to you. In addition, learn more about your team and the organization - find out what gets your mentors excited - and use that information to leverage from them a more complex or bleeding edge assignment that can be worked on over time and be the culminating work product during the internship (if the organization allows this type of initiative, of course).

It can't be over emphasized: do your research on the sector and how the company participates in that sector. For instance, if you're interviewing for a position at a utility scale solar company, don't ask questions about the residential sector. Coming prepared with fundamental knowledge shows enthusiasm and will set you apart from the majority of entry level candidates.

Understand the backgrounds of your team members - are they new to the industry? Did they come from oil and gas originally, or a market with less (or more) regulations? What size organization have they worked within, and what was the collaboration like within that prior organization that may frame their point of reference? Are they more qualitative or quantitative in their apoeoach? Once you understand such consideration, you can direct your contributions more precisely and know how to market your skills, and add value to both them and the broader organization.