During the second week of January, Future Point of View (FPOV) hosted its annual Micro-Internship, inviting eight college students to dive headfirst into the consulting world. The program’s goal was to arm these students with an understanding of consulting’s intricate dynamics and to immerse them in the innovative concepts that FPOV imparts to its clients.
For the internship program we crafted a comprehensive curriculum aimed at not only educating our interns about the consulting industry but also immersing them in the fields of forecasting, ideation, innovation, and the emerging technologies that are shaping our future.
Before our interns stepped into the office environment, we asked them to complete our proprietary assessments that gauge their personality traits and working styles. This was a deliberate exercise to align them into project groups that promoted a harmonious blend of skills and traits to ensure a fertile ground for collaboration.
This year, the group projects focused on quantum computing, breaking down the complex topic and delivering an interactive online assessment for FPOV’s web visitors. Divided into two groups our interns tackled the task of creating educational assessments for our website visitors. One group honed in on the technological benefits, while the other took a critical look at the associated risks, offering a comprehensive perspective on this revolutionary technology.
In tandem, each intern took on an individual project centered around forecasting the future of a particular industry, business area, or technology. We assigned these projects with the academic backgrounds and interests of each intern in mind.
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Each day kicked off with an engaging game of Future Forecasting, a strategic card game developed by FPOV, designed to stimulate thought and conversation about the possibilities that lie ahead. Also throughout the week, our CEO, Hart Brown, and other FPOV team members led insightful sessions on topics as diverse as The Future of Business, Digital Execution, and Co-Working with AI, enriching the interns’ learning experience.
Our goal for the internship was to create an interactive and collaborative learning experience. The interns rolled up their sleeves to participate in ThinkSprints around the importance of innovation and ideating on how the State of Oklahoma could capitalize on the opportunities of the future. Another exercise in innovation and problem-solving included leveraging the theory of inventive problem solving with the Nine Windows creativity technique.
Mid-week, a college spirit day brought a burst of color and camaraderie, with the FPOV team sporting the colors of their alma mater and the interns representing their current universities. We were proud to have interns representing Oklahoma schools, coming from Oklahoma State University, East Central University, and the University of Oklahoma.
As the week drew to a close, the interns polished their group projects and submitted their interactive online assessments which we made publicly available on fpov.com.
Take their assessments here:
On Friday, the final day of the week-long internship, the interns delivered their individual projects. They had the opportunity to practice their virtual presentation skills by recording the final presentations in the FPOV studio, displaying their findings through a visual presentation within a five minute time frame.
The 2024 Micro-Internship Program was nothing short of a triumph. It was an exchange of value where the interns gained invaluable insights while offering FPOV a refreshing perspective from the rising generation. If our interns are any indication of the future, we sure this rising generation is full of individuals more than capable of steering us through the challenges ahead and developing the innovations that will make the world, and the world of business, a better place!
About the Author
Trent’s natural curiosity for emerging technology makes him a great addition to FPOV’s Business Development team. As Business Expansion Manager, Trent leverages his passion for pitching new concepts to evangelize the FPOV offerings. Learn more about Trent Saunders.