After all the hustle & bustle of the extremely exhausting three months prior to summer placements, I was chosen for the Sales & Marketing role with CEAT (RPG). The memories of my interview day have not yet faded. I wasn't just nervous - I was a walking and talking embodiment of cold sweat. Being a person with high work experience, the general management role offered by RPG was one of the best opportunities I could have received from campus.
And even though the chances of my selection seemed very slim I was determined to, as is colloquially quoted, hold on tight and fight as hard as I could. After a day packed with group discussion, multiple rounds of interview and moments of stress, I finally made it to the final list for Impressions 2018. I still can’t forget that moment full of happy tears & excitement when they announced the results.
A week before I joined CEAT in Mumbai I connected with my mentor and I was briefed properly about my project. Even before we arrived on deck, we were divided into groups of six and we had to perform role plays based on the assigned values of RPG scheduled for our induction which definitely acted as an ice-breaking session for us. Finally the day of joining arrived, all the interns left the hotel for RPG House located in South Mumbai. RPG has a beautiful office very close to the sea-face & the famous Siddhi Vinayak Temple. The office is aesthetically pleasing from the outside as well as inside. One can see beautiful pieces of art placed all over the office, enthralling to stop by and watch.
The two-day induction process was exciting as, we got to interact with the senior leaders about the different businesses of RPG. Apart from the business sessions, we also had sessions with the Learning & OD team which introduced us to the work culture of the organisation. After the initial two days of induction, all of us moved to our respective businesses and locations and started with our projects.
I joined CEAT under my mentor, who is the Category Head for Trucks and had a very vibrant personality and it was an honour to work with him. I was assigned a project on strengthening the relationship with Fleets and Institutions for TBR (replacement category). For my project, I had to speak to people in different functions/ roles including people from the top management, which was an incredible experience. I had to work with different teams right from Sales & Marketing, Central Planning, Service to IT/Digital marketing. I got a hands-on experience to practically use the nuances of Marketing and Sales, which I could never have learned from books. The best part was that my mentor and team members were very open to my suggestions. Even though I was an intern, my ideas were always welcomed and I was able to execute them in such a short duration of time.
I also got a chance to organise and lead few team meetings, which contributed in key decision making for the project I was working on. Overall, the responsibility and flexibility I got on my project was outstanding. There was immense support, guidance and openness of people at CEAT. Everyone was approachable and ready to answer my questions which helped me in enriching my understanding of the business significantly. We had multiple reviews at regular intervals with my mentor as well as other function heads to make sure that I am moving in the right direction and to overcome the challenges I was facing for my project.
Finally, the day was here when my work was going to be judged, based on which I could have got a nomination for the prestigious “Arjuna Award”. It was unbelievable to see so many senior leaders sit and listen to my work, and be taken so seriously so early in my career. During the final presentation which was a little nerve-wracking, I was able to withstand the questions put up by the senior leaders. I was relieved after my presentation but as all the other interns, I was hoping to see my name in the Arjuna Award list. The list was out the next day of the final review and I had made it to the list of selected interns from different businesses of RPG. The experience was incomparable and something I will carry forward in my career not just as a fond memory but also an invaluable learning experience that I do not believe could be substituted by any other.
Thank you, RPG!
