While joining NMIMS Bengaluru, the only thought that would pop up in my head every now and then was "How would everything be in the corporate world?". Being a fresher, I never got the chance to experience the work culture or as people say "Corporate Life". The thought kept haunting me until I started my internship with Kotak Mahindra Bank, Kolkata.
On the very first day, I went to office with a bunch of thoughts circling my mind, which came to rest when I met Mr. Rakesh Somani, the Zonal Credit Manager of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Kolkata region. He introduced me to the other members of his team and also to Bineet, who was interning along with me. The team briefed me on the culture, policies, working hours, and of course, the project that I was supposed to be working on for the next two months.
My role at Kotak Mahindra Bank was of a Credit Analyst. I had to look into the files of the borrowers and analyse their financial statements. Along with the financial statements, I had to analyse their CIBIL Report and also understand their business model.
Being a fresher and a graduate in Marketing, I had very little idea about financial statements. Although it took a while to learn the process, it wouldn't have been possible without the support of the Credit Managers at Kotak Mahindra Bank. Those people were the backbone of the office and no file could be processed without their approval.
The best part about my Internship with Kotak Mahindra Bank was meeting the clients. When you meet a person and discuss about their business model, you get to learn a lot. Some of the customers were so good that they would treat us like someone who is their own and discuss everything with us without hesitating. Some would also treat us with mouth watering snacks and desserts.
Classroom learning is effective but when you practice something, you learn even better. The same happened with me during my internship. The two months taught me a lot about finance which I couldn't have learnt in the classroom. The exposure to different customers taught me a lot about the different mindsets people have with regard to the same industry and also to face challenges in the real world.
At the end of my internship, I got the answer to the thought circling my mind - Life in the corporate world is simple and amazing until you do what you really want to do. Do what you really want to do and enjoy what you do!
P.S. - My Mentor, Mr. Vivek Kumar Kheria, was an amazing person. He taught me everything that was required and was always reachable. To say the least, it might be difficult to have people like him in any office.