A Chance To “DISCOVER” My Potential
Summer Internship- the topic most discussed right from the beginning of the MBA journey. Being a fresher who has never really worked in an actual corporate environment, I was both excited and nervous about my summer stint with Vodafone. Excitement was for the first ever “real” project and nervousness because I did not have much idea about working of a telecom supply chain. But I was determined to give it my best shot and learn the most in the two months time.
I realised that I have a world of opportunities to learn from when I got to know that all the SCM interns (six in total) will be working at the corporate office in Mumbai itself. The exposure was surely huge but also the responsibility was more as one would be watched by people high up in the hierarchy. The journey began with a week-long induction wherein we got an overview of Vodafone’s business in India and also abroad. The week was packed with insightful sessions - right from how does a call get executed when we dial a number to visiting a distributor and seeing how is the SIM card availability maintained at smallest of the shops. We were lucky as we got to visit the Vodafone Business Services (VBS) office. The technological inventions made at that office mesmerized us.
The first week went by fast and then came the actual work. All the six SCM interns were given projects with the “Enablers and Operations” team. The project given to me sounded interesting (I had no clue how to go about it yet) and just when I was thinking of what do I begin with, my mentor told me that the project will go live in July with whatever work I do on it. And that made me more nervous (remember I said I am a fresher :p). But I planned out my work and started working accordingly. Two weeks went by and I gained momentum. Regular discussions with fellow interns, senior managers, DGM and GM gave me wonderful perspectives on different topics related to the project.
In the middle of the fourth week I was given an additional responsibility of two more projects! And then my previous work plan was no more of use to me. I then put my fourth gear on and decided to give it all and complete the work in the given time. The new assignment required talking to all the stakeholders of Vodafone-suppliers, SCM people, the technology teams as well as the team at Shared Services Centre of Vodafone based out of Ahmedabad. I also got to interact with the global team of Vodafone and discuss my recommendations with them. After all of the hard work the best part is when your recommendations get approved! That is the most wonderful feeling ever.
I am now working on the implementation of those ideas. The internship is soon coming to an end. And I must say the two months’ time has taught me more than any other experience. Not just on the work front but overall the experience has been enriching.
Travelling in Mumbai locals, taking a metro to skip traffic on roads and what not. The true spirit of a Mumbaikar is what I have got to live in the past eight weeks. Amidst all the work I also enjoyed a lot with my fellow interns who have now become really good friends of mine.
Interning with an MNC is truly different. Getting to know how business in India is different than business in rest of the world teaches you a lot. And when Vodafone says “POWER TO YOU”, it means that you are given full freedom to explore and bring out the best in you that will in turn bring out the best for the organisation. You just need to be out there with a passion to learn and it will be done! My key learnings from this internship are:
- There is a difference between how an idea looks on paper and how it gets executed in real life.
- Recommendations should always be backed up by data.
- Talking to as many people as possible gives you a lot of new ideas and perspectives
- A smile on face and politeness always helps!
So all in all, my first corporate experience has turned out to be Fantastic J
SANDESHA SHINDE
PGDIM-Batch of 2017
NITIE, Mumbai
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