Getting accepted into Universal Business School (UBS), Mumbai was the turning point of my life. Growing up and getting my primary and secondary education in a Marathi medium school in the city of Nashik had its own benefits but also a few difficulties. Dedication and sincerity were instilled in right along with an abundance of self-doubt. Will I be accepted in this professional world? Will I be laughed at? How do I communicate well? and many such questions paraded my mind. Nevertheless, it didn't hinder the hope for amazing life and excitement about getting this opportunity and with bags packed with necessities and eyes packed with dreams I set out on this journey.
"There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that, once unleashed, can make any vision, dream, or desire a reality." - Anthony Robbins
Saying my life in the first years at UBS was easy will not be fair to the struggles many students like me face, i.e., students from Marathi medium schools. Communication is a very important aspect of learning and growing in life and that was an obstacle for me, as my English was not as fluent and mastered but the support and encouragement lead me to work day and night and get where I am today. Getting elected as the President of UBS's CSR and synergy HR club (which is the most active club in UBS) was a beautiful moment for me, achieving best performance award in social project of Light of Life Trust (LOLT) was an emotional one and being titled UBS's first ethical Marshall was an unbelievable one.
"Opportunities don't happen. You create them." - Chris Grosser
As the studies continued, the time came for the moment I awaited the most, and that was the Internship season. Deciding which company to interview for is a very important decision and I sought out the help of professors and seniors in this process. Being a student of Finance, I gave more priority to taxation and shortlisted the options. The next step was to thoroughly study each company and understand their job descriptions. This way I got a list and interviewed for one of them, but sadly couldn't get accepted. Meanwhile, I kept this thought in my mind that whatever happens, happens for a reason. Then with my taxation certificates in hand, I did more preparation and interviewed for H&R Block (India) Pvt. Ltd. and was selected in the first try!
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
If we talk about the key aspects that make a long-lasting impression on an interviewer, they are genuineness, sincerity and simplicity. Read everything about the company and the job description and then answer and act accordingly, you have to follow the requirements stated and not act informally. Many students don't take internships seriously but it is one of the best opportunities to learn. You carry the college's reputation on your shoulders and it is imperative that you are conscious and effortful. Make 100% of this opportunity that you get and grow!
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." - Colin Powell
Starting the internship was difficult as I had to go through pages and pages of rules, regulations and sections. For the first 15 days, I had theoretical training that was lead by Hemant Bafana sir and Aishwarya Paradeshi ma'am. Hemant sir's overflowing language and easy teaching methods made me familiar with taxation in no time. Aishwarya ma’am took me into the complexities of client relations with confidence. She taught me how to talk with clients, how to understand their needs, how to handle escalations and more!
I then shifted to the floor work which was all about software training and was lead by Amol Karpe sir. I also called nearly 500 clients and the talked to them in a process called pitching and the conversion ratio was impressive. I then had to work on dummy cases and got tones of experience and were ready to work with real clients. After lots of hard work and tax filings, I got a message from my team head. I was selected for the prime team and couldn't contain my excitement! Getting to work in a prime team is like a dream come true for any MBA student.
Pushkaraj Dhokale, the head of the prime team, manages all the prime clients which are the main source of income for the company. Due to Pushkaraj sir's efforts and confidence, I could handle prime clients efficiently. Noticing my hard work and dedication, out of 10 prime team members, I alone was selected for the advanced tax filling and my lessons for it began and soon I started filing for customers. I also worked on simple and mid complex cases and handled many prime clients.
I was then promoted to the filing of capital gain which was complex and a field where only CAs work, and I became the only MBA in H&R Block's history and only one amongst 300 trainees to unlock this achievement. I also interviewed about 30 students for the expansion of the prime team and gave training to the trainees. I, along with the team, was interviewed by the MD of H&R Block and my group was one of the best groups amongst all the teams!
My contribution to the company was building a larger customer base that helped build revenue and in return also helped the income tax department. My customer satisfaction rate was high because of good service and dedicated work.
"I do what I feel is right. I am not scared to walk on a new path and take risks." - Amir Khan
If I talk about what I learned in all of this, the most important thing is hard work. The variety of work I got to experience in a single internship is something I'm thankful for. Income tax department sounds scary to a common man but it's very beneficial and helps us a lot. I learned how to file income tax, which many professionals charge a lot for and I wish to help people. The same goes with tax planning with which a better future awaits for me, my family and everyone I can help.
In the shortest amount of time, I learned many things, a fact which is commendable and my efforts and hard work always keep me high. I am still interning with this amazing company and promise to always produce the best results with the experience and knowledge I've gained.
Thanks to Universal Business School & H&R Block to provide me this golden opportunity!