Through the EVOLVE SERIES, we, the Media Committee, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, strive to exhibit what it takes to excel at the rich internship roles offered by through IIFT. We hope this series would be extremely useful for aspirants and also to all students to envisage a right head start into their SIP!
In today's interview, we have Mudit Gandhi with us from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade's Class of 2021! Before we hop on to his interview, here's a brief of his profile:
Internship Company: Bajaj Auto Ltd. ||
Internship Role: Sales & Marketing ||
Background: B.E. (Hons.) Manufacturing Engineering M.Sc. (Hons.); Physics; MBA - International Business (Marketing & Strategy) ||
Hobbies: Teaching, Travelling, Playing the Guitar, Medium distance running/cycling/swimming, Geography, Following F1 & MotoGP
How did you prepare for this role?
First, I ensured that I was sure about my CV and how I feel my career path goes along with the role.
Second, I spoke with MTs and previous interns who knew what the role requires. Understood the company values and see if I fit in. I practised psychometric tests too and analyzed my traits.
Third, when on the job, I made sure that I am completely transparent and well connected with guide/mentor. That being said, I reached out to a variety of stakeholders, from customers to dealers to vendors and to other managers in the company to understand their outlook on my project.
Then I paved a way to perform the study/task given. I ensured that I provided a holistic solution, not just what the project title says. Like for example, if I am to make a marketing plan for a particular product line, I ensured that I give financials and operational details as well.
Your selection process experience for this company:
The first step was a psychometric test relating to motivation and personality traits. Following which I had two rounds of interviews.
The first was mostly an HR round to understand if I would be able to take the challenges of the role and if I really know about the business.
The second was mostly about my interests, some sales strategies and some nitty-gritty of the automotive business were also discussed.
Overall, I felt that they tested both, whether I match with the requirements of the role and whether I would enjoy my work and be able to deliver for a long time.
Your overall experience during the internship:
Working from home had its own challenges, but the team made sure that we were given projects which were actually relevant to the business. With its challenges, we were made to feel comfortable and pampered. The onboarding in terms of IT and connecting us with the right stakeholders was pretty streamlined and quick.
I was able to start working on Day 1. The project exposed me to an entirely new business line and consider a lot of things from business models to market sizing. I got an opportunity to speak with a lot of stakeholders, from the President of the business line to prospective customers and vendors.
Overall, I feel it is the people who make or break your work experience, and for me, everyone involved and especially my mentor was super supportive of any ideas I wanted to experiment with.
Technical skills used:
- Vendor Evaluation (Concepts of Sourcing from SCM)
- Market Sizing
- Business Models in the B2B2C channel
- Negotiations
- Relationship Management
- MS Excel/PPT
Factors which you think got you the PPO:
Establishing good relationships with the vendors and evaluating them with a fair and well-planned method. Relationship with my mentor and ensuring that I go over and above all deliverables in the given time. Also, culture fit.
How has IIFT helped you in this internship?
IIFT helped me with being more punctual and professional. Working in teams is something very important that a good B-School teaches you.
Taking a cue from it, I networked within the organization and outside. This really helped me understand the business requirements and map the market scenario.
As far as technical skills are concerned, SCM and Marketing Management were some of the courses I used concepts from. But overall, I feel corporate competitions helped me a lot to work on this project.
The knowledge of International Business and the accompanying network helped me explore import options for the products I was working on. Overall, this is what sets IIFT apart.
***
Recommended For You:
"All The Help Is Available, All You Need To Do Is Ask" - Rishabh Drolia, Citibank PPO Holder - EVOLVE Series #1
My 'Absolutely Delightful' Virtual Summer Internship With JPMC - Juhi Dugar, JPMC PPO Holder - Evolve Series #2
Kill Them With Trade - Summer Internship Experience With Louis Dreyfus - Aman Gupta, LDC PPO Holder - Evolve Series #3