Stepping foot into the corporate world for the first time in your life becomes both an intimidating and exciting experience at the same time, isn’t it? You enter this world with your own set of prejudices, gearing up for a great career moving forward. You have this desire in your heart to make it a special one! The same was experienced by Amogh Jain who interned in the operations department at the much-coveted, Maersk GSC. This is what Amogh has to say about his experience!
Why did you choose to intern with Maersk GSC?
I wanted my first corporate experience to be at a company that offers good work culture. For me, this was the priority. I knew Maersk GSC will be able to provide me with that because they really abide by their values even in tiniest of things. They have a reputation of maintaining a balance between fun environment and demanding expectations. This is a healthy culture to be part of as it pushes you out of your comfort zone while maintaining low to medium stress. Interning with Maersk GSC was really a great learning opportunity!
What all did you like about Maersk GSC?
One thing that’s appreciated throughout the industry about Maersk GSC is its work culture. It genuinely cares about its employees and would never compromise on its values. That makes the work environment really transparent and provides interns with the required confidence and peace of mind – that for me is very important. Moreover, I was not treated like a newcomer and was free to implement my ideas while getting guidance from senior members throughout.
It felt like a home where I would not wait for my office time to end. I was amazed by the way my team was joking around with the leaders. I would see the head of the department dancing around and playing pranks on my team members. I would see people joking and asking General Manager not to talk too much and click a selfie.
One incident I will never forget is watching the Global Execution Lead of my department coming near my desk and tickling one of my teammates. He then gave him a painting he especially got for him from Thailand as a gift. It made me feel that human-level connection with the senior leaders in the company.
What is the selection procedure for an internship at Maersk GSC? How was your interview?
The selection procedure consists of resume shortlisting which is followed by a GD-PI round. The GD topic was: “
Is social media becoming a menace?”
In my panel, the interviewer was taking a stress interview of almost every candidate. However, as my turn came, it turned out to be a pretty good conversation. Coincidentally, the interviewer also turned out to be well-read about Swami Vivekanada’s philosophy and we ended up having a long discussion around that. I was also asked why I chose to do a sales internship at IBM and Dell during my B.Tech. Then there were discussions around my hobbies which are reading and writing hindi nazms.
Apart from general HR questions, other questions that were asked were:
- What are your goals five years down the line?
- Why do you want to come to this industry? Are you aware of the various challenges and demands?
What was your internship about?
My Internship at Maersk GSC was for an Operations oriented role which centered around setting up Turnaround Time metrics. I had to collaborate between cross-functional teams, one of which was in Copenhagen and other being in Chennai while my posting was in Mumbai. This allowed me to build hard-skills that relate to process designing, dependency identification and reduction, setting up appropriate KPIs, implementing a new process in a complex environment alongside soft-skills that relate to negotiation and collaboration.
What was your learning from the internship?
I am through and through a Delhi boy. From my graduation to my B-School, all have been under the Delhi sky! For my internship at Maersk GSC, I had to live in Mumbai. It was a totally different experience to live on my own. My manager would joke around when I submitted the reimbursement bills, that I had poha for breakfast for 2 months straight!
On the very first day itself, we were allotted a buddy who would guide us on the various functions of the organization. I learnt a lot about how to think like a team player from him. Most importantly, I got to experience the role of operations real-time while working at ports in Mumbai. Also, Maersk GSC being a very value-oriented organization, I learnt how important it is to practice them in every small decision for the greater good and how each of its employees stay motivated by abiding by the values.
We also had feedback sessions which helped me to understand how I can improve my work and my personality in different ways. Also, some guidelines from my mentor allowed me to realize the amount of planning the manager does for each team member before every meeting.
What have been your best memories from the internship?
Two memories stand out for me. First one related to my first week at work. From the first week itself, I could sit with the leadership team in meetings and listen and contribute to their discussions. For me this was a huge opportunity to learn. This signalled to me how much faith they have in their interns and in me.
Second one related to the CSR visit we made to a school. That day spent with those children and the smile on their faces will forever be etched on my heart.
What advice would you like to give to aspirants looking for a career in Operations?
When it comes to jobs, people often compromise other things for a high pay package. I believe the culture of the organization and the people you are working with matter more than anything else. When it comes to an internship in operations, while work is important, the way you feel in the organization matters a lot more because it is difficult to bring changes in the operations of the company within 2 months. The soft skills that you acquire by observing and working with people in the leadership position will go a long way in defining your career. If you are a fresher entering the corporate world, this first experience will form your outlook towards the business world, so choose wisely.