The onset of coronavirus has warped many practices for most of us. The management graduates had to bear the additional loss of a cherished once-in-a-life kind of experience, the summer internships. Here is a reminiscence of my internship journey at Meghraj Capital Advisors, which was a perpetual experience.
Back in days when I was a PLM consultant. Gradually I moved steps towards MBA in hope of expanding my knowledge base in financial modeling and project finance. My internship made me realize I knew few and had a lot to learn. In the virtual setup, you figure out a lot about the organization faster. Meghraj Capital did a splendid job, not because they showed us around, but because they enabled touchpoints with leadership at a very early stage in the internship.
Preparation strategy and Interview Experience:
I have always been interested in project Finance, so I chose to work in the field of project finance and financial modeling. If you are talking about the skills in which you are good at, one must choose and wait until you get the right opportunity. I believe in building skills and strengthening areas of interest. I did relevant research in the field of the renewable sector and current technologies.
My interviewer asked me regarding my skills, experiences, and career aspirations. I just didn’t repeat the things written on my resume. I explained to him thoroughly about the things mentioned with proper examples. I provided him with additional information with relevant anecdotes that I was not included in my resume. We had some great conversation which included my expectations as well. Some fun in between made the interview process go smooth. Maybe because it was the actual person from inside who was taking, no fake claims. Later I got a Congratulatory confirmation for Summer Internship at Meghraj Capital.
Internship Experience:
A shout out to my team! They are awesome people. Previously also I worked in a team-based and collaborative environment. This experience was delightful. With great levels of guidance, I got to work more efficiently. Everyone encouraged me so that I can learn. My mentor, senior consultants and managers provided me with the flexibility to work on my own from start to finish and motivated me to take complete ownership of the assigned deliverables, but also motivated me to meet the expectations.
I was pleasantly surprised by the projects and responsibilities I received as an Intern. Expeditiously I was introduced to the projects and became a part of two projects at Meghraj Capital: Electric Vehicles Charging infrastructure and Climate Finance. For the EV Charging Infrastructure project, I was asked to build a financial model to assess the viability of setting up the electric vehicles charging stations under various combinations of utilizing power from Solar and Grid. It included the assessment of the rate of return (IRR & MIRR), tariffs and Levelized cost of energy and Project “Climate Finance'' included the study of Climate Finance and various tools available in India to raise and support the mitigation and adaptation of various green projects along with readiness activity, climate funds, and sources: Bilateral and multilateral funds, coordination mechanism around Climate Finance in India: Scope in India and assessment of various consulting opportunities and private partners to scale up Climate Finance in India
First Year of MBA:
Practical implementation of assignments and case studies during the first year of MBA has helped me during the internship. Subjects such as Renewable Energy, Managerial Accounting, Financial Analysis, and Project Finance have helped me a lot during my internship. Mentors at Meghraj Capital have guided me in building financial models as current market demands.
For Juniors:
I want to give a few tips to those who will be going for their internship program in the future. Research a bit about the company and its projects so that you can enjoy your internship. Match the roles and responsibilities of your skills. Once you have a good understanding of what the employer is looking for, you can then match up your skills with their needs. Also, prepare yourself, your new career depends on your internship. Eminently reach out if you don’t understand the question. Lastly, stay calm.