It all started before we even knew it. Life at B-school had picked up the pace and tossed between assignments and quizzes, the process of summer internship placement had arrived. Whether we had enough time to prepare or not is something which a lot of students will be ready to debate upon. But that’s life, you’re never fully prepared for anything. A lot of books, a lot of tutorials and countless hours spent with the professors brought us up to speed with what is what in the business world and how businesses run. Bugging seniors everyday in hope to find solace and some comfort was a daily chore.
After all, this hustle, came the day of the interview. Being tested on concepts, personality and attitude was the game and I was ready to play. Round two was a pen and paper test which again tested knowledge and concepts. Again, dashing through it all I reached the final round of the interview. A very serious discussion on what I think the role would be and how I am planning to carry it out. Time passed very quickly as I told them what I think should be done to make the job more efficient and my take on the role. Finally, I was holding my breath when the result came out and I got to know I was selected.
Cut to the day of joining the office on the first day of the summer internship, nervous, confused and yet excited was the state of mind. Going back into the corporate after almost 2 years brought back a lot of memories. Fascinated by the ‘startup vibes’ of the office, I sat down with my mentor who briefed me about what the company does on ground level and what I was supposed to do as a part of the team. Initially, the understanding of the process took some time as it is always a learning curve, asking my mentor at each step. Once, I got used to the process, it was just fun learning which was left. My mentor was very patient and was always ready to help. His motto was,’ learn at your own pace but once you learn, be confident while you execute it’. This is also a personal life lesson for me because this philosophy is life changing.
Working for the company, chasing targets, completing them, and more importantly, improving the quality of work is what I did for the two months. And now the end was near, it was difficult to think of life without ‘a job’ but again, it was an internship and it had to end sometime. Again the college will start, again the classes will start and again we all will be too busy to miss this was my only thought. But what I had gained in the two months were – experience in a new domain, experience of working in a startup, working long hours to hit those targets, some new quantitative skills, some new friends but most importantly a mentor who became a role model for me and would always be a perfect mentor.