While consulting always seemed as this super alluring career dream I had never been exposed to it and I thought this was a great opportunity to learn and experience a new career domain. I got the opportunity to intern with the Advisory Services of PriceWaterhouse Coopers
I had to report in Calcutta for a two-day induction. The induction kicked off on a great note, with the first glimpse of Consulting. It was thoroughly engaging because it was not something we could google and discover about the firm. The Partners and Senior Leaders of the firm putting forth their ideas about the business were extremely fascinating for all newbies. One interesting thing in the induction was that it wasn’t only the interns who were inducted in these sessions, they had joint induction sessions for all new joiners from Interns to Directors which I found very alluring since it reflected the flat nature of the firm and it also gave us our first opportunity to “network”. By the end of the induction on Day 2, I realise that the team I will be interning with is in the client location in Bhubaneswar. At first, I wasn’t too excited because I had spent one year of my MBA in that city and wanted to explore a new city. However, my first WhatsApp conversation with my buddy in Bhubaneswar turned out to be really good and I sort of had an assurance that I would be with a good team. So, Day 3 with bag and baggage heading back to Bhubaneswar. We MBA students have this expectation of swanky offices, great amenities from our jobs and then I land in Bhubaneswar reach the client location. Revelation happens when I get to know the client is a Government department and obviously, the office was not quite “swanky”.
My manager was a true blue experienced consultant and I had so much to learn from him. The rest of the team was of equally seasoned professionals. My project was a part of the efforts the team is driving for modernising of economy and governance for the state. I have had innumerable discussions that we need to improve Governance in India and emulate Western countries but never had a chance to be on the other side driving a change. This was my chance to make a difference, however small. My projects involved building a framework and conceptualisation of CSR Institutionalization for the state focusing on making it a web based platform, supporting the team in enhancing Ease of Doing Business in the State making it a preferred investment destination, Analyse utilisation of the state-run training institutes in Odisha.
At the end of these two months apart from having the brand name of PwC on my resume I also have an understanding of the Government. Whilst, it’s much easier to sit on the other side and comment on the loopholes, it’s a massive structure which is undergoing a helluva of change. I believe there are few instances as MBA grads where we actually get to work for the state, this was my internship experience of “not so swanky offices but of great learnings”