Internships are an essential part of any business school curriculum. However, whether or not an internship turns into an amazing experience depends a lot on the company one interns with. With a company like Marico that cares about its people, a great experience is a natural consequence. Presenting Apeksha Singh, who successfully turned her Marico internship into a PPO!
Academically bright with a keen interest in technology, she had to her credit, a book called ‘Facebook Application Development’ during her stint as a Senior Software Engineer with Accenture Services. Apeksha found her calling when she bagged the internship at Marico. “During my MBA at S P Jain, I had done a project on Marico and I knew they are the pioneers when it comes to IT in the FMCG sector. I was very impressed by the kind of work they had done and were planning to do in future so I decided to give it a chance. It was something which I had never done before and it seemed in sync with my interest.”, said Apeksha.
The Golden Opportunity - Making a Difference at Marico
Being true to their core values of opportunity-seeking, excellence and innovation, Marico has a very different way of looking at things. As an organization, they don’t believe in the traditional way of allocating a project and waiting for one to complete it. Their expectation is that one makes their way forward by exploring, and transcending their own boundaries. Apeksha said, “I was given the opportunity to work on a project directly under the supervision of the CIO of Marico and it was the most exciting thing for me. It was a great learning experience. I imbibed an altogether different perspective and way of looking at things. Also, with the kind of project I was allocated, they ensured that every decision I took would directly affect the company. Bagging the opportunity to work on something that leaves an impact even after you leave is rare and Marico gave me that. During that phase, I felt like I was part of the company."
The perks of the Golden Opportunity
That’s not all. Marico steers clear of micromanagement of your projects at all levels. In their own words, “You become the CEO of your project”, thus for this short duration you think and act like a CEO taking full responsibility which results in an enriching internship experience with a wide range of exposure. It might not be easy but nothing great comes easy anyway and definitely teaches one to strive to achieve their dreams.
On converting the internship to a PPO
As easy as it may sound to convert water into wine, it really isn’t. Same is the case with a Marico PPO. Is it a simple case of turning up everyday for your internship and giving a satisfactory presentation at the end of it? It isn’t as easy as that as explained by Apeksha. She was examined on every aspect of her project, her work, her ambitions and why she thought Marico is the place for her. As Marico lays a lot of importance on an alignment between the candidate’s aspiration and the company’s vision, the only surefire way to get the job is if there is a perfect synergy between the two.
The key to ace the interview
Interviews can be quite nerve-wracking. So how do you ensure that the anxiety doesn’t get the better of you and you can give your best? Apeksha shared with us some tips to ace the interview with Marico. She said, “You need to offer something different to stand out from the crowd so I made sure I had some innovative and useful recommendations for Marico. I made sure I displayed my full potential in the Company Application Form (CAF) (used as a tool to evaluate a candidate) so that they can know who I am and what I stand for.” Also, the only thing that helped her during the interview was her confidence and honesty. As it reflected her true thoughts and her belief in them.
Key Learnings for Future Applicants:
- Find your passion and pursue it to the best of your ability
- Give a chance to something new - it might be the best opportunity
- ‘Think like a CEO, Act like a CEO’
- Offer something unique to make an impression
- Self-confidence is the prerequisite for great undertakings
'This is a Promoted Feature.'