My Internship Journey With Vodafone Idea Limited

This summer, I interned with Vodafone Idea Limited in the Human Resources domain. The two-month internship journey was a wonderful learning experience and a lot of fun at the same time. To give a little brief about the run-up to the internship, I would go into the preparation strategy I followed for the interview. Since the placements happen at a time when the students have just selected their specializations, it is a rare chance that they would be questioned on complex domain knowledge. So my preparation primarily entailed being clear about the basic HR terms and concepts. One key point which is always suggested is: to know your resume inside out and I cannot stress enough on this point because my interview was resume based. When the placement season started, obviously I was nervous but I kept jotting down important points about the company I was interviewing for. For example their headquarters, a brief history of the company, the leaders, any current news about the company etc. This just goes on to show one has researched well about the organization and is keen to be a part of the organization. According to me, in the end, what eventually pays off is being honest about yourself. Instead of trying to portray something to please the interviewer, it is always better to be true to yourself because the interviewer can always see through you: this is something I absolutely believe in and practised throughout. All these things helped me in getting selected for an internship with Vodafone Idea Limited. As the internship was about to begin, COVID 19 struck and everyone was at a loss about how to cope up. But, Vodafone Idea Limited kept its word and went fully virtual. Even though the internship was virtual, the experience was no less than a non-virtual internship. We had an amazing onboarding experience, my mentors were available whenever I needed them and they supported and guided me all along. My project was to "Find ways to increase the retention of Learning and Development interventions among the employees”. I was constantly encouraged to put forward my ideas and was given a lot of creative liberty. I got to interact with a lot of people in the industry and also got insights from the VIL employees. All these enriching exchanges ensured that my project culminated into an implementable plan. Each day was a new learning experience when I got to interact with my peers, mentors and the Senior Leadership. The frequent reviews that we had, ensured we had feedback available to us at every step and helped us prepare better for the final reviews. As a takeaway from my internship journey, I have learnt a lot about the L&D vertical and what different organizations are doing in this area. I also understood the Telecom sector and how it works. On a personal level, I realized the fact that the sooner we accept to change the better it is for us. The virtual model was new to everyone but realizing and accepting that was how it was going to be helped me make the best use of it. During the 1st year of my MBA, I was a part of the Alumni Relations Team. Being a part of a student committee ensured I learnt time management and prioritizing my deliverables. These qualities helped me a lot during my internship. The rigorous curriculum, committee work, competitions and events made me well conditioned to working in a team and working around tight deadlines as well. My advice to the juniors would be: not to think too much into the future and take each day as it comes. Taking everything as a learning experience and incorporating feedback received at every step helps a lot. In a B school or an internship journey, there is a diverse group of people one comes across and the opportunities to interact and learn are endless. At the end what matters more is the journey than the destination, so, make the most of it.

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