The day I landed the internship in PwC DIAC, I heaved a sigh of relief thinking “Good God, I don’t have to participate in the energy-sapping placement sessions anymore.” Excited I was to relive the corporate life once again. Going by the senior batches’ mantra – “Get a PPO and your life will be relaxed”, I wondered what if I don’t get a PPO. But as the saying goes, “the journey is more important than the destination”. In Mumbai, I was pretty much overwhelmed by the accommodation provided to us. Then came 3
rd April – our first day of internship at the office. We went in suits only to find that they had a relaxed dress code. It was such a comforting feeling as I felt uncomfortable with my sturdy physique not fitting in the formals. Once the project was assigned, meeting my mentors was the first priority.
Besides, I liked the provision of indoor games for unwinding; a facility that rejuvenated me throughout the 2 months. Then came DIAC Premier League. I was drafted to the “green” team. Green signifies chivalry in the Indian tricolour. True to it, we were chivalrous enough to let the other teams win and finish last in the standings. I played carrom where we went down despite a good fight. We had similar fate in football and soccer. Playing for the first time as a goalkeeper, I conceded 6 goals but took solace in the fact that I saved many more. The lunch with the Directors was entertaining. Amidst the lunch, we were informed of the mid-term presentation. And I thought – “The good times are over.” So began my continuous pursuit of the mentors to evaluate the findings of my steady research. My project required coupling of analytics and industry knowledge. Regular interactions with the industry stalwarts enriched my knowledge substantially. After the mid-term presentation where I surprisingly got good reviews, my project picked up steam. But so did my carrom sessions. My co-workers called me for carrom sessions whenever they needed a partner. And I used to oblige almost every time. In the days leading up to the final presentation, I received a shocker – “Your presentation with partners will happen at 11:30 pm”. I muttered to myself – “That’s when people go to sleep.” Then I was reminded of my late-night accomplishments at IIMB and my confidence came back. With stupendous effort, I prepared my presentation, got it reviewed by my mentors and rehearsed it. On the D-day, as the night grew old, I got an eerie feeling as I was the only person in the entire office. After the presentation, I felt on the top of the world. On the last day, by DIAC’s rituals, every parting colleague has to narrate his experience in the farewell session. As I pondered over the internship experience, I was surprised that I could form a bonding with the colleagues in a short duration. I also expressed the hope of returning back. Till then, I bid them “Adios!”