In this article, Montrina Sharma ,a student of IIM Bodh Gaya who interned at Kotak Mahindra Bank in the Human Resources domain, talks about her summer internship experience. Find out about how she prepared for the summer placements, her onboarding process, her experiences & what her learnings are during this internship.
Hi, Tell us about how you got selected for this internship? Take us through the moment you realized you had got the internship.
My interview was conducted at the end of December 2020. I had major technical issues during the interview process because of which the recruiter and I were disconnected for over 20 minutes. When we finally reconnected, I could sense an air of discomfort, but I tried to keep myself together and gave the interview the best that I could. I was certain that I wouldn't make it and I was ready to blame it on bad luck.
So, when the selection email came through within 2 days, my joy knew no bounds. Since I always wanted to pursue HR, I was really happy to have got the role and a reputed company for my summer internship.
On joining the company as an intern, how has your onboarding experience been like?
The onboarding experience was amazing. I have worked previously so I was aware of what onboarding and induction entails. But this was my first time attending an induction process online. It was certainly different from what I was used to, but definitely a noteworthy experience.
The Head TA along with another member of the HR team were there to welcome us. We met senior company executives who made us feel right at home and showed how fun working with the company could be. There were games involved, introductions of the interns in a quirky way - basically, everything that one would expect from an online induction process. All the boxes were checked and it was a wholesome experience.
How has your interaction with the team members and colleagues been like? How will you make sure to leave the best impression on your supervisors by the end of the internship?
All the interns in my organization are working on individual projects, so I don't have any team members to work with. I have my daily interaction with my project guide and also the Head TA who is guiding me through my project.
Our interactions have been quite frequent and productive. I am learning a lot from my mentors, not just related to my project work but also other technical aspects about Zoom and other platforms.
For the first week of the internship, I had to work alone as my guide was recovering from Covid and was on leave. The Head TA explained a brief about what my project entails and I did the best to do my research based on the information I had in hand. Now since we have been having regular meets, project work is getting easier and I feel more productive.
Working on an internship from home is not what I had in mind, but given the circumstances, we don't have much choice. So, I intend to learn the maximum that I can from my guides, as they have years of experience in their given fields and I am already learning a lot. I want to be attentive and eager to learn and I try my best to keep my guides engaged with my internship work as well, along with their regular work.
I do my work and send my report to them multiple times a week, and get their feedback on the same. I am hopeful that I am able to learn from them and contribute at least a little to the project that I am working on. I am hoping that some of my ideas are at least incorporated in the final plan of the company.
Tell us in brief, about the project you are currently working on and how is this project going to help the company?
My project revolves around understanding the digital experience of candidates applying for a job. Since everything is online now, candidate experience in the digital world is crucial for an organization to attract and retain the best talents that the market has to offer. My project involves studying the current processes in place, finding any areas of improvements and providing my ideas and recommendations for the same
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For the Class Of 2022, we are back with the 8th season of InsideIIM's Best 50 - India's Most Employable MBA Graduates - Class Of 2022! If you're graduating from a B-School in 2022, you're eligible to take part in this competition! Grab the chance to bring out your best side and impress your recruiters and peers. Take the opportunity to show the world why you are special, on your own terms.
If you're using a web browser (Mozilla or Google Chrome), then you can take part through this link. Otherwise, please download the Kampus App (Android | iOS), and head over to Competitions.