Preparation Strategy
Before telling about my preparation strategy, I want to talk about Intuit’s recruitment process. So, basically, after their on-campus pre-placement talk (PPT), the first round involved solving a short HR case study. Well, the case itself was not more than 1 and a half pages long and students were asked to work on the case; answer the relevant questions as asked in the case, document the same in a proper way, and submit. Students who cleared this case study round would then proceed for the final interview round.
Now, coming to how I prepared with the case study, the first and foremost thing which I did was read the case thoroughly and multiple times. Since it was a relatively short case study, I tried reading between the lines and looked for information that could have been used but which was not necessarily explicitly mentioned in the case. Then, when I started to solve the case, I ensured that at first, I explained whatever information I could find and then proceeded to give my solutions to the case justifying every solution with the relevant findings I obtained. Finally, I ensured that since it had to be written in a document, there were no grammatical errors and I took care of whatever instructions that had been given with regards to aspects like ensuring the word limit, font size, font style, etc.
Tips To Crack The Interview
I was sure that the interview round would focus primarily on the case study solved in the previous round. So, I ensured that I knew my solution properly. By that I mean, I should be able to justify why I solved the case study in a particular way. I ensured that I remembered the sources from where I had taken help to solve the case. It is just like any presentation wherein one should be ready to answer any questions after one has presented. And coming to the company, I ensured that I researched thoroughly about Intuit as a company, their history, their mission, vision and values, their current products, their current financial situation, any new leadership appointments, etc. It is very important to be aware of the company and also relate one’s past experiences to how working for that company will be beneficial for the student in the long-term. Finally, a little bit of self-confidence and a slight smile on your face will ensure you give that awesome interview you know you can. Oh, and one other thing. It will be great if you have a question to ask the interviewers too about the company. This is where the research that you did on the company will play a crucial role.
Overall Internship Experience
Well, we are indeed living in a new normal with the advent of COVID-19. But that couldn’t stop Intuit from providing me a truly flawless and memorable internship experience. My internship with Intuit was for 8 weeks. Due to the pandemic, I did a remote internship from home. Right from Day 0 on the internship, which started with my virtual onboarding, I was bowled over by the warmth and welcoming attitude of my team at Intuit. These were people who had a wealth of experience in their domains and it just amazed me to see how excited they were to welcome me to their team, even though I was just an intern for 8 weeks. I was given a really interesting project to work on, one which aligned with my interests too. I was assigned a mentor and manager. Throughout the internship, both my mentor as well as my manager were strong pillars of support who ensured that I was on track with my project deliverables, gave feedback wherever needed, and most importantly, ensured that I learned all along the way. The culture at Intuit is so open and transparent that I could reach out to anyone and everyone whenever I wanted to. And everybody encouraged me to do so too. I built connections with the people there which I believe will last a lifetime. I was an active participant in various company town halls, CSR activities, team-building activities, etc. I was given the responsibility of organizing some of these too. This shows that an intern is not there just to deliver a project. But Intuit believes in the holistic approach towards the development of the intern. You might come across various newspapers and websites saying Intuit is a great place to work. Well, it surely is. And I will be forever blessed to have been able to intern at this great company.
Key Learnings and Takeaways From This Internship
Those 8 weeks at Intuit had been a treasure trove of learning experiences for me. Experiences that I am sure will help me both professionally and personally. However, some of the key learnings and takeaways from the internship were:
- I learned how to drill down macro-level problem statements to simpler micro-level chunks which helped me tackle the project assigned to me effectively.
- I understood how to find my target audience for any problem statement and devise solutions accordingly.
- I understood the role empathy plays in devising successful and effective solutions.
- By interacting with various team members, I was able to learn so much about how HR as a function works at Intuit and what were some of their best practices.
- With the novel remote internship concept, I learned adaptability and learning to welcome change and ambiguity.
Learnings From The First Year Of MBA And How They Helped During The Internship
You might be aware that the first year in any MBA program is tough and hectic. Having pursued engineering during my undergraduate, there were many new subjects, many new concepts I had to learn. It was tough initially but with perseverance and support from my teachers and friends, I was able to cope up with them. Apart from the technical skills, what the first year of MBA teaches you is to be resilient and stretch yourself beyond your capabilities. These are qualities that will surely help one during their internships. Coming to more tangible skills, concepts taught in subjects in my first year like Talent Acquisition and Performance Management Systems, helped me a great deal during the internship. Also, having participated in several corporate competitions, they helped me develop a problem-solving mindset as well as refined my presentation skills.
Advice To Juniors
My first advice would be to never stop believing in yourself and your abilities. When the summer placement season begins, it is very easy to get bogged down by pressure and become demotivated with negativity. But it is in these times where you need to keep working and being resilient. Even if you get rejected by one company, numerous others can choose you. Also, don’t judge an internship by the company which is providing the internship or by the stipend being offered. What matters in any internship is how much learning you can extract from it. Stop comparing yourself to others and believe that you have something special to give to the world. First-year of an MBA is tough but believe me, it is fun too. Yes, do have fun along the way. Make memories. Make friends. Don’t limit your learning to only classrooms. Learn online. Learn from your friends. Learn from the environment. You have what it takes to succeed and more.