Summer internships offer first-hand experience of corporate life and an insight into what the future holds for you. Cracking the internship process and working to stand out of the crowd to grab that dream job of yours is a work in progress until you get success.
Anshuman Patnaik, Business Management Batch of 2018-20, XIMB tells us about his experience while interning with Diageo India and shares his experience on how he eventually received an offer from GroupM.
1. What was the selection process followed by Diageo for summer placements?
Diageo India after merging with USL, it was the first time they started their summer internship program after many years. So, the process might vary in the coming years. The process tests you on your analytical skills as well as marketing skills. The process starts with the screening of resumes followed by an online test. The online test will have general quantitative, logical reasoning and English. The shortlisted candidates will have to go for the case study discussion followed by personal interviews. The case study was mainly based on the marketing strategy as I had applied for the marketing profile. The case studies will vary with the role you are applying for. We had only one round of interviews which tested me on the interpersonal and marketing strategy skills with situation-based questions. Confidence and creativity are key parameters in the interview. The research done on the company will help to prepare better for the company.
2. What kind of projects were offered?
As an intern, I was given an opportunity to work on the marketing of an alcohol brand in Delhi and find opportunities to increase the sales in the region. Due to legal reasons, I am not allowed to share the details of the project. I was quite fortunate to learn a lot from the professionals. The
alcohol beverage market is very different and challenging in comparison to other beverage and FMCG products. We were given full support by the senior officials for the completion of the project. We completed the market survey for the brand and formulated an algorithm to understand the market and increase sales. Similar kind of challenging projects was offered in finance, operations, and HR verticals.
3. What kind of support did you receive from the senior leadership?
Diageo India has an open culture. The leadership have designed the mentorship program for the interns. Every intern will have a mentor and a guide who will guide the intern to understand the market and business model. They will be reviewing the progress on regular basis. They are
quite approachable and provide great insights for the project. The other employees were also very supportive and provide with all the details to complete the project.
4. How easy or difficult was it for you to acclimatize to the work environment and how did you go about it?
The company provides a very friendly environment for all. They encourage you to think out of the box and provide solutions. The best part about Diageo India is that they ask for the solutions and implement the feasible ideas as soon as possible and you can see the effectiveness in the market or other verticals that you are having a project in.
5. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome it?
The main challenge that I faced was the market. The market is complex and the regulations are many in the Delhi market. To market the alcohol product was a challenge as you have to follow many restrictions to increase sales. We have to think out of the box to find solutions and the market was too much scattered and factoring the consumers’ demands and expectations to make the strategy.
6. Any tips you would like to give regarding an internship with Diageo India?
As interns in Diageo India, you are expected to be creative and thinking out of the box for solutions to increase sales. You have to understand the nuances of business first and understand the market properly in every vertical. The government regulations are different in all states so you also have to understand the regulations by the government properly. I would advise you to ask as many questions to your seniors and juniors as you can. The staff appreciate your inquisitiveness and will definitely help you out. Everyone has their own interpretation of issues and you have to corroborate the same with data collected by you.