“
Make Google do it,” the billboards at T3, IGI airport, coax me. A moment’s thought later, I summon the same Google assistant who would, earlier, annoyingly pop-up when I press a speaker-shaped icon by mistake.
“WhatsApp mum that I have landed,” I command her. Obediently, she does, thus saving me the excruciating work of juggling my cell phone with the countless baggage which hung from my shoulders and my arms. My lips curl into an amused smile as I glance at the billboard and thank it. And, until my internship at the leading OOH media house, Times OOH, I hadn’t realised the extent of power that this ubiquitous, yet much overlooked, media called ‘Out Of Home (OOH)’ possessed.
Media, as a career, is sparkling and titillating, an element of awe to the world of the mundane. They are the channels which connect a brand with its customers. And, whether it is a brand at its peak or at its infancy, these channels are of much necessity. Thus, dabbling in media helps you witness, first-hand, the exchanges between the brand and its customers – where they succeed and where they go amiss.
This does not, however, even sum up the ‘learning’ part of the internship. For, what I learnt was much more than just about the industry. Internships are, in fact, a lesson in how to pacify life when it throws tantrums like a child. For example, from fighting solitary beetles with a broomstick in your lush, green hostel, you will be upgraded to committing genocides of ants which try to conquer your PG. And, remember that time you got heart-broken over a date who stood you up? Well, a client who stands you up is much worse (and you’d need more than just ice-cream to get over that pain).
And, how do you tackle them? By working with your team, who will always have your back – amidst the banter about previous night’s IPL match and cute baby pics of your colleague’s kids, there forms a special bond which helps you sail through the office work breezily; by laughing off your day’s unfortunate events with your roommate as you wait for your midnight pizza with a grumbling tummy. But, most importantly, by charging into the battle with your sleeves rolled up and your fear stripped off, for an internship is nothing but an invaluable experience which you savour more as you sweat more. There will be roadblocks, diversions, and dead ends. There will be irresolvable instances and unwanted surprises. But, the trick is to give them all a try, for in the end, an internship is, but an experience where you learn from your successes and failures.
A PowerPoint Presentation of twelve slides would not be enough to explain the experience, nor would a mere line in the resume. It would take much more than that – perhaps a heartfelt article on InsideIIM.
-------------
Varshini Krishnakumar
Class of 2019