To be able to intern at a prestigious Company like Tata Steel Limited was a dream come true. I sat for campus placements but also applied to Companies through external sources. Just like many of my peers and probably like almost everyone who was in the same position as I was, I was extremely nervous but at the same time was very excited. “I have to get into one of those Companies that I have always dreamt of working in”, these were my constant chants during that period. This journey was obviously a roller coaster. To clarify, I am a fresher. Beginning with how I prepared for my Group Discussion and Personal Interview round- I used to read on various abstract and non-abstract topics on several MBA Entrance preparation websites, I used to read the newspaper every day to be abreast with whatever is going on in the business world, I prepared for every possible question that I thought that an interviewer could ask me on. Since I was seeking a role in marketing, I also used to read about and watch a lot of ad campaigns. Sitting for a lot of interviews and getting rejected was of course, very dejecting; but, as they say- you are not unsuccessful- may be something better awaits. Trust me, that is what happened in the end- I got a confirmation from Tata Steel Limited. And then soon, my offer letter arrived. I was offered a role in marketing for Tata Steel Aashiyana. After this, nothing mattered to me- after all, I was to intern at one of my dream companies and that too in Kolkata (where my family stays).
I was extremely happy and was just waiting for my End-Term exams to get over so that I could travel to Kolkata at the earliest. I landed Kolkata on 31
st March, late night and my Internship joining was on 1
st April. I was tired without denying but more than that I was very excited. On the day of my joining: Put the best formal outfit: check, Important documents: check and, smile and confidence: check. I reached the office and before entering, I was so mesmerized that it took me a few minutes to register that I was going to intern there for the next two months. Quickly, I rushed to the Human Resource Department where I was briefed about the organization, the rules and regulations and the code of conduct. From there, I was asked to head to the Marketing Department for Branded Products & Retail and Solutions Department, where I met my Company mentor, who interacted with me and briefed me about Tata Tiscon and Tata Steel Aashiyana and what I should be expecting from this project in the two months ahead.
Tata Steel Aashiyana, an online portal, started about one year back, that puts Individual Home Builders (which is the core customer segment for its retail brand Tata Tiscon) back in the driving seat for their construction projects. It empowers the home builders by providing them with relevant information, inspirational ideas and reliable contacts at their fingertips. It offers customers a very convenient and reliable platform to purchase Tata Steel products such as Tata Tiscon TMT Rebars, Pravesh doors and windows and use them in the construction of their homes. It is a comprehensive guide and is basically a homepage in the form of a website to build a customer’s dream home.
My mentor and the company guide ensured that I get a holistic learning experience through this internship. My project was divided into six sub-projects, very well organized and spread across the two months: Sub-project one was for one week and dealt with understanding about Tata Steel, Tata Tiscon, Tata Steel Aashiyana and working on the various policies mentioned on Tata Tiscon website. Sub-project two was for one week and was on content benchmarking of Tata Tiscon with that of three important competitors. Sub-project 3 was for about a month and dealt with understanding and generating insights for Tata Steel Aashiyana based on the key performance indicators for FY-19 and April’ 2019 which could help in tracking performance and setting targets for the next financial year. Sub-project 4 was for 15 days and was to understand Net Promoter Score and using it as a tool to filter customers for a telephonic interview on their experience with Tata Steel Aashiyana. In this project, testimonials of customers, dealers and architects were to be created for the website and materials that could be circulated for internal branding and communication. Sub-project 5 was a one day project and dealt with conducting an on ground promotional activity (customer meet) at Habra district in West Bengal. Sub-project 6 was for two days and I had to understand about SAHAJ (as it seemed like a lucrative partnership opportunity for Tata Steel Aashiyana) and recommend on how SAHAJ can help Tata Steel Aashiyana grow its sales. Some of these projects had to be done parallelly as well. I owe a lot to my company mentor, who has been extremely sweet to me and has been there to guide me throughout. So, all in all, my experience was amazing- I loved the organization’s culture, people and obviously, I have learnt a lot in these two months. And, I am proud to be associated with such a big brand name like Tata Steel.