With the induction formally completed, it was time to put on the hats of a Mahindra employee and start working on the project. The GMC internship, being a very structured program, helped me get acquainted with my project mentor pre joining and we were in regular touch during the on boarding process. This helped break the ice between the two of us and made me comfortable to work with my mentor from Day 1 of the project.
In my very first meeting with the sector head, I was made clear of the expectations. The emphasis on ownership and accountability by the leadership of the Mahindra group made me realise how seriously the GMC internship is taken by the group. I could see a clear distinction between MBA projects and a GMC summer intern project.
My mentor made sure that we had at least one meeting a day to discuss the progress of my project. He made sure that I was appraised of all the important decisions taken in the project meetings (internal) and stakeholder meetings. This helped me stay aligned with the changes in the deliverable. The advantage of being a GMC is the attention one gets in the workplace and the healthy interactions one enjoys with experienced employees. This not only helps in knowledge transfer but also helps in understanding the Mahindra way of working. The team is very supportive of bringing in new ways of doing things and encourages to challenge the status quo.
The constant support, encouragement and feedback received by the buddy and mentor till date has helped me immensely in my internship and the trust they show in the work I’ve done till date gives me immense motivation to put my best foot forward in the next few weeks to help my team achieve its goals.