“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

Following the words of the great Benjamin Franklin himself, I started my MBA journey at SCMHRD with an open mind, to expect the unexpected and learn from the different adversities I come across the path.

My MBA journey at SCMHRD always exposed me to different scenarios, accentuating the right skill-set needed to crack the interview with Maersk Line. The preparation, if I were to put it, all began the day I was having a casual chat with one of my seniors about preparation tips and they mentioned about Maersk. Since the day, it was more of a subconscious preparation journey, rather than a conscious one.

Every individual has a different story when it comes to cracking their dream company. Mine started with taking part in different corporate competitions, getting engrossed in piles of club work, and trying to juggle between academics and all of them. If I were to look back at all those experiences now, despite the overload back then the learning from the journey in terms of time-management, exposure to diverse ideas, being able to think on the feet and not to forget, the grit and determination to keep hustling, were the major reasons that paved the way for me to crack the interview.

As a takeaway from my journey, I would like to say – Adversity is a blessing in disguise. With the right attitude, and the will and determination, cracking your dream company is just a blink away!

Walking you through my internship experience, every day at Maersk was a new learning experience. Starting with the mentor to my buddy, to my co-interns, and the numerous other people I reached out to, everyone gave me a new insight as to how the industry looks for areas to grow despite being in the middle of a pandemic. Owing to the very same pandemic, the mode of the internship was moved to virtual, and the setup being new for everyone helped us bond through the common adversity, if I were to rightly put it.

During the internship, my project revolved around understanding the import-export processes that take place in our country, map the process, study numerous models that are present worldwide and suggest changes to move from the mundane and traditional physical methods of functioning to the new generation of automation and advancement. Through the project, I got the opportunity to interact with the brilliant minds who have been a part of the changing trade market in the country who have always encouraged me to think outside the box and question the tiniest of details. The freedom to question the traditional processes without bias and the open mindset with which I was heard always encouraged me to dive deeper and draw my conclusions, which helped me deliver the required results. I had the opportunity to learn about the intricacies involved in import-export and how without an amalgamation of workflow between the different shipping agencies, the third-party vendors and the customs, smooth execution, and hence a successful shipment is close to impossible. During the internship, I also realized the important role the shipping industry plays in contributing to the country’s GDP and its intricate connection with the supply chain sector and the Infrastructure sector.

Having learned about them in the course at college, and being able to draw a meaningful analysis of the same through the internship, was a truly fulfilling experience for me, and the learnings from them are something that I will carry with me forever.

Apart from the technical in-depth understanding of the topic, I also had the opportunity to live the “Maersk” way of life, which truly believes in open communication between the employees and harnesses an adaptive learning environment for everyone who is a part of the company. In addition to the work that I got to do, I also learned a lot about how a company’s organizational structure and work environment plays a huge role in the productivity and efficiency of one’s work.

Going forward, I would like to implement the same learnings in the different case study competitions and the rest of my MBA journey ahead of me. And as all experiences matter, I would proudly like to state, my summer internship experience, despite its adversities, allowed me to interact with a plethora of different minds and have added in shaping me to the person I am today.

Monica Chowdhury

Sailing The Seas Of Summer Internship With Maersk Line

Every Cloud has a silver lining... - SCMHRD