People matter, Results Count. This one line encompasses the essence of my experience at Capgemini, global leader in consulting, digital transformation, technology and engineering services. During the COVID-19 outbreak and the ensued chaos for businesses across the world, Capgemini honored all of its promises to upcoming B-School graduates.
I remember being weak-kneed before my interview with Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail during the Summer Internship Process. I had my HR interview already and was now the last remaining candidate for the firm. Still, as I entered the room – everything washed away. Two hours later, I was calling home to declare that I was going to intern at one of the big-shot names in the industry.
Back in March 2020 if anyone would have told me that my internship would be virtual, I am sure I would have made a LOL face! The non-pandemic facing, not yet virtual internship braving Adiba would have found it extremely ridiculous. Saying that I am sure a lot of my fellow 2021 cohort b-school brethren would resonate with this feeling because wherever we are studying summer internship tends to be the ‘The Thing’ as you step into a B-School. From the gyan we receive from our seniors to the late-night practice sessions (read grilling), to the dreams of ‘life is set’ after a PPO; summer internship tends to be all we think of in the first sem. The competition, the adrenaline rush on the placement day, and the relief after that...all of it makes you look forward to the Summer Internship experience. And if that wasn’t sufficient the stories you hear from your seniors who have interned in that same company just takes the anticipation way up! Now with that premise if you are told you are not going to be physically visiting your internship organization, you will be locked at your home with only Email, Zoom/ MS Team, Phone calls as a way to communicate with your mentor and other stakeholders and yet you are expected to work on a live project...Ummm I guess you got my point! It would seem daunting, frustrating, irritating, and all of it. That was precisely my state when I got to know about it. After a lot of crying and cribbing, I did what any logical person would do. I accepted this as my current reality. And then if you think about it,
Summer internships are quintessential in the life of any B-School Student, for multiple reasons. It gives you the flavor of working in a company with compensation, even though it is for a couple of months. It gives an opportunity to expose yourself to a wide range of business units and functions; to see first-hand how the so-called theories of marketing, motivation or management come to life in the real world. Of course, the stint adds to your resume, helps you build a story for a subsequent interview and also provides an opportunity to get your feet wet in a function or industry – The earlier we know what we want as a career, the greater the conviction we will have on our abilities.
I am Srijan Eppalapally, currently studying PGDM (2019-21 batch) in Banking and Financial Services at the National Institute of Bank Management, Pune. I secured my summer internship with CRISIL limited. I worked as a Research Intern at the Global Analytical Centre of CRISIL from April to June of 2020 spanning over 8 weeks.
Flowers can't choose the place where they bloom, and children can't choose the parents they're born to. But later, to obtain what they want, everyone puts up with things, puts in efforts, picks up skills, and chooses the path that deems right, and so did I. I was living in my small world always thinking about exploring the world unexplored. For the first time, I stayed away from my hometown, but the new place was no less than a "Home away from home," I became a crow of IIM Ranchi, and it was my nest after all.
The story started not very long before I called my mother on the most joyful day of my MBA life and said, "Maa, I got placed." I could literally feel the warmth of her very presence and hear a thousand emotions, although all she did was, take a deep breath and say nothing.
People matter, Results Count. This one line encompasses the essence of my experience at Capgemini, global leader in consulting, digital transformation, technology and engineering services. During the COVID-19 outbreak and the ensued chaos for businesses across the world, Capgemini honored all of its promises to upcoming B-School graduates.
I remember being weak-kneed before my interview with Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail during the Summer Internship Process. I had my HR interview already and was now the last remaining candidate for the firm. Still, as I entered the room – everything washed away. Two hours later, I was calling home to declare that I was going to intern at one of the big-shot names in the industry.
Back in March 2020 if anyone would have told me that my internship would be virtual, I am sure I would have made a LOL face! The non-pandemic facing, not yet virtual internship braving Adiba would have found it extremely ridiculous. Saying that I am sure a lot of my fellow 2021 cohort b-school brethren would resonate with this feeling because wherever we are studying summer internship tends to be the ‘The Thing’ as you step into a B-School. From the gyan we receive from our seniors to the late-night practice sessions (read grilling), to the dreams of ‘life is set’ after a PPO; summer internship tends to be all we think of in the first sem. The competition, the adrenaline rush on the placement day, and the relief after that...all of it makes you look forward to the Summer Internship experience. And if that wasn’t sufficient the stories you hear from your seniors who have interned in that same company just takes the anticipation way up! Now with that premise if you are told you are not going to be physically visiting your internship organization, you will be locked at your home with only Email, Zoom/ MS Team, Phone calls as a way to communicate with your mentor and other stakeholders and yet you are expected to work on a live project...Ummm I guess you got my point! It would seem daunting, frustrating, irritating, and all of it. That was precisely my state when I got to know about it. After a lot of crying and cribbing, I did what any logical person would do. I accepted this as my current reality. And then if you think about it,
Summer internships are quintessential in the life of any B-School Student, for multiple reasons. It gives you the flavor of working in a company with compensation, even though it is for a couple of months. It gives an opportunity to expose yourself to a wide range of business units and functions; to see first-hand how the so-called theories of marketing, motivation or management come to life in the real world. Of course, the stint adds to your resume, helps you build a story for a subsequent interview and also provides an opportunity to get your feet wet in a function or industry – The earlier we know what we want as a career, the greater the conviction we will have on our abilities.
I am Srijan Eppalapally, currently studying PGDM (2019-21 batch) in Banking and Financial Services at the National Institute of Bank Management, Pune. I secured my summer internship with CRISIL limited. I worked as a Research Intern at the Global Analytical Centre of CRISIL from April to June of 2020 spanning over 8 weeks.
Flowers can't choose the place where they bloom, and children can't choose the parents they're born to. But later, to obtain what they want, everyone puts up with things, puts in efforts, picks up skills, and chooses the path that deems right, and so did I. I was living in my small world always thinking about exploring the world unexplored. For the first time, I stayed away from my hometown, but the new place was no less than a "Home away from home," I became a crow of IIM Ranchi, and it was my nest after all.
The story started not very long before I called my mother on the most joyful day of my MBA life and said, "Maa, I got placed." I could literally feel the warmth of her very presence and hear a thousand emotions, although all she did was, take a deep breath and say nothing.
