First Day
The most important part of any journey is that you start at the beginning and with GSK, it was amazing. The memories of my first day are still fresh and vivid. Even though I was really excited, as a fresher I was equally apprehensive of what was to come. But the moment I entered the office, all my doubts disappeared. The simple and spacious office made me feel comfortable instantly. The walls painted with the GSK orange added to the warm and welcoming atmosphere. I fell in love with the office instantly.
Introductory session
I was guided to the meeting room where I found interns from all other IIMs, XLRI and NITIE waiting excitedly for the introductory session to begin. I smiled and quickly settled down. The session started with us being given a quick overview of the industry and the recent trends. We even got the opportunity to interact with several top management executives and the insights we got were wonderful. The fact that the top management of the company took out time for us from their busy schedule showed that even the company was looking forward to working with us. Throughout the internship, they were always ready to guide us in every possible way and, this being my first experience in the corporate world, I could ask for no more.
My Project
After the session, I met my mentor and we discussed about the project that had been assigned to me. My initial days were spent majorly on understanding the industry and its regulations, after which I started working on my assigned project. My project dealt with the evaluation of the MCM communication strategy and execution. I had to look for challenges in the existing structure, find gaps and come up with alternative solutions. There were times when I would feel that I was running out of ideas but the conversations with my mentor, office colleagues and other people in the company would again give me new directions as to how else to go about the project. It was challenging as our final recommendations had to be given keeping in mind the regulated industry structure. But overall, clearing roadblocks was pretty easy because of the availability of the constant help which would open up multiple possible avenues. It is amazing how much knowledge one can get access to in just 2 months!
The Buddy Program
This was an interesting program that was introduced this year during our internship. We were all assigned a buddy who was our mentor as well as our friend. They helped us ease our transition into the corporate world and the industry and also assisted us greatly in getting acquainted with the work culture at GSK. Coincidentally, my buddy was from IIM Indore itself so we had several common things to talk about from the start.
A Peek into our Regular Day in Office
We were given one of the conference rooms which became our second home for the entire internship. Work was never boring with mind constantly being tickled over the challenging aspects of the project as well as with the fun side of the never ending talks, jokes, discussions ranging from college life to Indian politics to US election, coffee breaks, and post-lunch strolls. The two months surely became some of the best chapters of my life.
The Evenings
One of the best parts of my internship was its location- Mumbai. The City of Dreams never ceases to fascinate you; you have to definitely go there to experience the energy of the city. After office, each day would be spent exploring a new corner of the city with my new office friends. However much time you spend in Mumbai, you will never get tired of the city. Even after 2 months when my internship got over, I was only half way through my ‘To Do Things’ list.
My Learnings
During my internship, every single day was a new learning experience for me. I worked closely with and learnt from some of the brightest people in the industry. The internship helped me apply the knowledge I had gained in IIM Indore to on-the-job situations. It helped me gain exposure and boosted my self-confidence. I am very thankful to GSK for giving me an opportunity to work in their organisation. These two months with GSK shaped my life in a way I can never explain and I took back with me so much more than I had expected. I grew both personally and professionally. To put it simply, it was awesome!
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About the Author:
Gopika Jhunjhunwala is an IIM Indore second year participant. Brought up in the small town of Korba, she is leading a life full of dreams yet it is rooted in simplicity. She is an avid foodie and is passionate about travelling. In her free time, she enjoys reading non-fictional books or listening to music.
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