You have to start with a sales job before you get into marketing. It is impossible to become a CMO without working as a sales representative. This is what most MBA students get to hear before they sit for their summer internship placements. I wasn't any different. I was convinced that sales is something I need to do before getting a marketing role. Little did I know that I had something very different coming my way. It was a little over a month, we had the honor and opportunity to host an amazing company called LYNK Global. The company was recruiting MBA graduates and was based out of Mumbai which happened to be my home town. It was then that I decided to give consultancy a shot. The interview process had 3 rounds; an aptitude test, group discussion, and a personal interview. Having given the NMAT exam not too long ago, the test was easy to crack as my concepts were clear. Reading the newspaper and following various blogs helped me clear the GD round. The interview was case driven and was a little hard to crack. Having successfully cleared all the rounds, I found myself sitting in this amazing office in BKC, Mumbai. The employees who later became my colleagues were very welcoming. The transition from an MBA student to a corporate intern was made seamless by the HR team. During my tenure at LYNK Global, I had the opportunity to interact with some top C-level executives, Directors, Presidents and VPs, Managers and several industry experts who had an experience ranging from 5 – 35 years across various industries. As networking is a vital part of any MBA program, I have managed to build on the same by reaching out and connecting with mid and top-level managers across various companies and industries. This aided me to understand the nuances of markets and industries across the globe. LYNK being a global expert network has helped me work with people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds which helps me grow as an individual and better understand the nitty gritty’s of international business. Reporting directly to the Vice President helped me understand the company and the industry better. It also gave me the freedom to pitch my ideas to improve the companies efficiency Working at LYNK Global has helped me improve:
- Communication – The art of being able to gauge a client’s requirement without having to meet his/her face to face
- Networking – Engaging with C-level executives from various companies, established in different countries and belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Understanding the demand and supply side of the business to gain more insights about how the industry operates
- Teamwork – Since the company is headquartered in Hong Kong, one along with his team is expected to work round the clock in congruence with teams working out of other offices.
- Research – It is crucial that the right expert with the right experience is assigned to a given project as that can make or break the deal for the company.
- Knowledge across industries – Working on projects from different industries have helped gain insight about domains across industries.