My Summer Internship Reflections At Piramal

Life at Piramal

Life at Piramal, though experienced virtually, was lively. Interestingly, the family members of the interns were greeted with a special delight even before we joined the organization despite the uncertain and trying times. This group of interns from all over the country got a sense of the ethos at Piramal through the weekly sessions, leadership talks, fun-activities by the Launchpad team, and the constant support throughout our internship period. I am amazed that the socialization of strangers could be so seamless and enriching even when none had met in person.

Team Induction

Right from the day of induction, I was included in my project team just like a regular employee at the place. I got numerous opportunities to be at the various team level meetings where the CHRO and the team welcomed my thoughts and participation. As I received my project charter on the first day and connected with my mentor and project sponsor, I still remember their first words: that this was a crucial project and it is pertinent for us in such times to first quickly learn and then impart the learning to the individuals. That single interaction acted as the ignition spark for my project launch!

Project

At the outset, I made efforts to understand the context of the project and bridge the knowledge gap. With that, I sought my mentor’s help to understand the project scope and my responsibility. Then I finalized the milestones and timeline of my project.

My project was special in numerous ways, it entailed research, recommendations, and implementable deliverables all at the same time. It is truly gratifying when I imagine that my work will add value to the learning journey of hundreds of people at Piramal and that my contributions will help facilitators and the learning and talent CoE. This has added great value to my internship and me personally.

I was allowed to structure my work, set up my milestones, and timeline. The amount of flexibility, the autonomy to structure my work, and the guidance from my team have been exemplary. The inclusiveness and the encouragement that I received while working with the Learning and Talent team in those two months have made me feel confident of my potential. I was fortunate to have got a caring mentor (and coach at the same time!) and an extremely engaging team for supporting me all along the journey. I got numerous opportunities to be part of the annual operating plan meetings, monthly review meets, and the weekly team discussions. These interactions gave me deep insights into the working of the learning and talent function at a large organization. Despite the virtual environment and not having met any of the members of the organization, I still felt a strong sense of connection. This could be attributed to the regular communication, clarity of expectations, commonality of goals, and shared understanding of the context.

In conclusion, I would say that it has been great exposure and a truly immersive experience.

Manjit is a second-year student of TISS HRM & LR, Mumbai. He loves to read non-fiction and I like contemplating the future of humanity and civilization.