A B-schooler’s summer

Internship is an opportunity every management graduate waits for, to use the business skills acquired. Also, this period sets the stage to decide the career path to pursue and to assess whether one is on the right track or not. I had the opportunity to intern with Boston Consulting Group during the summer of 2013. My biggest learning is that the difference between a professional and a dedicated business student is their peripheral vision. Do not treat your work brief as a limited area in which you have to operate. Especially if you are working in a team, complete your module and be in a position to assist others with their workloads. A lot of times, the most crucial lessons come from engaging with colleagues on their problems. I was lucky that I didn’t have to figure this out by myself — my team members mentored me throughout and communicated this to me explicitly. It’s the best body of advice I received. There is a real tendency to panic when things go south or you’re worried your work is not satisfactory. During such situations, I went into a shell and planned to simply figure it out on my own. I later realised that had I simply communicated with my team regarding the problems I was having, I would have gotten over these hiccups much earlier. People are willing to help, but they won’t unless you ask.

Experience I received a pre-placement offer at the end of my internship. But more importantly, I know I will enter my job knowing what is expected of me, and what I can expect from my engagement. I was lucky to have a “real-life” intensive internship that was identical in many ways to my work as a full-time employee. That means that every stress and conversely, every pleasant experience, in the internship were directly relevant to my eventual job.

Home-coming I interned in Mumbai, the city I grew up in. It was good to be back home after a gap, and I had enough time to reconnect with old friends. The cityscape has changed considerably, with the focus shifting from South to North Bombay in terms of entertainment — and it was good to experience the new facilities the city has to offer. Bowling, comedy shows, sports-themed venues, all were on offer. It is also a city filled to the gills with young professionals, so it is easy to find people with similar entertainment priorities.

(Siddhant Singh is a second year student at Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta)

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