Internship Diaries #33

Satadeep Biswas

Eduexcellence Education Society

I still remember the first day I stepped into the office space. I won’t lie, the first impression was not exactly what I expected or for that matter anyone else would expect, in my place. The office was setup in an apartment of sorts with small cubicles separated by plywood planks. People were looking into their laptop screens and were all busy in their respective work. I felt out of space and was looking for my mentor. I took my place before one such cubicle and waited patiently. Then I saw a few familiar faces of that of our seniors who are employed there. The butterflies in my stomach seemed to settle down. I met my mentor next and he was the perfect host. I was introduced to all those faces which were earlier buried deep into their laptop screens and I got a warm welcome from each one of them. The initial hospitality that I got touched me deep. I was no more a stranger; I fitted right into the space. The next few days were relatively free; I didn’t have much to do and again I started feeling restless. The lack of work made me feel tensed as I was of the opinion that the 2 months of internship are the most crucial and I was determined to gain as much exposure as possible but little did I know that the next few weeks will not only fulfill my expectations but exceed that as well.

I should mention here that although I joined office in the month of May like everyone else, my project started back in the month of February. I was well versed with the job in hand as I had to browse through lots of literature before joining office as an intern. This being said, one fine morning the CEO called me to his cabin and told me that based on the literature that I have studied I should design a product addressing the same, then I need to fetch sponsorship for the same and get clients on board as well. In a nutshell the whole project right from design to implementation was up to me. It was challenging but rather than being intimidated by the same I relished the opportunity. I spoke in length with my mentor and after a week of brainstorming we came up with a product layout, a conference of sorts. In the mean time I was laden with loads of operational duties and was also handed over a Market Research project for an upcoming product. Each piece of work was challenging and needless to say was a huge learning experience.

Coming back to the main project I was part of, the next task was to secure sponsorship and with my mentor’s help we fetched a handsome amount. But the real test was laying ahead, the task of selling. I realized why Sales is the buzzword in the industry. Designing and strategizing seemed a piece of cake; I realized how apprehensive people can be to part with their time and money. But once again with the invaluable support of my mentor I met the target set for me and that was the moment I realized what true satisfaction feels like.

In the midst of all these little did I realize that 2.5 months had passed and it all seemed like only yesterday.  Don’t get me wrong it was not all work. The culture at the organization was homely. There was a character for every occasion. The last day of the internship the CEO took us all out on a perfect outing and I was overwhelmed with the kind of farewell that I received. I cherish every moment of my time that I spent there.