Hello everyone and welcome to the Internship Safari, where wide-eyed, bushy-tailed interns roam the corporate savanna, trying not to get eaten alive by the lions of deadlines.
I’m Jayesh Krishna Prasad, a third-year Chemical Engineering undergrad, and I had the opportunity to intern at Zigsaw during my second year. This blog aims to encapsulate my experience and I’ll try my best to keep it concise.
Fortunately (or unfortunately?), I did not have to go through the perils of apping since it was a PT cell internship. During the second-year internship season, I procrastinated horribly (a habit I’m still trying to break), but around November, the IAF of Zigsaw opened, and I promptly applied. Like most PT cell internships, the initial step involved resume screening. Subsequently, the shortlisted candidates were assigned a video assignment. The assignment was to basically learn how their portal worked and then present whatever we understood about them and the portal. While they intended an interview round, they found what they sought right after the video assignment (or so I’d like to believe *chuckles *). Nonetheless, I prepared for the interview by crafting an HR document and thoroughly reviewing my resume.
Regarding the HR document: This is a vital tool for excelling in interviews. It should encompass answers to common questions like:
1.Tell me about yourself.
2. Why [specific company]?
3.Why [the role]?
4.What are your short-term and long-term professional goals? Or where do you envision yourself in 5/10 years?
5.What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Answers to these questions should reflect your experiences. It’s advisable to allocate ample time to ponder and come up with the best possible answers.
During my 2nd year, I was mostly clueless about which field I wanted to pursue and was looking for non-core profiles (finance, fintech, etc.). Honestly, more than the profiles, I was keen to get that “industrial exposure”. My role at the company as a business development intern was to assist in the lead generation processes to enhance the company’s client base and to contribute ideas and strategies for business growth
The mode of the internship was online so sadly not much about traveling to or exploring new cities from my side. My internship started a bit late because of some miscommunication and my colleagues, Simran and Nidhi, had to start without me. Quite expectedly, we were given the same tasks but had to report our work individually to our immediate heads. The work environment was lenient yet strict, our work laptop screens were continuously monitored but the work hours were flexible. Throughout the internship, I was also constantly in touch with Mr. Vaibhav, the CEO of the company.
Every Friday evening, the entire team convened to engage in games, fostering camaraderie and rapport among us interns. This significantly aided in our integration with the team. I was fortunate to work with supportive senior colleagues who familiarized me with office dynamics (including the importance of being politically correct!). This, coupled with my routine tasks, facilitated my networking. In just a month, my LinkedIn (and Instagram) connections doubled!
However, I found the work assigned a bit underwhelming. Halfway through the internship, I found myself getting terribly bored by the work. Thanks to my IITB senior, Simran, I managed to complete my weekly allotted work. This was a major issue for me during the internship: the absence of engaging work and the inability to switch to more fulfilling projects. It’s crucial to emphasize that my lack of research led me to work on a project I didn’t enjoy. I would suggest everyone keep their CPI high, do maximum research and totally understand the inside-out of their project.
Last but not least, a second-year internship is a great way to dive deeper into something you’re interested in. However, note that rejection from your dream internship is not to discredit your capability. Keep having faith in yourself and keep yourself busy during your vacations because, trust me, they do feel long after the intense back-to-back sems. Online self-learning, a project with an insti prof, a company internship, a startup… all are valid means of utilizing your summers. You just need to introspect to decide what’s best for you. Internships are meant to be a learning tool and the experiences will teach you a lot. These experiences have led me to lean towards chemical core, at least for a while now.
Aur kya? Keep the grind on!
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