Hello everyone, I’m Ayush Jain, a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Chemical Engineering, hailing from Navi Mumbai. In my leisure time, I play musical instruments such as the piano and guitar, as well as actively participate in sports like cricket, table tennis, and badminton. I’ve also had the privilege of serving as a Events core team member for Student Alumni Relations Cell and currently, I’m a mentor for the ISMP and DAMP programs. In this blog, I aim to share my experiences and insights into the process of apping and my internship journey.
The Journey of Apping
My internship journey was primarily focused on exploring the dynamic field of product management. As the internship season progressed, I observed a decline in available openings, primarily due to challenging market conditions. Some companies began favoring MBA interns over undergraduate candidates, which further limited opportunities for students like me.
Moreover, early on in the process, I faced the sobering reality that my profile might not be as competitive as I had initially hoped. The scarcity of product management roles led me to explore alternative options.
The process of apping can be quite grueling, but once you’re in the thick of it, there’s no looking back until you’re content with the results, i.e., the internship you’ve secured. Organizing your approach is key. Some essential steps include building
- An exhaustive database (though I must admit, I didn’t follow one strictly). Here you have to create sheets sector wise, get details of the people in the list by using either extensions or contacting seniors/ updating seniors’ existing database.
- Crafting predefined messages and emails which are sent to the people on LinkedIn, mails etc.
- Color-coding your tracking sheet, updating the sheet every day and not procrastinating, and many other tasks.
It is a very detailed process and If you need advice, feel free to contact me. The key is to stay consistent and never lose hope. There will be moments when it feels like relentless grunt work, but you’ll also establish valuable connections with alumni and many other people from that sector that may benefit you in the future. Through this process, I secured an internship at Plum Goodness in the realm of Product Management.
Interview Experience
Getting into the internship at Plum Goodness was a relatively straightforward experience. It kicked off with a brief interview, where they posed questions about my understanding of the sector in general and how I could contribute to the company along with some guesstimates. After this initial interview, I received a more comprehensive understanding of what the internship entailed. When I discovered that the work closely aligned with my aspirations, I promptly accepted the offer.
My Internship Journey
The journey at Plum Goodness began with a somewhat anticlimactic first day. It involved a session with the HR team and my mentor, which helped me gain a broader perspective on what product management entailed at Plum. I was then introduced to my project, and after discussing it with my mentor, I understood that it would be a challenging but rewarding endeavor. I was tasked with completing three projects in just two months, and at first, it felt overwhelming. My primary three projects focused on app management, from execution to creating growth models, analyzing data, and suggesting new features based on data insights. Additionally, I had a side project concerning the forecasting of future orders and data encryption strategies, which were entirely new to me.
My mentor was extremely helpful and pleasant. We had weekly meetings where all of the interns reviewed what we had learned and gave our perspectives on new topics and ideas. The initial overwhelm gave way to a sense of accomplishment as the days went by, and I completed all of my assignments on time, which was appreciated by the mentor, and we celebrated on our last day, which was a blast!!
In summary, the internship was a very good experience giving me a proper insight into the sector of product management, which included all the three parts which are UX, business, and tech. Also, apart from this internship, i also pursued an internship at a VC and an university internship via apping so it does really work out if dedicatedly do it.
A Message of Encouragement
In conclusion, I want to stress the importance of never giving up. The road might be tough, but persistence is key. All my internships and the current status of my resume are a testament to the power of determination and perseverance in the application process as I mentioned above. Believe in yourself and maintain a balance between confidence and humility. When worries creep in, channel your energy into preparation and hard work. Sometimes, luck may not always be in your favor, but remember that hard work always pays off.
