Hey everyone, I’m Harsitha Devaraj, a fourth-year student in the Engineering Physics Department, minoring in IEOR. It feels like just yesterday I was navigating my own internship season amidst all the chaos. I’ve always been keen on working for an FMCG company, but coming from EP, I thought I had better chances of pinpointing both the speed and position of a photon simultaneously than getting hired by P&G, HUL, or ITC.
Initially, I believed I needed to app to land an internship in FMCG, but things worked out for the best! I ended up interning at Anheuser Busch InBev, better known as the company behind Budweiser. (If you haven’t heard of Budweiser, I suggest doing some “research” at Sunny before your interview! XD)
The selection process was pretty straightforward: one test, two rounds of group discussions (GD), and a final group interview. The test was… let’s say, “unique.” It included a series of games like measuring how many times you could press the spacebar in 30 seconds, testing your reaction time, and posing questions like: “You receive x dollars; how would you share it with a random person named Alex?” (I later realized this was testing if you are a Nash agent, thanks to a Game Theory course).
The GDs were fairly simple. The first round had general topics; mine was “Is the internet a boon or bane?”. The second round focused on whether to launch a new type of whiskey in the Indian market. Here are two key tips for GDs:
- Even if you don’t speak first, ensure your point stands out from the crowd. Repeating the same idea in different words can bore the moderator.
- Avoid being aggressive or monopolizing the conversation. Give others a chance to speak. Dominating the discussion is often seen as a red flag. Aim to speak just enough to make a strong impression.
The interview round was fairly simple, just make sure you brush up on the company values, and inculcate those values into your answers.
In terms of work, my experience at AB InBev was fantastic. I was based in Bangalore, with the company covering my accommodation for the first two weeks, after which I found my own place. The company gave interns a lot of freedom to tackle projects in their own style. The flat hierarchy meant I could interact with many seniors and learn a lot about the alcoholic beverage industry in India, including regulations, brand advertising, and other valuable insights. We also had plenty of happy hours, which were a blast and a great opportunity to socialize and enjoy delicious food.
At AB InBev, I worked on a sales project related to draught beer, which involved a lot of travel to various outlets and microbreweries in Bangalore. In the first week, we even visited a brewery in Mysore to learn about the beer-making process. I traveled quite a bit during the 2-month internship and gained a deep understanding of the company’s portfolio and the beer landscape in Karnataka.
And, if you’ve read this far, here’s some general advice: The internship season is hectic, but don’t doubt yourself. A company won’t select you if you’re underqualified, but they also won’t pick you if you’re overqualified. It’s NOT about you. If you aren’t a right fit for the company, the company wasn’t a right fit for you too.
Also, don’t judge yourself solely based on your CPI. It’s okay if your CPI isn’t the highest—that doesn’t define your entire personality. Your experiences and skills matter more, so don’t let a number overshadow everything else.
Finally, be open to trying new things and gaining as much exposure as possible during your internship. Don’t second-guess yourself; we all face challenges. Just remember to have fun and make the most of the experience. Cheers!
