Hey folks! I’m Navyansh Mahla, a third-year Civil Engineering undergrad. When I’m not passionately coding, you’ll find me watching anime, traveling, or singing. This blog gives you a glimpse of my second-year winter internship experience as an application development analyst at Marsh McLennan.
Inception of the rat race
As the third semester came to a close, the PT Cell kicked off the second-year winter internship season, and like everyone else, I couldn’t escape the FOMO. This prompted me to embark on my internship application journey. Initially, most IAFs openings were limited to CSE, EE, and EP students, excluding civil undergrads. While I was busy doing apping for winter internships, an opportunity at Marsh McLennan in the role of a Blockchain developer opened up. Although I had minimal experience with blockchain, the stipend was attractive, and the profile seemed to align with my skills. Being a convener at WnCC, I had heard positive reviews about Marsh from some of the seniors who had previously interned there. So, I decided to go for it, aiming for a proper corporate internship in a multi-national billion-dollar firm, not to mention the appealing stipend.
The Process
After signing the IAF, the next step was to fill out a Google form featuring a series of questions. These questions delved into my technical skills, specifically focusing on blockchain. I was asked to name my favorite blockchain service/app and explain why I liked it. Furthermore, I had to outline both the pros and cons of this app, providing insights into why it had drawbacks and suggesting possible mitigation strategies. In total, there were approximately 7-8 questions in this form.
Following the resume shortlisting, about 5-6 candidates, including myself, advanced to the interview round. The interview, lasting 30 minutes, kicked off with some fundamental questions related to blockchain. These questions were based on common informative knowledge of blockchain. Subsequently, there were two questions concerning smart contracts. These were programming questions where I had to explain the logic for solving the given problems. After covering these topics, the conversation shifted to the assignment provided earlier. This was the ending part of the interview and I was asked to explain my approach in detail for addressing the drawbacks of my favorite blockchain app. This segment proved to be the trickiest part of the interview, in my opinion. It involved numerous follow-up questions, and I had to provide logical justifications for each step of my proposed solution.
How did I prepare?
I’ll be honest, I didn’t dedicate specific study hours for the interview. Luckily, my prior blockchain exposure during my time at WnCC came to the rescue. We had this awesome module in Learner’s Space that covered blockchain from beginner to advanced levels. It was a lifesaver crash course right when I needed it.
When it came to the technical queries, I had a decent background, thanks to a couple of full-stack web3 projects I’d worked on. So, I sailed through the technical aspects of both the form and the interview.
But then came the curveball. I had to ponder over fixing the cons of my favorite blockchain app. Now, I’m not your typical blockchain app user, so I had to roll up my sleeves to do some research. After a bit of digging, I found that Brave itself is a blockchain app. I scoured various blogs, pinpointed its drawbacks, and brainstormed potential solutions, which I later penned in the form and discussed during the interview. It all came together quite nicely in the end.
THE WORK, THE OFFICE and the super chill work culture:
My role at Marsh McLennan, ironically, had minimal blockchain involvement, accounting for just 5% of my tasks. The primary focus was full-stack development. My fellow intern, Harsh, and I tackled a research and development project. One fantastic aspect of Marsh is the freedom it offers. We had the liberty to choose the tech stack, solution strategy, and application architecture.
Our mission? Develop a web platform that automatically identifies smart contract vulnerabilities and also propose workarounds to fix those. Coding-wise, it was manageable. However, the real challenge is ensuring scalability without compromising speed, security and performance. It perfectly matched my role as an Application Development Analyst. We thoroughly analyzed the platform from a user experience and architectural perspective.
Below are a few of my clicks of the Hiranandani view from the top floor of the office:
Now, here’s the kicker – the work culture was incredibly laid-back. I only put in 4-5 hours a day, though I was more than willing to do more. The office was beautiful, situated in Hiranandani with amazing views from the top floor. Breakout rooms, complimentary beverages, and delicious yet pocket-friendly meals added to the fun. The Marsh team was wonderfully supportive and friendly. As a result, those winter months turned out to be some of the best of my life.
Marsh McLennan, should you go for it?:
Marsh McLennan seems like an excellent place to work, offering fantastic facilities and a great environment for interns. The projects are engaging, and the exposure is global. I fondly recall collaborating with the US team, which was a blast.
What sets Marsh apart is the opportunity to take your initiatives and own your ideas. If you have a promising idea for something, go ahead and do it! Marsh will provide all the support that it needs. One major advantage of working at Marsh is the potential for future growth. Perform well, and you might land a Pre-Internship Offer (PIO) for your next vacation. In the best-case scenario, you could receive a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO) like I did, with an attractive package in the software industry. Without a doubt, I recommend trying for an internship at Marsh and working diligently to secure these promising future opportunities.
“Intern tips” to the junior junta:
There’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for success. I’d recommend not pursuing internships just because of the fear of missing out (FOMO). Instead, follow your passion and put in consistent effort. Internships will naturally follow as a byproduct of developing your skill set and enjoying what you do. For all the juniors who might be overwhelmed by FOMO, let go of that feeling. Don’t stress too much about it. Keep working diligently on your passion and create something amazing. In the tech industry, especially, internships won’t be a big deal when you’re focused on your own path to excellence.
