Hey! I am Muskan Jain, and I am currently a third-year student in the Department of Chemical Engineering. I did my 2nd-year summer internship at Ernst and Young Global Limited(EY) as a tech consultant.
Like everyone else, my 2nd year went online, managing Acads, PoR work, and reading many novels. I knew that I wanted to explore something outside my branch, something that could give me a professional platform to ideate. And summer was the time for it. There were two ways to explore, internships and projects. For a non-core profile, internships were a better option. But again, there are not many internship opportunities for 2nd-year students via placement cell, so I started apping to both universities and companies.
For universities, COVID played its part. Nobody was willing to offer an online internship, particularly in my domain of interest, and the offline project was out of the picture due to uncertain travel restrictions. Then comes the companies; I was kind of bored of studying chemical-related stuff for two online semesters, so one thing was obvious in my mind that I want to explore a non-core professional experience like an analyst maybe. So, I got a list of companies that hire interns from my ISMP, DAMP mentor and a few other seniors. The list went to around 50 such companies in different sectors like finance, consulting, FMCG, etc. The next step was to mail them all, and luckily, I got about ten replies, amongst which I accepted the one at EY. Their requirements and project seemed perfect to what I was looking for. Also, the reviews from the seniors, I knew working there, were good. So, I decided to give it a try. Apping can be challenging, but you need to maintain your patience. It took me around four months to find the right opportunity for me.
The manager liked my profile; they conducted a short interview and offered me the job. The selection process wasn’t arduous, as it was an unpaid internship for around three months.
Working under a technology consultant, our primary job was to understand and pitch the available platforms for various processes. Once we have a clear idea of what a particular tool does, we can pitch that to clients. This involved giving out presentations, simulation sessions, understanding the clients' needs, customizing accordingly, and above all, doing a lot of market research. The experience allowed me to build a good network across the organization. And of course, the presentation skills, people skills, and strategic thinking came along with it. The best part was that we were the front-end workers of the project, so giving out presentations and meetings was an everyday task. This not only helped me gain confidence but also allowed me to explore the daily life of a consultant. So, it was a fruitful summer after all. This ultimately helped me decide my interests amongst various non-core fields, and the skills helped me grow as a professional.
So, during my 3rd year internship season, I figured out what roles would work for me. Also, the confidence and speaking skills ultimately got reflected in my interviews for the same. So, I would definitely recommend you all explore as much as possible if you are unsure about a field as you would ultimately reach a conclusion on whether it excites you or not. Either way, it is helpful. You can have a checklist of the fields you are dicey about, and then the next step is to talk to seniors in that area of interest. Seniors would help you find a way to explore it via internships, projects, startups, etc. We have a lot of opportunities in our way. We just need to be vigilant and grab them at the right time. We have an excellent network of people around us. One just needs to put oneself out there, get the right advice and explore.
Many firms give internships to 2nd-year undergraduates, provided you have basic knowledge, a lot of enthusiasm, and a sense of commitment towards it. You can reach out to people (alums preferably) via mail or LinkedIn for such opportunities at companies. For universities, you need to narrow down the areas of your interest and search for professors working in it, maybe by going through some of their research papers. Again, be patient, be consistent with your mails, send in weekly reminders, and put your best foot forward. As we are in the post COVID era, many firms are hiring aggressively, so it is advised to start early, especially for university interns. Once you get a reply, be sure to ask about the role before jumping into it. Rest it’s all about walking on random paths until you find your destination.
Thank you!