My internship experience- A stepping stone to opportunities: Adil Ahmad Zargar

Asia-Pacific Institute of Management

I’m from Kashmir, a place known for breath-taking landscapes, misty air, tourists, lakes, boats, cuisines, and warm and welcoming locals. When I came to Delhi everybody was very curious about my hometown, and they often asked questions regarding the state of militancy and turmoil and how people coped up with the same, what’s the best time to visit Kashmir etc. 

I cleared MAT with a fair percentile and decided to choose Asia-Pacific Institute of Management (AIM) to do my PGDM. At the college, I took my time to mingle up with people and make friends. The two years of my academic journey have been extremely rewarding, and the ultimate job that I managed to get through AIM is like a cherry on the cake. I’ve already bagged a good job at Ceasefire, as a Management Trainee, quite before the finals of PGDM program. So, I would really like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Asia-Pacific for everything I learnt there. 

Internship: A Life Changing Experience

I had heard a lot about the work culture of companies like Mapro Foods from my seniors who had been to internships before. Mapro is one of the largest FMCG Companies around and has been in existence for more than 5 decades, which means that as interns you get to learn a world about how real life businesses function, challenges they face every day, the technologies they are working on, and how they so strategically shape their future. There I got an opportunity to apply various techniques, methods and concepts that I had learnt at AIM.

I had heard a lot about the work culture of companies like Mapro Foods from my seniors who had been to internships before. Mapro is one of the largest FMCG Companies around and has been in existence for more than 5 decades, which means that as interns you get to learn a world about how real life businesses function, challenges they face every day, the technologies they are working on, and how they so strategically shape their future. There I got an opportunity to apply various techniques, methods and concepts that I had learnt at AIM. 

At Mapro, work is assigned to interns from Day 1, which is a good thing. You are not made to just sit and observe. Instead, you are put into the game and you learn in real time while working on projects that come your way. It instilled professionalism and confidence in me and it was a very good experience in terms of learning and exposure. This internship opened up several avenues for learning and building interpersonal skills. 

Challenges I Met During My Internship: 

Initially it was very tough to manage the role assigned to me. Sometimes I had to multi-task and work till late nights. However, slowly and gradually I learnt to work under pressure and collaborate with my peers at the office. This was something really new for me, and I think the whole internship experience helped me become a better fit for the profiles I had planned to apply for after completing my PGDM.   

Best Things that Happened During the Internship: 

I enjoyed working with the people I met at Mapro. Right from my boss to my colleagues in the department and even the office boy who would bring us tea and coffee whenever we asked for, the whole interactions added value to my internship experience. 

Five Tips for Interns:

• Be the first to take initiative in every task that you perform
• Make notes of everything that you have learnt at the end of each day
• Be communicative, try to approach new people and talk to them and make contacts at work
• Look for work so that you will have the chance to enhance your knowledge as well as to contribute to the same
• Give your best and use your skills to the fullest to accomplish assigned tasks

Now before I wind up, I would like to thank my college one more time for offering such good internship programs. Also, the personality development program that AIM runs for its students is something that needs to be mentioned here. Trust me it does wonders for the students, especially the ones who are introverts or those who wish to improve their communication and presentation skills. I also owe a gratitude to faculty members and management at AIM for encouraging me, and helping in building a secure and highly rewarding career path. 

Author Bio:

I am Adil Ahmad Zargar, currently pursuing Post Graduate Diploma in Management (General) from Asia-Pacific Institute of Management, Jasola, New Delhi.