Goan students are taking huge leaps in the professional world with internships in multinational corporations. These students are breaking stereotypes of the susegad lifestyle as they strive for the top. Nowadays, experience really matters on a student’s resume and these students are making sure theirs doesn’t lack even in the slightest bit. A few students from the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) share their experiences as they spent their summer vacation interning in companies such as Phillips, ICICI, Asian Paints, etc.
As most internships are part of a learning process and putting their theoretical knowledge to practical use, one of the students at GIM, Sumeet Lohar from Vasco da Gama, is currently interning at Phillips as part of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), Big Data Analytics, where he compares a regular internship experience to his own. He says, “I get the opportunity to work on critical projects, have meetings with senior stakeholders, and get an insight into the discussions and planning that goes on behind the scene. Also, I’m able to relate to what we’re taught in classes, which helps while tackling real life scenarios.” He goes on to speak about how multinational corporations are certainly an advantage to a student, “We get an opportunity to work with people from diverse backgrounds, and get exposed to different cultures. We get to interact with industry leaders and understand their perspectives. We also get to learn about the corporate setting, which definitely helps in the long run.”
Laxman Krishna Bist from Aldona interns at a company that has been in the IT sector for the last two decades, Empower India. Most jobs require a minimum duration of experience which comes through internships. “Internship gives the students in-depth experience working in an industry and provides an opportunity to work on larger end-to-end projects. In addition, to the knowledge I gained during the internship, I also got a chance to work with different teams worldwide”, says Laxman, explaining the several advantages.
He further elaborates on his personal career gains, “Goa’s IT industry is still in its natal stages compared to IT hubs like Bangalore. It is a challenging task to get early exposure to international work culture. Bagging a chance to work in a multinational company has helped propel my career growth forward. When you join a multinational, you inevitably end up in a multicultural environment. This gives you new insights and is suitable for your language skills. It also offers the proper preparation for an international career. You build a global network and can experience ‘on the job’ whether this environment is something for you without having to move first,” he says.
Shashank Sawant from Amona is interning at ICICI Bank and defines his work experience as “certainly more enriching than it could have been at any other organisation”. He further adds, “The experience at ICICI Bank, one of the biggest banks of India, gave me better exposure to corporate in terms of quality of work, data literacy and work culture. My insights and recommendations had to be backed by numbers and hence, I worked through the summer to provide a quality value addition to the organisation.” He shared how he thought interning at a multinational corporation is far better beyond the extravagant stereotype, saying, “As a Goan youth, I feel it’s always better to get exposure in a multinational company. Apart from the money and perks, it helps you grow in your career and as a person too. You get to work with people from various cultures, learn from the best and provide solutions which contribute towards the growth of the organisation which eventually propels your career along with your personal growth.”
Asian Paints intern, Kris Mendosa from Dona Paula, says, “Given the circumstances, having an offline internship was a boon. I was given the licence to take ownership of my internship, without the need to give daily updates to my manager. The freedom gave me an understanding of the industry from the ground up. Hence, the final recommendations I gave to the management were based on the current market situation.” He also explains how the lifestyle of working in these multinational corporations hugely differs and is also important to adapt to. He shares, “Post my under graduation, I have almost three years of work experience in a multinational company. This helped me have a smooth transition into my internship. There is a lot to learn from the structured approach followed by these multinational companies. From the tried and tested best practices to the exposure of working with the best talent in India and abroad, working in Mumbai and Bangalore has helped me adjust to the different cultures and lifestyles.”
Since Goa is often stereotyped as a laid-back place, these students have to break the ice with co-workers. “When people come to know that I live in Goa, everyone usually gets very excited. Their first reaction is always, “You’re so lucky that you live in Goa”. They start asking about places to visit in Goa, and share stories if they’ve been to Goa, previously. It is a great ice breaker when talking to new people,” says Sumeet. Laxman explains how Goa becomes a jolly topic, “They start talking about how beautiful the place is and how lucky I am to be there. They’re not wrong; it is truly a place of wonder. They usually recall one of their business trips to Goa and reveal further plans about revisiting Goa during the summer. It makes me feel proud and privileged knowing that the place I was born incites such positive energy.” Kris Mendosa also had similar reactions as he explains, “The initial reaction of everyone is positive. They instantly reminisce about their successful or unsuccessful trips to Goa. It’s a good way to make new connections.” Unlike the rest of the students, Shashank says that most employees don’t think much of the Goan factor about him but some senior managers and loan category heads mentioned they don’t get many interns from business schools, who are Goans.
It is truly amazing to see Goan students setting an example for others that with the right set of skills, ambition, and the correct push there are no limits to how high you can fly.
