बंबई के क़िस्से (The Internship)

My batch has been asked to submit a blog entry along with the internship report about the experiences and learning during the internship period. I am glad; the task is the easiest thing to do and would make it essential that I recount one part of my Bombay experiences, which I wanted to do over the past two months, but I was unusually lazy about it.

I just happened to be at SIMC, and similarly chose Public Relations as my specialization by a matter of chance. Knowing absolutely nothing about the industry, I sat silently in class while jargons flew and sometimes listened with awe about what the media industry is all about. I admit I took my own trips in class, when things didn’t make sense to me and I repeatedly wondered what I am doing here. I interpreted that the internship period will be a revelation for me. So, with patience, I waited for a company to pick me. Eventually one did.

I interned at Fleishman Hillard – Mumbai. I was very nervous the first day as to what will be the work be and of course, if I would be able to deliver the required. It was my first day in the corporate world, my first day at formal work ever. I was asked to write (post studying about the client) as my first assignment, I happily took it up. During the next few days, the work was slow because I was gradually being acquainted to things. Over the next one month, I was exposed to different facets of the industry, through my work & observations and the stories shared by my manager. I had a bunch of clients but a whole lot of things to do. My manager explained and helped me with every element of PR - the daily deliverables, media relations, documentation and reports, client servicing, budgets, ideas, writing and research & analysis. All these functions were inter-related, we worked according to the plans made earlier and on priority basis that is according to clients’ regular inputs.

The second month was better and livelier. As the team developed the rapport and I was able to understand the work better, the number of assignments increased and so did the number of clients. I was interested to stay back and work, because I knew I would not get to be an intern again, and learn while committing mistakes. There were deadlines, it excited me and increased my interest and commitment. The best phase of the internship was when the team was supposed to do an annual review for a client, alongside we  also prepared the pitch for a new business opportunity. It involved identifying the components that would make sense to the clients and with which the objectives could be achieved. The job was different from the regular assignments and involved my inputs in the process, so I enjoyed it. Also, there were some tasks that were tiresome and monotonous, but essential. The team understood that, so they constantly encouraged us (me and Manasi – she is my classmate and co-interned at FH), to work as we please and take breaks and not kill ourselves doing the job.  Overall the internship period indeed turned out to be a revelation. I now know more about the industry and also aware about my strengths and limitations. I know what I want from my final placement and from the next few months on campus and the months post that. 

It is essential that this post also mentions the people at the organisation, for they are the sole reason for the good experiences. It is a small team, so there is a greater integration and sharing. Everybody in the office ate together; at one o’clock, the Vice President would shout from her seat, “Guys, lets go for lunch” and everybody would badger the person who refused to get up. Me and Manasi, were allowed to participate in all discussions, everybody valued our opinion. There were assignments, where we reported to people other than our managers and they, with patience and humbleness, helped us to finish the tasks and gave their polite opinions and feedback for our work.

Special mention about my manager, Abhishek Vora. He was incredibly humble and patient with me. He explained to me the fine nuances of the business, the company and the industry. He worked long hours, yet he made time to answers all my queries. Once, unknown to me, his wife waited outside, while he sat with me answering my questions.

The last day was event packed, our fun presentation, farewell to a colleague and our farewell. It was hard to believe that while we ate and laughed so much while we were together, it would not be the same from the next week, we would not see them. 

As I write this post, I make another reflection that the amazing experience would not have been possible, if I would have been selected earlier. I was one of the last students in the class to get his internship sorted, the thought never troubled me and the day I got the news, I was more content than being happy. And as it turned out, it was worth the wait.

Thank you FH Mumbai.