Amalgamated Feelings – Experience of an Intern

Amalgamated Feelings - Experience of an Intern

MSIL - Maruti Suzuki India Limited - company which has hit the front page columns of all top news papers for days together - is the company I have interned from.

Confounded and mixed emotions are the words I would choose to describe my experience as a whole. Experience - not only during the period of internship but also before and after the internship. Oh before it gets tougher for you guys to speculate let me support the above made assertion. Since I am the 3rd one in the batch to get placed I was so happy to get relieved of the mental and emotional strain soon but a little later questions kept on running in my mind for few days whether this would be the best company for me? Manufacturing! No!!! or Maruti! Yes!!! Quickly I realized my contemplation (as if I have a way out – you know how placecom works -you get selected that’s it, no chance for rejection from your side) will help me in no way.

Day 1 - I only remember that there were some boring ppts and lectures in which I dozed off and was asked to go out, have a stroll and come back. I wondered how these induction programs really work. Being in HR profession if I make any comments about Induction I might end up putting myself in trouble. But this 3 day induction of Maruti elucidated how it could be actualized.

Day 2 -Yes it was a perfect day like I wanted it to be. Trainer who is supposed to train us did not turn up. A relief after a number of continuous boring sessions. Did I mention you that I was late on this day? Haha! But amazingly Maruti came up with a back up -PLANT VISIT! I got excited that I was going to see how a car gets manufactured. Only later I realized how childish I was. With a temperature of 44 degree in the mid summer you can imagine how it would have been - the long walks from one shop to another. Press shop, Weld shop, Paint shop, Assembly 1, Assembly 2 is all that I can remember - during the rest I was more concentrating on lunch and AC rooms. But it was fun and a life time experience to have access to see such a world class State of Art Technology.

Day 3 - It was a full day Training on “Campus to Corporate”. Though I was panic stricken to bear with a single trainer for 8 hours, the trainer was just awesome. Commendable energy levels were displayed by him to engage the group. His mode of delivery included Games, Role Plays, Simulation, Tests, and Presentations etc. Thanks to him for his ice breaking sessions I have earned a great treasure - FRIENDS FOREVER.

After the 3 day Induction Program, the actual excitement started - I can say my parents I am going to office - it’s a great feeling for me as a fresher. I went to the office with lot of energy and zeal to contribute a drop to the ocean. A week or 10 days passed during which I have seen enough humiliations like No Project, No desk allotted, No work to do but have to stay in Office till end of day. Slowly I realized my passion levels going down and losing faith that I wouldn’t get anything concrete to contribute.

I straightly went to the Top person in HR - highest authority who is available within my reach and communicated the same to him. He assigned a mentor to me and I had to gain her confidence to get a challenging project. I supported her in her own project and she was astonished to see my performance. I was also called for some important meetings.

Finally after proving what I am capable of, I got what I wanted - A challenging Project - Project on 360 Degree Assessment for Developmental Purposes. Okay I may not be able to explain the intricacies in the project but to tell you all how difficult it is for MSIL to do it I would just mention a small fact here. Till last year this project was outsourced to one of the four big giants in consulting (can’t mention its name here) and it costed a good grand for the company. I was asked to develop a process to carry it completely in-house. I have designed a process and gone a bit ahead and made 4 sample 360 degree feedback reports of crucial persons in the Organization. That’s the magnitude of contribution from my end and I felt so satisfied and left with a sense of achievement.

This sense of pride and achievement is not only because of my contribution towards this project but also for various other contributions - like preparing a potential Trainer Database for Maruti, helping my mentor on her projects, preparing talk points for MEO for his conference in Calcutta, proposing a vision statement for NHRDN (National Human Resource Development Network - the President of NHRDN is MEO at Maruti).

If you might have observed, at various instances there were amalgamated feelings of Passion, Boredom, Achievement, Humiliation, Excitement, embarrassment and sense of Pride - TITLE JUSTIFIED!!! Now I feel so sorry for whatever situation the company is in and restrict myself not to put anything in this regard. I don’t know what all of this means to you but to me it was a Memorable Summer Internship Experience!

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

This is an exceptionally honest, detailed, and emotionally rich account of an internship, perfectly encapsulating the "amalgamated feelings" promised in the title. The author's journey from initial uncertainty and frustration to significant achievement is compelling.

---

Pre-Internship Jitters and Initial Disillusionment​

The narrative begins by immediately connecting to Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), a company in the news, setting a relevant backdrop. The author candidly admits to "confounded and mixed emotions" even before the internship began, reflecting on the common dilemma of accepting a placement with lingering questions about its "best fit." This honest reflection on the lack of control in the placement process (the "placecom works -you get selected that’s it, no chance for rejection") is highly relatable to MBA students.

The first few days of induction are humorously portrayed as "boring ppts and lectures" leading to napping and being asked to "have a stroll." This critical, yet self-aware, commentary on induction programs ("Being in HR profession if I make any comments... I might end up putting myself in trouble") adds a touch of wit. Day 2 offers a brief relief from trainers, leading to an "excited" plant visit that quickly turns into a grueling "long walks" in 44-degree heat, with the author more focused on "lunch and AC rooms." Despite the discomfort, the experience of seeing "world class State of Art Technology" is acknowledged as a "life time experience." Day 3's "Campus to Corporate" training, with its engaging format and the formation of "FRIENDS FOREVER," offers a positive turn.

The Valley of Humiliation and the Ascent to Achievement​

The post-induction period plunges the author into a "week or 10 days" of "humiliations like No Project, No desk allotted, No work to do but have to stay in Office till end of day." This period of unutilized potential, where "passion levels [go] down and losing faith," is a poignant and widely shared intern experience.

The turning point arrives with the author's proactive decision to "straightly went to the Top person in HR - highest authority who is available within my reach." This bold initiative leads to the assignment of a mentor, whose confidence the author strategically gains by "support[ing] her in her own project." Being "astonished" by the author's performance and being called to "important meetings" marks the beginning of the ascent.

A Challenging Project and Significant Contribution​

The ultimate reward is the "challenging Project - Project on 360 Degree Assessment for Developmental Purposes." The author effectively conveys the magnitude of this task by revealing that it was previously outsourced to a "four big giants in consulting" at a "good grand" cost. The mandate to "develop a process to carry it completely in-house" is a significant responsibility for an intern. The successful execution, including designing the process and even preparing "4 sample 360 degree feedback reports of crucial persons in the Organization," showcases a high level of analytical and strategic capability. The resulting "sense of pride and achievement" is clearly justified.

Beyond the core project, the author lists other valuable contributions, such as preparing a "potential Trainer Database," assisting the mentor, preparing "talk points for MEO," and even proposing a "vision statement for NHRDN." These diverse contributions underscore the intern's proactive and impactful engagement across various HR functions.

"Amalgamated Feelings" Justified​

The concluding paragraph perfectly ties back to the title, reiterating the "amalgamated feelings of Passion, Boredom, Achievement, Humiliation, Excitement, embarrassment and sense of Pride." This honest emotional spectrum makes the narrative deeply authentic. The author's decision to "restrict myself not to put anything" regarding MSIL's current situation (likely referring to the labor disputes around 2012-2013) shows discretion and professionalism. The ultimate takeaway is a "Memorable Summer Internship Experience," driven by overcoming challenges and making tangible contributions, truly living up to the promise of complex emotions.