My heart skips a beat when an Audi A8L passes by me! & this is the day when I am sure of what I am going to be dreaming about!! During my engineering days in Pune, one of the hot spots to hang around with friends was just outside the Audi showroom. Sipping up coffee and gazing at the majestic beauties inside. Never realized how time used to fly. The pleasure was unexplainable. Those were the days passed when an aspiration to work for “Audi” had gripped me.
One fine day, it was the same place and the same me. I was there but for a completely different reason. It was the day of my interview for a summer internship at Audi. I was shortlisted among all the candidates who had applied which on itself was a great achievement! A smile on my face could easily conceal the fast heartbeats and the nervousness inside me. I entered the massive showroom, for the very first time. There it was! Everything was ‘plush personified’. All Audi car models standing right in front of me, was a sight I would never forget. The receptionist guided me to the conference room where I had my interview scheduled. Nailed the 2 hr long interview and was offered to join from the very next day! It was rest assured that I would be amongst these cars for the next 2 months.
First day was an orientation and the entire hierarchy of the Audi family was explained following with a casual talk with the Marketing Manager who was going to be my mentor throughout. He had become a completely different person from what he was when he was taking my interview, a better one of course. The launch of the new Audi Q3 was in a month and a lot had to be done. All the employees were excited and geared up working on this project. I being a part of this launch was very overwhelming. I was handed over CDs and magazines which illustrated how previous Audi car launches were done. The innovative ideas and the perfect execution were truly impressive. My mentor was completely supportive to my inputs and always took my suggestions under consideration. He corrected me when I was going wrong and in short he was the best guide!
Along with the launch, came ahead the day to day marketing and promotions. I got an insight into the working of an advertising agency when I was handling the print media. Never knew publishing a single advertisement in a newspaper dealt with such intricacies. I also handled the logistics of the car deliveries. Oh! That reminds me of the delivery process. Customer delight was one of the prime most motives that Audi fulfilled. The car to be delivered was decorated with a silk ribbon and the key was gifted in a crystal box. Sweets and chocolates were distributed amongst all the employees and me being one of them. Trust me, these sweet nothings were things that I could kill for.
The technical work such as preparing the marketing budget, financial claim, signing in deals and making reports was also a part of my internship which I equally enjoyed. I had become a work-o-holic. I used to stay in the office for long hours and do my work without being tired. Soon I found myself amongst the cream personnel such as the Presidents, Vice Presidents, Marketing Managers and Brand Managers of several renowned organizations like Citibank, Hyatt, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Times of India etc. I was a part of several meetings which discussed the issues of alliances and upcoming joint events to be carried upon. The way these individuals carried themselves, the way they put their point forward and the negotiations was a great experience to watch. So much I had to learn, and so less time! All I had in my mind was to make best out of it.
The Audi Q3 launch event was nearing and the excitement levels were increasing manifold. More and more of the tele-enquiries were all related to that one car. The setup to be done in the showroom for displaying the car, the direct mailers to be sent with to the customers, the physical invitations and entire logistics regarding the Audi Q3 drive experience which was supposed to happen at New Delhi was completely handled by me. The launch day arrived and the Samoa Orange coloured mini SUV entered the showroom. All the employees gathered around the car (and me of course). The touch and feel of a luxury car was amazing. The event was a huge success with a record sales of 500 cars sold in first five days. With huge success follows a huge celebration. That night is surely one of my most memorable ones!
The internship as a whole was a splendid experience. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was time that my college days resumed and Semester 3 started with a buzz of summers done amongst all the students. Of all the classmates, I was amongst the very few who had enjoyed their internship to the fullest and value addition was tremendous. Audi had brought out the best in me. How I wish I still had my internship on!
