Introduction
I was born and brought up in a suburban town in Himachal Pradesh. In my 10+2 I chose the science stream with biology as my core subject. I performed well in my boards, for which my school had offered me a scholarship. Since my childhood, I have loved baking and cooking, so I decided to attempt the Hotel Management exams. I qualified for my exams in the first attempt at IIHM Ahmadabad. I did a hotel management internship working in the financial services industry. I always had a keen interest in working in the financial and administrative departments. After I had completed my undergraduate, I decided to prepare for the CAT exam and pursue an MBA. I eventually got enrolled myself for an MBA degree.
Tell us about the selection process for your internship at Motilal Oswal FS.
I got the offer from Motilal Oswal Financial Services both from my college and through LinkedIn. At my college, I got this offer from a company that was in alliance with Motilal Oswal FS. But I preferred to apply for the internship through LinkedIn. Linkedin was a blessing for me. An assistant from the company contacted me for a one-to-one interview. What I realized is that the most important thing is to maintain good communication skills and make proper connections. They asked me a few basic questions regarding marketing and stocks. Your selection will be made on the basis of how you answer these questions.
Tell us about your roles and responsibilities.
It was a work-from-home opportunity. It was mainly the work of market research. The internship mainly focused on segmentation, targeting, positioning and business development. We had to carry out lead generation, networking, and making connections with the clients. I also attended seminars, which was a huge learning experience for me.
How was your overall experience at Motilal Oswal FS?
Working as an intern at Motilal Oswal FS was a huge learning experience. We had deadlines to meet, specific working hours to adhere to, and seminars to attend. Also, the company expects you to be serious and disciplined with your work. There were lots of opportunities to learn, and if you are open-minded and if you have the right attitude, you will definitely benefit.
You started another internship just after completing the internship at Motilal Oswal which is also a fintech startup. Do you think your internship at Motilal helped you in getting this internship?
So first of all, I was searching for more internships. I wanted to learn more about finance and wanted to get even more experience as it would also be beneficial for my CV. After two rounds of interviews, I was selected. It was a 4-month internship. The tasks included data collection, data analysis, and reporting. From these internships, I came to know a lot about the financial sector. So I think that internships are the best way to learn about the functioning of the professional world.
You did your bachelor's in Hotel Management and just after that, you started your MBA. How was the transition for you?
Before pursuing my hotel management, whenever I used to visit a restaurant, I paid attention to the food, ambience and décor. Deep down, I also wanted to open a tea franchise. But for that, I needed capital. So, whatever I am doing now or going to do in the next few years, is in one way or the other, trying to fulfil my dreams.
Do internships play a significant role in one’s overall growth?
Through the various internships that you will be doing in your college life, you get to know how to mould yourself into a professional world. Sometimes you will question yourself why you are doing this or whether you don’t want to do it. But believe me, doing internships is worth it. Through internships, your productivity will increase, and you will get to know how to connect with people and learn to balance your career and academic life.
What are your thoughts on the importance of a stipend in an internship?
I feel that there are various fields that create comparatively more value for society. MBA is one such field where we see today n number of startups taking birth. An MBA will have greater experience beforehand than a bachelor's student who has just stepped for the first time into the real corporate world. From my personal experience, I will say that brand name was more important to me than a stipend. You can try for startups that provide handsome stipends but with this stipend, it will come up with a good bunch of learning and headaches that surely you will cherish once you complete them.
Tell us about the importance of having the right attitude.
I am a coordinator at two student cells in my department. I am more active in the Sports and Cultural Cell. Regular presentations, case study sessions in academia, and participation in organizing events have given me this personality or attitude which I have now. Internships and fresher job levels require the SAKs (skills attitude and knowledge). You can easily apply your knowledge and show that skill set when you have got the right attitude towards a particular job role. There are a lot of opportunities out there for people who are of such a kind.
How to maintain a balance between work and hobbies?
Blogging is something of an assimilation of your own experiences and the entertaining way you provide your readers with their insights. So I am an empirical blogger who writes of her own unusual experience Blogging helps me cut the clutter of my brain. I am working with a startup on one project of Financial Modelling. While doing data collection one fine morning, I had just a vague thought about how our lives are similar to the standalone sheets, and so I wrote a blog that talked about the non-financial aspects of life in terms of financial terms. This is how I like maintaining the balance between work and my hobbies.
Give our audience some career suggestions from your journey.
Try things that make you uncomfortable. I was the person who had stage phobia and wasn't able to articulate what was on my mind to even the next person beside me. But my decision to choose something out of my comfort zone led me into a space where I am proud of what I chose for myself. At least I have cut down on that fear and handicap in me and, similarly, you can do it too.