Today we have with us Pragya Dixit who speaks about her experience of working at HDFC Bank Ltd. and being a part of their Relational Internship 2016.
Read on to know more.
InterFeel (IF): Please tell us something about yourself. Where are you studying currently? What are your hobbies and interests?
Pragya Dixit (PD): Hey, I am Pragya Dixit. I am from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. I am pursuing B.Com (Hons) from National PG College, Lucknow. This is my last year of the college.
IF: Tell us something about your internship including stipend, duration and place?
PD: I was selected for the Relational Internship 2016, at the HDFC bank Ltd. This is an 8 week long internship program. The stipend is more than enough to manage all your living expenses for the two months.
IF: How competitive was the selection process? According to you, which qualities have helped you have an edge in the selection process? Also, what were the key things that selectors were looking for?
PD: The competition was pretty high as many of the management students had applied for it, approximately about 120 people. Out of these, only 3 students ultimately got selected (I was one of them). I have been passionate about this retail since the inception and probably they could see that in me during the process. One important thing worth mentioning is that the final interview was a ‘Stress Interview’ which ran for about 45 minutes. All they were looking for was with how much ease you carry yourself. Don’t stress yourself throughout the process. The panelists can be sometimes rude to just check if you get nervous or not.
IF: Could you please highlight the work/research you carried out during your internship period?
PD: Yes, as I was a fresher in this field so I had to do a lot of research for the same. My responsibilities were about the source business from agricultural individuals for their crop and term loan requirements, managing the existing as well as future relationships, coordinating with Collections team and sourcing proposals from National Horticulture Board.
IF: Can you give us interesting details about your experience – good and bad?
PD: It was really a wonderful experience to work with them. The seniors were extremely supportive. They patiently listened to our problems and gave a detailed solution over it. My colleagues were very nice and we really had a great time. We all are still in touch!
IF: How do you think this internship has helped you grow? In other words, what are your key takeaways from the internship?
PD: Working with HDFC was an extremely elegant and eternal experience for a newbie like me. I learnt about some of the best practices followed while working and collaborating on retailing. This internship would form a basis for the growth path that I have dreamt of.
IF: Has this internship had a decision altering impact on your career? Do you now think of a different future path as compared to before doing the internship?
PD: Yes I thought of pursuing in human resource and will be continuing in the same. And I will be making my future in the same.
IF: Lastly, do you have any words of advice or caution for students aspiring for this internship and reading this piece?
PD: Well, just focus on what you really want to do in future and be clear about it before taking up the internship. Apply for an internship which you genuinely like and if you have a target university or company, then prepare harder. Also, the summer internship helps you realise your dream better. Most importantly, make the best use of the opportunity. Once you make through the selection process, remember you are one in a hundred who have grabbed this opportunity and hence learn as much as you can, from your mentors as well as your reporting head.
