InternFeel: Hello Rishabh glad to see you here, please tell us about yourself.
Rishabh: Hi! I am currently pursuing my BTech final year in Mechanical engineering from SVNIT, Surat. Have done well academically; not much into extra-curricular but like to read and blog occasionally.
IF: Good to hear that. So what all internships you have went through?
Rishabh: I have done four internships.
First one was at Larsen and Toubro MHI turbines. Duration was about 4 weeks and I worked in the production department; went through the entire chain of processes involved in the manufacture of a super critical steam turbine. Also got to know various modern machining processes. Very well organised training program; a schedule was provided at the beginning of the training to be strictly adhered to. Also, the timings were very strictly followed. Definitely a place to go if you get the opportunity. A very good learning experience. No stipend paid.
Second one was at Honda workshop and the duration was 1 week. Got to know the various types of methods used during the annual service of a car. No stipend paid.
Third one was at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad under Prof. Anil K Gupta. Very different experience from the previous two internships. No technical work involved. Was made a photographer on the first day of the internship and simply loved it. Worked on a statistical study and helped in the creation of a central database. Also, worked in the SATTVIK food festival and sold ‘khakras’; another amazing experience. Duration was 4 weeks and timings were not fixed. No stipend paid.
Fourth was at the Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich in the bio-mechanics department through the DAAD WISE scholarship. The duration of the internship was 9 weeks. I was mostly working on creating a statistical bone model using regression. Sorry, cannot provide more information here because of IPR issues. Overall a fantastic experience; found my colleagues to be very helpful and got a chance to know the German culture. Stipend paid was 650 euros/month.
IF: How you came to know about the internship? Generally what was your way of being in touch with the media to get the information about the various internships?
Rishabh: The internships at L & T MHI and Honda were organised through direct contact with the HR personnel. I selected them because of my specific interests in automobiles and machining. For the IIM-A internship, I had to directly contact Prof. Gupta. He did not give me a specific assignment at the beginning but only asked whether I was a ‘workaholic’. I came to know about the DAAD internships through our seniors. Also, checked out the website and found further details.
IF: How much competitive is the selection process? What things you feel are looked for in the applicant by the selectors?
Rishabh: The selection process for the DAAD internships is very competitive and only about 150 scholarships are given out every year. They look for a sound academic performance and relevance of your project with your future goals. The SOP also plays a very important part in the selection process.
IF: What qualities of yours – educational / otherwise, you feel helped you in having an edge over the selection process?
Rishabh: I believe that my good academic performance combined with a few good projects (performed both at L & T MHI and independently) helped in my selection. Also, knowledge of softwares like Microsoft office and Photoshop was an added advantage.
IF: What all preparations you did (academic/otherwise) before joining and after the results?
Rishabh: None of the internships required any prior academic preparations. For the German internship, I went through an online German course organised by the DAAD.
IF: Any suggestions for junior students which can help them in getting valuable internships?
Rishabh: I would suggest you to start early and apply to only your area of interest. Do some research before you apply anywhere about the kind of work the professor is involved in and whether it matches with your area of interest. Also, do not expect an immediate answer as they are quiet busy and do not find the time to respond. I would suggest that you be patient and persistent in your efforts. Best of luck.
IF: So Rishabh, could you please highlight us with what work/research project you carried out during the internship period? Its application in near future and your work in it?
Rishabh: During my internship at Munich, I worked on the creation of a stochastic bone model using global parameters as inputs. It will be further used to create a finite element model which would be further be used to design safety systems for cars.
During my internship at IIM A I created a central database for innovation related schemes put forward by the government of India and also by private companies. It will be used for creating an online database which can be easily accessed by students and innovators across the country
IF: What was the best thing about the work culture and the internship? What all things you liked there? The difference you found in comparison with the work culture of our country?
Rishabh:While working at Munich, I found a really good work culture that encouraged curiosity by providing the best technical support in terms of both software and hardware. The best thing was the support I received from group and how easily we bonded together. My mentors were from China and Germany and I had no difficulties in interacting with them. The work timings were not fixed but the weekends were compulsorily off. The major difference was the infrastructural support that I received which I could not have got in India.
On other hand working at L and T MHI, I found the process to be very systematic and organised. We were given a schedule on the first day and it was followed strictly throughout the course of the internship. The timings were also fixed and we had to follow them strictly.
Working at IIM A: only one Word unpredictable; no fixed times or fixed tasks; first day I was made a photographer and later on I also took some interviews. I primarily worked on the creation of a database as mentioned above and also on a statistical study. Later I also worked at the SATTVIK food festival as a volunteer selling ‘khakras’; believe me it was a once in a lifetime experience.
IF: It would help the readers and other aspirants if you could bring a comparison among your two different experiences.
Rishabh:DAAD – fixed timings, more freedom, great infrastructure
IIM A – no fixed timings, Unpredictable, complete freedom, expect the unexpected L and T MHI – fixed timings, strict rules, great technical setup and one of the best technical learning experience (all mechies this is The company to be if you want to really learn something)
IF: To whom all people you would, like to thank in context of this internship?
Rishabh:I would like to thank Professor Jyotirmay Banerjee of the mechanical engineering department At SVNIT, Surat. Also, professor Stephen Peldschus of the LMU, Munich for giving me the opportunity to work under him.
IF: What are your future plans after this internship and how much impact this internship will have on it?
Rishabh:I will be pursuing MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur.
IF: Any views about this initiative of InternFeel, and how beneficial it would be?
Rishabh:I think that it is a unique and brilliant initiative. I wish we had something like this for guidance.Only suggestion is that some questions are becoming repetitive and that it would be good if you could remove them. Else, excellent job.
IF: So Rishabh, we are at the end of the interview. From the entire team of InternFeel, we thank you for taking out your time and sharing your experiences for everyone and we wish you best of luck for all your future endeavors.
Rishabh:Thanks a lot and best of luck to you too.
Note: This interview was taken by Darshit Jasani , a student of SVNIT Surat and also InternFeel Student Associate.
