Out of college, facing the real world. Here are the various accounts of IITian's experiences as Interns.
It is that time of the year again when a lot of the pre-final year students face the dilemma and problems of finding a suitable internship, and I had felt no different. The only things that kept revolving in the mind were: what to prepare, how to prepare, resumes, GDs, interviews, quoting big company names, and speculations. I had a bit of inclination towards core internship and strong technical preparation made things easier for me on the final day.
The internship began with a 3-day Orientation programme (called FAM) in the Mumbai Head Office where the group of 36 interns from different institutes were introduced to each other. The orientation was packed with loads of fun and leisure activities like gaming, dancing, acting and even cooking (indeed most amazing part of the internship). We were introduced to different segments of HUL and also got a golden opportunity to interact with experienced people there.
After the orientation, we were allotted different locations based on our profile. Six of us got posted abroad (UK and Indonesia). I was posted at Khamgaon in Maharashtra along with one more intern from IIT Madras. Though Khamgaon is a remote location, the accommodation in the plush HUL guest house had excellent services and facilities.
The Khamgaon factory has 3 major plants: Toilet Soap Plant (Breeze, Lux, Dove, Moti etc.), Pears Plant, and Deodorant Plant (where Signature deodorant was being manufactured at the time). The task assigned to me was to control certain soap specifications of Breeze soap which was affecting their production directly and indirectly. This problem was leading to huge losses and once I started the experimentation, I was surprised and puzzled to see the immense trust HUL places in their interns by assigning such impactful projects.
I realized that what we read in theory is very different from industrial applications. We always have to find a middle path between theory and practical applications for optimal solutions. Understanding the process, applying basic concepts, observing the problem, applying a little logic, compromising on certain areas, and patience will definitely lead you to the best solution.
My project demanded extensive data collection and a lot of experimentation which was possible only through constant support and ever helpful attitude of the people in HUL. My colleagues there were very enthusiastic about what I was doing, and were willing to implement my ideas. In spite of the fact that I was just a summer intern, they showed faith and allowed me to buy a new machine worth INR 3 lakhs which made my work much easier and accurate.
I observed that HUL provides the most suitable working environment to its employees which ensures their best output. Rules are strictly followed in the factory, and there is a separate department just for safety measures. Weekly meetings and hangouts were organized frequently after the working hours, which kept the enthusiasm levels high. Our factory manager provided guidance us on a regular basis, and helped in overcoming difficulties during the entire course of project. There was also one-to-one mentoring by the senior-most employees.
HUL considers its interns as assets, and therefore invest a lot in them. Interns are treated like employees, and everybody is very supportive, right from an operator to the senior-most authorities. There is a lot of focus on developing relationships with people on a personal level. That's how HUL connects to its consumers well, and have become a major part of everybody's life.
All the thrill came to an end in Mumbai, where there were many fun activities awaiting us followed by PPI (Pre-Placement Interviews). By the end, I had gotten to learn a lot about the practical application of the knowledge I had gained so far.
This period of two months of internship was a memorable time accompanied not only by a steep learning curve but also lots of fun. We brought back a bunch of wonderful memories that we will cherish for a long time and a life-time learning experience.
This article was originally posted in IIT Kanpur's campus publication Vox Populi
It was in August, 2014, that my experience with ITC started, when I decided to try and compete for their KITES Internship program. After a Group Discussion and two rounds of interviews: one technical and the other HR-related, in which I was mainly asked about my previous projects and some basic technical questions, I was selected as one of the five ITC KITES interns from our campus.
The first step of the process started when all the interns were called for a three-day orientation in Bangalore in April'15. The fun part was the awesome accommodation at one of ITC's luxurious hotels and the great time spent with all the interns from the other institutes. The orientation consisted of sessions to make us familiar with ITC as a company and its internship program, KITES. During the orientation we were also explained the expectations, the company had from us and how we could get the most out of the internship opportunity.
In a few days we got our project briefs and I got a project in ITC's Tobacco division at Bengaluru factory (you could be going to any one of their factories which are scattered all over the country) and flew there in May for a two month project. We were provided company accommodation for a week after which we arranged a PG. The usual working hours were 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Saturday was a half day till 1:30 p.m.).
From the first day itself I realized the importance of my project for ITC and the independence that was given to us. My project was to improve the capability of a particular process in cigarette manufacturing, by reducing its variability. The project had aspects of electrical as well as of mechanical engineering and operations which made it 'techno-managerial'. They didn't expect any prior knowledge in a specific field due to the complex and varied nature of different projects though the usual courses may be of help for some. The people at the factory, from the branch manager to all the machine operators, were very supportive and friendly, patiently guiding me at every step and with any system in the factory.
Due to the broad nature of the problem, I got a chance to learn about several systems and processes which are in place in a factory. I was also encouraged to experiment with the systems and to implement changes in them to achieve the desired improvement. The managerial part of the project comes into play when one is required to interact with the people in the factory, the vendors and other companies as a part of the implementations and the experiments. The impact that we can have by directly improving upon the current standard systems of the factory was one thing that appealed to me the most with some of my recommendations already implemented in the factory. The project concluded with a chance to present my work to the highly placed people at the company headquarters.
Apart from work, I got to know Bengaluru well enough although I did miss out on wonderful places in the southern states due to shorter weekends. But again, it was real fun - exploring the city, trying out all the tasty dishes we had heard and not heard about and partying a couple of times. Another perk for some could be having the project in a cigarette factory itself though unfortunately(or unfortunately) it is not much of a benefit for non-smokers like me.
Overall it was a great learning and enriching experience.
This article was originally published in Vox Populi of IIT kanpur.
When it comes to core interns for students with an average CGPA, the options are pretty less. You either aim for universities or a few industries, both of which will filter you out if your CGPA falls below 8 (for the most part). Well, there is always the option of mailing professors on your own, but I really did not have the patience of apping so, I was eagerly waiting for an opportunity like Tata Steel, which to my good fortune, opened for the first time for the MEMS department.
The Selection Process
Tata Steel follows a typical selection process including an aptitude test and a personal interview (PI). The aptitude test consists of a department-specific section (electrical, mechanical, metallurgy) along with the general logical reasoning and English section. The department-specific section of the aptitude test is the one thing that can make a significant difference in your score and ultimately your chances of getting shortlisted for the PI.
From personal experience, I can say with absolute certainty that there is no CGPA criteria while shortlisting for the PI. The shortlist, based on the aptitude test is given just before the PI, so everyone has to prepare for it beforehand.
Coming to the PI, Tata Steel takes only one round and there are different panels for electrical, mechanical, and metallurgy, each of which consist of an expert from the respective department of Tata Steel. The interview is mostly technical, interspersed with a few HR questions
Well, the induction day was pretty chill. After a few presentations, the projects were allotted on the basis of personal preference (some fundae from the senior are extremely helpful here). Tata Steel has roughly 10 different departments which offer projects ranging from blast furnace to cold rolling mill. The projects vary from research and literature survey to experimental work requiring extensive plant visits. Each department has independent administration and plant.
Tata Steel has roughly 10 different departments which offer projects ranging from blast furnace to cold rolling mill. The projects vary from research and literature survey to experimental work requiring extensive plant visits.
My project deals with data analysis and statistical modelling, in order to analyze trends in the mechanical properties of coils for the last two years and suggesting necessary improvements in the process parameters. In a nutshell, I can say that it is a combination of core and non-core applications. Working hours are divided into two halves from 9 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm (Saturdays are also working days). Since there are no autos allowed inside the plant, you wouldn't want to miss the bus (provided for the interns), otherwise you would be at the mercy of the so called tum-tums or you could try your luck hitching a ride!
The company provides third-AC return tickets from Jamshedpur to the respective institutes. It also provides accommodation to all the summer paid interns in the Graduate Trainee Hostels (commonly known as GT hostels). The single rooms are pretty okay although the curfew for after 7 pm is a huge turn off (though the HR might come to the rescue here and extend it till 10 pm). For the fitness freaks, gym facility is available in both the girls' and boys' hostels. Food is available in the mess four times a day ( and is actually decent) and has to be paid for.
The intern at Tata Steel gives you enough time to chill on the weekends (Sundays to be more precise). Jamshedpur doesn't have too many options, although there is a multiplex where you can go bowling or watch movies. There are a few food joints like Brubeck, Coffee Corner, Domino's, KFC and some really good restaurants like Little Italy, Bon Appetite, etc. The street food is also extremely popular here.
The HR schedules some matches on weekends for football, volleyball, basketball etc. at the famous JRD sports complex or sometimes even a general quiz. There is an amazing music room in GT-1, which interns are allowed to use. Towards the end of the internship, a cultural night is organized in which the interns showcase performances in music, dance and theatre.
Dimna lake, Dalma sanctuary, Jubilee Park and the Zoo are some nice places to visit in and around Jamshedpur. If you are more adventurous, you might want to visit Kolkata and Ranchi which are just 5 hours and 3 hours by train, respectively.
Summing Up
All in all, I can say that Tata Steel is a good option for the core enthusiasts. The work culture is good; people are helpful and warm. Though in the beginning, you might feel the pace of the city is slow but eventually you will start enjoying its rustic charm. And to top it off, if you do well, you might end up getting a PPO!
I interned at the Bangalore office of LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking service. This internship provided a great learning experience with a lot of fun.
Selection Procedure
Let's walk through the only dull and boring part of this internship experience, the selection phase. It involved a coding round for short-listing, followed by an interview. The problems in coding round and interview were mostly from Data Structures and Algorithms. There were 4 problems in the coding round, to be solved within an hour. The interview was conducted in 2 phases, both on
Accommodation and Food
LinkedIn provided accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Bangalore for the entire duration of 2.5 months. We had free breakfast, lunch and snacks at the office followed by even more awesome buffet dinner at the hotel on weekdays.
Work Culture and Office
Work culture at LinkedIn is amazing. It promotes you to take intelligent risks and move fast. People are very cooperative to each other at LinkedIn. Most of the open _source technologies that I worked on were home grown at LinkedIn. The office has a lot of good food, snacks, drinks, games: pool, foosball, TT and gym too. Interns were given an awesome cubicle with 2 large monitors, 64 GB _RAM / 16 core CPU and a
My Project
I worked in the Content Filtering Team. LinkedIn has a lot of spam classifiers and filters to prevent spam content on LinkedIn. In case of false positives, there was no existing way to find out why a particular text content has been marked spam.
Fun activities
LinkedIn also organized a lot of fun activities like Bike-_and-_Hike trip to Sholay Hills, Hands-_on pasta _making class, laser tag. We also had a few speaker series talks from top leaders at LinkedIn.
Internship Insights: Samsung Research India by Ganesh Kumar of IIT Madras
http:// www.t5eiitm .org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/DSC_0013-1024x575.jpg
Summer of 2014. Ten of the most precious and enjoyable weeks of my life. Two and a half months that changed me from an average guy, with little experience in public transport and habituated to the comfort of air-conditioned rooms and cars, to someone who can get by on his own in a completely alien city. Ten weeks that saw me make new friends, explore places and spend time in a corporate world that would soon become my second home. A summer spent as much in learning as it was spent in having fun, spent as much in making new bonds as renewing existing ones. A summer almost wholly spent interning at Samsung Research Institute, Bangalore (or SRI-B, as we call it).
The selection process was relatively simple, and happened very early - in the first month of my fifth semester. Interested students were asked to submit resumes, but no shortlisting was done based on this, and it all came down to a small MCQ test on basic C programming. There was some nervousness as I fancied my chances of getting selected, but the tension soon passed as, after a small talk about Samsung, the list of selected candidates was announced. The wait was over, and I had an internship!
The internship began on May 15th, a mere week after the end of my third year. During this one week, apart from packing, I used to think a lot about how I would spend my time in Bangalore. The last time I had been there was when I was a small kid. I had absolutely no memories of the city and knew nothing about living there, except for the hype that Bangalore natives among my classmates had generated. There were 8 of us interning at SRI-B from IIT Madras. I wondered if I would make new friends. I wondered if I would make my mark in the corporate world. I wondered if it would become a memory to cherish, or one that I'd speedily forget and never wish to remember again. Fortunately for me, it was the former.
I was travelling to another city for ten weeks, and my excitement level was high. I was never alone, because two of my closest friends interned in the same city - and over the next ten weeks, I met a few other people who became my best friends over the ten weeks we spent together.
SRI-B hosted us in a wonderful hotel for a week before we moved to our PGs. That week was amazing and went by in a flash. From a chance meeting paving the way for new friendships, to a DJ night where we danced till we dropped, to an exciting induction seminar (well, except for the bits in the end where they explained the rules), I was pretty happy with my first week in Bangalore. Any cribs? Not really.
My first weekend in Bangalore was spent PG hunting, which was quite an experience! If you are a male looking for a decent PG in the Marathahalli area of Bangalore, I'd recommend you conduct some research and make a few phone calls. We saw some 10-15 PGs on the first day, walked a good 6-7 km before we finally settled on one that was downright uncomfortable but made up for it with its proximity to shops and the main road. For the girls, the process was apparently simpler as the number of girls who were interning at SRI-B was much smaller (sigh!).
I won't go into the details of the technical aspects of my internship, partly because I don't want to bore the non-Computer Science readers, and partly because I must not. Everyone learns during interns. It is what you do apart from learning that is interesting, isn't it? The office space at SRI-B was really stimulating at a creative level. The first thing I noticed about the workspaces in the office was the absence of cubicles. Before this, I had seen only my dad's office, and had mentally expected a closed corner cubicle when I was told that the Director of the Advanced Research Team - to which I was assigned - was also working on the same floor as me. However, there were no doors on my floor, save for a few meetings rooms. It also had a cafeteria, which provided coffee, tea, soft drinks and of course water, all for free. I remember asking the cafeteria guy the price of a bottle of Coke, and then asking him again a second time because I did not believe that it was free.
The employees at SRI-B were also really friendly. Each intern is assigned a representative in the HR department who will essentially be their guide for the full duration of their internship. That is another thing that I liked about SRI-B. It is organized to a fault. Anything you need? You just need to raise a request in their internal workflow and it gets delivered to your workspace. The FTEs, i.e Full Time Employees, in my team were really friendly and helped me get settled down in office. I could talk to them freely (strictly on a first name basis, mind you) and ask them any queries I had - technical, non-technical or just questions about the city. I used to 'pain' them every Friday by asking them to suggest some place to go to during the weekend. My mentor, despite being a busy man (he was the Director of ART), was very approachable and sometimes even responded to my queries over the internal chat engine, which I found rather strange in the beginning, but soon got accustomed to.
Lunch at Samsung is free, and so is dinner, provided you stay till then. And the food is really amazing - at least, much better than the food in our PG or in insti messes. My friends and I used to eat together everyday, and lunch breaks frequently stretched to 2 hours, from 12 to 2. Samsung also has this ritual of team lunches once in a month, to enable the team to spend a light moment together and take a step back from professional pressures.
So that's about the office. What about the city? The real fun was during the weekends, when we generally roamed around, going to malls and other places of attraction. Bangalore offers enough and more to keep you occupied for 8 weeks - Bannerghatta Zoo, Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, a large number of malls (Phoenix and Orion are the most famous) and the finger-licking, mouth-wateringly good MTR restaurant. We visited the Visveshwarayya Museum and Shivasamudram falls near Mysore. In short, we had a lot of fun.
This post is already too long, so I will stop here. The intern has definitely affected me positively. I can sense something different in me - the way I interact with others, my outlook towards life and my worldview in general. And the Pre Placement Offer that was extended to me by SRI-B has given a boost to my self-confidence. Truly, the summer of 2014 is not one that I will want to forget in a hurry.
About the author: Friendly and fun-loving, Ganesh is a final year B. Tech student. When not talking and laughing or generally fooling around with his friends, you can find him thinking about deep and totally useless things. He's a huge fan of CSK, MSD and now, Chennaiyin FC!
This story was first published on the IIT Madras student blog 'The Fifth Estate'.
http://www.t5eiitm.org/2014/10/internship-stories-samsung-research-india/
Successful Landing at
DRDO
At the end of a carefree and relaxed first year, it was finally time to think about getting an internship. But, however important landing an internship is in our minds, the laziness to fight for one overwhelms it, and we almost always end up uploading our resumes at the last minute of the last day. There was hardly any activity in the core aero profiles in the autumn semester, but the situation changed dramatically with the onset of the spring semester. There were a string of opportunities for us in the core field now.
Amidst all this hustle, I got selected for Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Agra, also known as ADRDE (Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment). DRDO is one of the most sought-after research platforms for core aerospace enthusiasts, and I was happy to get it. As far as the selection is considered, it was heavily dependent on the resume. I was excited to get involved in one of the "Top Secret" labs of the country to explore where exactly we stood amongst our competitors when it comes to our impenetrable and glorious defence. I wanted to grasp just how much we Aerospace engineers contribute to our society.
Deployment at the Internship
There we were, on the first day of the internship, in the city of the Taj Mahal, passing by a life-size tank, making our way through the entrances of ADRDE. We had to leave behind all electronic equipment, (mobile, laptops, pen drives, etc.) at the gate, to ensure absolutely no leakage of the highly covert data of the organization as demanded by them. Obviously, we had our own human memory and an internet connection inside, but let's keep that aside for now. The environment was serene and lush with greenery which made it the perfect atmosphere to focus. We were introduced to our guides and the department where we were supposed to work. As a matter of fact, almost all of our guides were IITians, and quite young too. There was absolutely no delay in getting straight to the point. We were given a variety of topics that could be of use to them, and it was totally up to us to choose which aspect of the project we'd be interested in working. I certainly agree that 3rd year students had a greater pool to choose from, as compared to us sophomores, but then I'd rather make most use of my time here than complain.
The organization DRDO is spread out across the country performing various tasks, each specialized in a particular field. DRDO Agra specializes in aerial development. Till now, its primary area of focus had been developing high grade parachutes deployed during re-entry of spacecraft and the ones used by soldiers for skydiving. Work involved going through fabric research, drag maximization while re-entry into the orbit and stabilizing the system and so on. Their most recent effort had been of creating an Aerostat, which was successfully achieved. Leaping a few steps forward: currently they are working on an Airship, for the first time in India. On completion of project "Airship", we would be among the only few nations of the world who have accomplished this feat, putting us at par with countries like USA, China, Germany, France and Japan. THIS is the project for which we were chosen to work on.
Does this ring a bell? Mangalyaan, remember? It looks like we have made it a habit to be among the elite. Being interested in core, the idea of working on such a project captivated my heart with immense pleasure. The work here captures everything from Structural Designing and Analysis to CFD, Engines and Controls. We do a lot of literature surveys and gather whatever highly sheltered knowledge we can find. The work culture here is really friendly; simply put, it feels like you are working in a tech-team at IIT with the seniors who have a great deal of knowledge to offer you. We can approach any scientist without any hesitation, and it is almost guaranteed that you wouldn't be disappointed, doesn't matter whether they are ranked B, C, or D. And yes, these alphabets represent the seniority levels of the scientists.
Adverse Times
Now, remember folks, this is Agra, the abode of Akbar's Fatehpur Sikri and Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal, ranked highest amongst the great seven wonders of the world, but still the city is not as glamorous and pompous as it feels, or at least that's what I think. The 'summer' of my summer internship really hurts a lot. During the day the city temperatures soar as high as 45-46 degrees. As of now, when on one side, Mumbai is literally drowning, on the other, there hasn't been even a drop of relief in Agra yet. As if the heat was not enough, we were not even provided any accommodation or stipend. Added to this, living in a completely new city on your own, without any accommodation provided and with the number of PGs available near ADRDE being very scarce; the situation can push your buttons.
Now, for what's really important - food! We miss our insti's food and canteens. Seriously. The government food provided in the DRDO campus is horrible. We can't leave the campus till evening, once we enter in the morning, so eating outside is also not an option. As far as the rest of city is concerned, there are quite a few well-managed food outlets, but always, always, always remember to ask the size of the serving; you either receive too less or too much.
It is not out of the ordinary in government institutions for people to misuse the freedom provided to them. Sometimes we feel that, we interns are the ones toiling harder than "some" of the employees. Some government employees often take their freedom to a whole new level, by choosing to do next to nothing. Punctuality is a myth here; no one believes in it.
There is a burning issue of lack of proper infrastructure which no one can deny. These scientists don't have access to internet on their PCs. Yes, you heard it right - No Freakin' Internet! This was done in order to prevent anyone from hacking their system. They have intranets, however. They also have common PCs in each department with access to internet. Originally, all five of us interns were supposed to work on the same single PC of our department, though later on we managed to acquire other PCs with some help. The rule of not being allowed to take information in and out of the campus makes it difficult to do any work in our rooms. Later, though, they themselves granted us the freedom to come whenever we wished and report to them.
Take-off, journey and beyond
As far as the work profile is concerned, it is definitely fascinating and innovative, and there is a lot to learn. The youngsters here are full of energy and knowledge, and so are the seniors. What is required is a new source of motivation for the seniors, as it is quite natural that in thriving to achieve new knowledge every day, one is bound to face many obstacles and difficulties, which can sometimes drain one's motivation. Also, a much needed upgradation of the workplace is necessary to keep up with the world, and retain its status as a pioneer of the nation in defence R&D. This is a phase of transition, and visionaries are needed.
The end of the internship is nearing at a much more accelerated pace than with what it had begun, and little did I then expect this place to become like a home for me.
For those looking to work at DRDO, I'll say, "Your journey and experience shall be an enlightening and a memorable one, just as mine was."
This internship article was written by Manish Kumar Nayak, and first published on the IITB Student Blog InsIghT IITB in July 2015.