The Roller Coaster Journey to MBA

I am like any other guy pursuing MBA.... May be I am more or less the same as the others as there are many POPs (Points of Parities) between me and other students but there are many PODs (Points of Differentiations) too and also have a USP. Don’t worry I am not going the list them out for you but you will certainly come to know about them as you go through my posts on this blog. I think I must not get more into the Marketing terminologies.

At present I am at a very critical position of my life. This juncture of my life is either the make or break for my career and my life. There has been many ups and downs in my life as well as in my career, it has been just like a roller-coaster.

Actually, this was all the result of not planning my career. It all started with preparing for NDA but not able to give the exam due to some reasons, then thinking of doing Engineering but landed up doing B.Sc. The hopes of getting into the armed forces were still in my mind which inspired me to prepare for CDS and also undergo NCC training along with my graduation, which could have become the helping factor of my getting into the armed forces. During this time I was determined, self-motivated and worked very hard to achieve my goals, on the way I had many achievements in NCC, where I made many successful efforts in National camps and successfully topped and secured ‘Aye’ (A) grade in ‘C’ certificate of NCC. After that I cleared my CDS exams and also had direct SSB calls based on my NCC’s training, but there was a twist in my career as my parents said they were not ready to send me to Armed Forces as I am the only son and there it is a risk of life. So, I left my desires for them and started preparing for MBA entrance along with my job in a Bangalore based Hospitality firm as a Guest Relations Executive. And finally at present I am here at Kirloskar doing MBA.

I am happy with whatever I am doing and trying to get the best out of me. I am not still sure to what I want to achieve from my life but I want to become a successful person, I know it is very general and it has different meaning to different people. I just want to have a self satisfaction to whatever I do, serve my family and serve my society and nation in all possible ways in which I can.

My Summer Internship Experience

Summer Internship is an integral part of any MBA curriculum in the country. It serves as the only direct exposure to an organization and its ways of functioning during the entire curriculum. The importance of summer internship in any management course cannot be over-emphasized. Irrespective of the general acceptance of summer internship among the students as well as the corporate, there still exists some scepticism and confusion in the minds of MBA students about the efficacy and usefulness of a summer training programme. But according to me, it is the most effective aid in enabling the students to relate management theory to practice, and in making an informed career choice.

Now coming to my Summer Internship, the title of the project was “Evaluation of the Implementation of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna in the districts of Uttar Pradesh” and I pursued my summer internship at ICICI Lombard GIC Ltd. The company had a very structured process of summer internship with an initial induction, which gives a bird's eye view of the various perspectives of the business and also prepares interns for the internship. So following that for the first week I had been provided all the reading material and links explaining the details and processes involved the project, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna, which is a health insurance project for BPL population by Ministry of Labour for which the company was contracted.

Then, I met my Company Guide who seemed fantastic. He had created a motivating list of tasks and assignments that I would complete during the internship and I was free to change anything or add anything extra which I could do. He headed the operations of all 15 districts in which the project was running currently and my task was to visit all those 15 districts and find the problem areas in the processes and give suggestions and recommendations to improve it in the remaining 56 districts in which the project will be implemented this year.

As per the plan I visited all the 15 districts and took a 360 degree feedback from ICICI Lombard employees, Health Card Providers, Hospitals and the BPL beneficiaries through different questionnaires prepared by me. Seeing my zeal, commitment and hard work, my company guide extended the period of my internship to 8 weeks, which was initially 6 weeks so that I could assist the team in implementing the project and learn how the work is done on field. So, in the later half of my internship I assisted in implementation of the project in Central and South Zone of Uttar Pradesh.

I feel a typical internship is not only about work and rigor but also about enjoying the experience, which I got there by visiting throughout the state, seeing different cultures and interacting and knowing how a BPL person feels was a great experience. But at the same time, a lot of travelling took the toll out of me and it proved very hectic as I was not habitual of travelling this much before that.

In the end I found myself all the more confident and willing to face challenges. And not to forget a lot of good relationship's that I made. Certainly, it is a very fun and flexible place to work where Interns are treated like full-time employees in almost every way. I got lot of exposure about how work is done at the field and I proved myself there by introducing innovative things, which can also give direct benefit to the company in form of getting more premiums from the government. It's great to feel trusted and valued for my contributions.

I chose this internship over another internship opportunity as I had prior exposure to the insurance industry with my association with LIC as an Insurance Consultant for several years and also had keen interest and wanted to know and learn more about the insurance industry. And after working on this project I would also like to build my career in this field as there is a lot of opportunity for me not only in this company but in other insurance companies, which are involved in this project in different states of India.

The project was of tremendous value add as it equips me with an understanding of the Public-Private Partnership and Health Insurance business. The project is very beneficial for me as it gives me insight into the business and works behind one of the biggest brands among the private insurance companies in India. Though only eight years old, the Company has a great work profile and healthy environment to work to show your talent with a freedom to work. I was more than happy to get interned at this company. But I must say the whole experience went way above my expectations. The stereotypical summer internship involves performing tedious, boring tasks for a huge company or more commonly a research internship at an Institution or organization, which is almost the opposite of my experience.