Summer Traning Experience of IIM Rohtak Student at ICICI Bank

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Summer Training Experience of IIM Rohtak Student at ICICI Bank

Jul 05,2011

To profess knowledge is one thing, but to put it in to practice is another entirely. At a B-School, a student is exposed to numerous concepts, theories and techniques and while one can duly imbibe them over the course of the curriculum, they must be applied in the real world to be truly appreciated.

The summer internship acts as a precursor, both for the students as well as the industry. For us, it is a taste of things to come, a glimpse of the future. For the industry, it is a chance to assess the next crop of managers who will be inducted into the corporate world in about a year.

For a fresher like me, for whom the internship is his/her first brush with the corporate world, the proposition can be quite daunting and challenging. But, the prospect of making one’s mark on one’s organization, and being appreciated for it, is an exciting one indeed. Moreover, it is a priceless opportunity to get some experience under one’s belt.

It was these and more thoughts running in my mind that I approached my first day at ICICI Bank.

My mentor had been kind enough to talk to me prior to my joining his team, which had given me a vague idea of what was in store for me. Nevertheless, I was still apprehensive and nervous as I walked up to report to my mentor. It was clear from the very first moment that he had very high expectations of me and he was quick to outline his vision for the project to be carried out by me. I was both proud and terrified to find out that the project assigned to me would have a direct bearing on the financial performance of my team. I had just been thrown in to the deep end, but it just made me resolve to swim harder.

I was later introduced to the other members of my team, my colleagues whom I would be working with for the next two months. Despite their hectic schedule, they were more than happy to take me under their wing and make my initiation smooth and hassle free. As the week progressed, I engrossed myself in my project, hoping to produce quality work which would reflect well on me and my institute. I had divided my project, which involved credit appraisal into stages, with each stage requiring different skill sets and competencies. It was time to put all that I had learnt over the past year to the test and produce results which would hopefully be satisfactory to the organization.

The first time I used Porter’s Five Forces model to analyze a client’s industry will forever be etched in my mind. It was at this moment that the importance of what is taught to us dawned on me. After my initial weekly progress reports were appreciated by my mentor, I gained confidence in my ability to make a meaningful contribution during my tenure.

The latter stages of my project required me to meet clients, understand their needs and match them with the services that ICICI provides. It was then that I realized the unique nature of the banking industry. In banking, sound financial knowledge as well as an affinity towards customer interaction, are both indispensable attributes. The comprehensive nature of my project helped in understanding internal strengths as well as external influences and how their interaction shapes the direction of a project undertaken by a firm.

Along with the knowledge that I gained from working with industry experts, my learning in terms of understanding corporate culture is equally important, if not more so. My frequent interactions with my mentor and team member and their valuable inputs have helped in broadening my horizons and helped me discover avenues that I never knew existed.

Towards the end of my two months at ICICI, I was required to submit my findings in the form of a report which was to contain my analysis and recommendations. I was anxious as to the reaction of my mentor to my report and was hoping that he would find it relevant. I was relieved when he proclaimed that he was pleased with my work. I was ecstatic when he accepted some of my recommendations and agreed to implement them over the coming months.

In conclusion, my time with ICICI helped me augment my knowledge and opened new paradigms of thought. I am proud that I was able to make a positive contribution during my time with the organization and firmly believe that this two month experience will prove instrumental in the years to come.

Concluded.

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