SUMMER INTERNSHIP STORY (VARUN BEVERAGES LIMITED)

My story of Internship started when I first went to Head Office of Varun Beverages Limited in
Gurgaon. I stayed in Amity Hostel in Noida. Month of April, when the weather starts becoming hot, I
had to dress up myself in full formals and all the attire code that follows. On that day, I felt more of
Agent 007 with an exception that instead of guns, I was having my document folder. Started of my
journey to Gurgaon from Noida in the most loved public transport of Delhi/NCR, the Metro. Journey
in metro from Noida to Gurgaon takes almost 1 hour 30 minutes. During my journey to Gurgaon, I
was preparing for all the possible questions that the interviewer will ask. Going on each questions
again and again till I remember the questions so much that even if I was asleep and someone
whispered into my ears "Why MBA?" I could reply the answer without opening my eyes. After my
journey of 1 hour 30 minutes I reached Huda City Centre Metro Station.
It took me around 10 minutes to reach the head office where my internship interview was
scheduled. On seeing the office I was very happy as it as tall glass building. As I entered into the
office building the interior was so great that I felt happy being in there. I approached the receptionist
there and told her that I was here for my internship interview. She made a phone call and was on call
for about 3 minutes and she asked me to wait as the interviewer will join me in next 20 minutes. I
took a nice comfortable looking couch rather than wooden bench with a thin layer of foam which
would just be enough to make you sit comfortable for the coming 10 minutes after which you will
run out of patience. During my time waiting there for the interviewer, I practiced again and again the
questions that I imagined the interviewer would ask. After a while the receptionist asked me to wait
in the board room as the interviewer would join me in another 5 minutes. I stood up from the couch
had a glass of water, took a deep breath, whispered to myself that Yes you can do it and then
proceeded towards the board room. I waited inside the board room looking around and thinking
what was the interview going to be like. After a while an interviewer came in with a great smile and
as soon as he sat down, he started bombing questions as if I am Palestine and he being Israel, as he
cant stand to see me in the board room. After half an hour of the grilling the climate inside the
board room started to cool down. After the interview was over I was asked by the interviewer to
wait outside. I politely asked him, Is there another round of interview? He replied to me saying,
Are you in a hurry? I said No and went to the same couch where I was sitting in the morning.
After 20 minutes of waiting in the reception the person who took my interview came and
told me to go to 3
rd
floor and wait in the reception area as the next round of interview will be taken
by DGM- HR. Now that was something that I wasnt expecting or neither was prepared for. I went to
the third floor and waited outside the office in the reception. I was thinking about all the questions
that he can ask. After a while I was called in and realized that it was not HE but a SHE who was going
to interview me. I was happy and yet terrified too as I had no idea what she was going to ask. To my
surprise she asked me few basic questions related to subject and said that she already had the
review from the interviewer. I asked her if I was selected or not. She said, Will notify soon after
discussion Next day evening I receive a call from unknown number, though I rarely take calls from
unknown numbers but on that I took that call and for my surprise it was my interviewer. He said that
I was selected for internship in Varun Beverages Ltd for a period of 2 months. He also said that he
had mailed me the soft copy of the summer internship acceptance letter. I opened my mail id to see
the mail from him and when I opened the mail I saw an attached pdf file tilled Internship Offer
Letter- PRAMOD P NAIR I opened the mail and went through the letter. Letter mentions all the
necessary details that I needed to know which included the date of joining and a bit sad part that I
will not receive any stipend. After receiving this letter I went to my program coordinator and showed
her the letter. She was happy for me and congratulated me for the same.
On 1
st
of May I joined the company as an intern for the coming 2 months. The first day was
boring for me as all did was sit in the reception for more than two hours and then later I was given
the company profile book to familiarize myself with the company and the various business they were
into. After having the lunch from the cafeteria my industry guide, the same person who took my
interview asked me to take the day off. May 1
st
was a Friday so he told me to have fun in the
weekend and we would start off with the internship from Monday onwards. I came back to the place
where I was staying. Had a nice cold water bath and then it was like a blink of an eye and the
weekend was over. I could actually comprehend of what had actually happened and how fast did the
weekend end. On Monday morning it was becoming very hard to get dressed up for office. Since I
didnt had a chance but to go I made myself up and took a rickshaw to office. On my way all I was
wondering was about what would I do today and what all will be the task given to me. I reached my
office and entered through the same reception when I came in few weeks back for my internship
interview. Took the lift to the third floor and greeted everyone I met on my way up. Walking past
DGM-HRs cabin reminded me the second day of interview that I went through. As I moved on I
arrived at the area where HR team of Varun Beverages Ltd worked and took care of the employees.
It was an open space workstation without any cubicle. This was one of the de-centralised
culture that I saw on my first day of internship. In one U-shaped work station had accommodation
for DGM-HR of Training and development, Manager-HR, Assistant Manager- HR, Executive- HR, and
Intern- HR which was. Today was for me almost the same as the day on Friday I had. Instead of
reading the company profile I was given employee manual to go through the various polices that the
company had for their employees. I had been given lunch coupon by industry guide who was
Executive- HR. I had the lunch which was really good. Had a break of few more hours as this was my
first day formally in the office. After a while I was given permission to go for a tea break at 4:30 pm.
After coming from break I asked my mentor about the office timing that I need to follow during my
internship. He said It is from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and so I left the office after saying good bye to
everyone at 5 in the evening. For the next on week I wasnt given much of a job to do so I used to
move around and watch what others were doing.
During the second week of my internship my industry guide handed over me the first task
which was to prepare a proposal letter for the Director of RJ Corp regarding the new talent
acquisition changes. I was excited and nervous at the same time, excited because I finally got
something to do and nervous because I had not a proposal letter ever in my life. I bravely went to
my guide and said Sir, if you have the previous letter for reference that would help me to get this
letter done He paused for a moment and that pause was like as if I had asked him to donate me his
kidney for free. He said Are you going to copy the same thing I said No sir, I just want to see the
format that is been followed by the company to make such kind of letter He saw my reasoning and
handed me over the print out of the previous letter. I looked at the letter for a moment to get in
touch with the content and feel of the letter. Then I started off with drafting the letter. By the end of
the afternoon I have drafted the letter to the best I can and forwarded the soft copy to my guide. I
went to have my lunch and when I came back my guide had a big smile on his face. I was worried for
a while seeing him smile so I went up to him and asked what is the matter? he replied your letter
was liked by Executive Director- HR of RJ Corp. The along with him I started to smile and after
joining and after a week has passed I was acknowledged for the work that I did. Slowly everyone
started to know who Im and so I was assigned with task that was important for the day to day
functioning of the company.
During my third week I approached my guide and asked for the project that I can undertake
to fulfil my needs of the college as well. My guide asked me to go to DGM-HR for the guidance and
topic on which I can work on. After having my lunch and on taking the right time from her, I went
into her cubicle and told her that I need to work to a project if they can offer me one. She was happy
with the initiative that I took to come to her to work on a project. She explained to me about the
project that the company plans to undertake and I assured her my contribution to the project. She
asked me to study on the project carefully and meet her tomorrow to discuss about the same. I went
back and did my study on the project and made a comprehensive summary of the same to show it to
her. Next day morning I went to her cubicle and showed her my idea about the project. She liked the
idea that would be the foundation of the project and she then asked me to start working on it.
As the weeks passed by I was now working on major assignments with everyone in the HR
department from recruitment to training and development and compensation. My skill as a
multitasker was acknowledged by everyone and even ED-HR had acknowledged about the same. I
was in between working on international recruitment projects for the companys factories in abroad,
at times I was working with HR audit department where I learnt to create HRIS, and I was also a part
of the designing of the training program for senior managers for business simulation. By the end of
the 8
th
week I have become a well-known intern in the company.
Like all good things come to an end, my internship was about to get over in the next two
days. All that I learnt in there was now to become memory that I would cherish later. DGM-HR had
asked me to talk to college and extend my summer internship which unfortunately I couldnt do and
was out of my reach. Everybody was started to feel the end coming soon and me who was reluctant
at first to go to office now was sad thinking about leaving the office. The ton of learning I had with
Varun Beverages is something that I couldnt forget. My project was a great success and it became
the standard for future reference. In the end of 2 months I have contributed to the knowledge bank
of the company. I still remember the last day in the office when I completed my day at 5 in the
evening and was leaving for the day everyone stood up to clap for me and then greeted me with
their wishes for the future. DGM-HR even assured me that she will take me in the company if
vacancy comes during my placement time in college. I hugged everyone one last time, bowed down
as the sense of gratitude to all those great souls who taught me so much and ignited the spark to
explore more and convert this spark to flame, then to fire, and then finally into inferno. I went back
to place where I was staying, packed my bags and next day morning I was standing at the metro
station platform to catch metro going towards Rajiv Chowk. When I boarded the metro, I looked
back smiled at the place Gurgaon and said Thank You in my heart for all that it gave with a hope to
see this place once again. These 2 months that passed helped me understand myself and got a
glimpse of what the world out there had to offer me.

BY:
PRAMOD P NAIR,
MBA- HR (Class of 2015),
Amity Business School,
Amity University Uttar Pradesh.