My Summer Intern

Seated in a cubicle with files kept on my table along with a diary, my bag resting in the side, laptop plugged in, cell getting charged, AC working and everyone completely dedicated to their work, this is all how I had dreamt my first stint in a company to be. And this seems better than the dream. 

The Noida plant of Halonix Ltd., the place where I am on my summer training is the perfect place to begin. A company, which is the leading manufacturer of automotive and industrial lamps in India and the people here and especially the person who I am under are simply awesome. I still remember mailing to professors at Indian Institutes of Management, for a project which I could have done in my summer vacations and their refusal for doing so. With very less time remaining and my end semester exams approaching, I couldn’t concentrate on getting my summer training and I thought that this would also be like the previous holidays where I did nothing at home except eating and sleeping and putting on weight. But then I asked my father to arrange something, if it was possible. He talked about it to one of his friends and he told us about this company and arranged everything. I hadn’t heard of this company ever and neither had my friends. So I was very apprehensive about coming here and didn’t know what to expect. The first day my uncle came to drop me at the office and the first look of it was just the opposite of what I had thought. With sprawling lawns and a huge campus, this was anything but a small company, contrary to my thoughts. I was extremely happy and when I stepped inside the office, the marble flooring and the ambience at the reception drove away whatever slight doubts that were left about the place I had come for training. It had all the opportunities to learn and there were no restrictions put up on me. The fact that I belonged to one of the premier institutes of the country only helped my cause. And the Executive Director here was also a pass-out from my college, so it was like cherry on the cake. I was treated an equal by everyone and the silliest of doubts I had were always answered and I was provided with answers to every query I had, whether related to my area of study or elsewhere. I was given a mentor here, and he is totally an awesome guy. A boss who is a leader, not a ruler. He took care of me like his own son and we had questions and answers round, wherein he would ask me a question, and if I replied correctly, he would say “well done, u know a lot! Next time I will ask a question which you won’t be able to answer” and then we would laugh. If I was unable to answer his questions, like a teacher, he would take my diary and pen and would explain to me everything related to his question. And then he would tell me to explain what I had understood. He got me a cubicle beside his and I would sit with him, study whatever he told me to and he would take me to frequent visits of the plant, show me around how things worked here, introducing me to the in-charges of various departments. And after that, he would say to the persons who asked him who I was, that he is from IIT Kharagpur and he is under me as a trainee! He is one of the most amicable guys in the office and gets along with everyone. I am inspired by the way he is and hope to imbibe even half of the good qualities that he has. When one of my friends asked his boss if he could leave early, though he gave him the permission but was frustrated, in my case when I asked him, he said “whenever u want to leave, just inform me” and that too with a smile!!

It has been 2 weeks here and it won’t be wrong to say that these are probably among the “best days of my life”. I would work on weekdays and on weekends, I would go out and meet my friend(s) and enjoy. An experience of a lifetime, I would say. I can’t thank this place enough for whatever it has given me and the way the people here have embraced me. This is just a small gesture to show my gratitude to them.