I had a fantastic experience as an intern with Flipkart this summer. It taught me more than I could have imagined. I got to work on a data science project that was interesting and important, and could make a significant difference in the way the company operates. It allowed me to learn, think, and execute constantly. I felt that hiring managers at Flipkart did a lot of homework while providing real work assignments and modifying project objectives to minimize impact to the virtual job.
The work from the home culture at Flipkart was very good. For instance, the Flipkart teams recognized that the boundaries between our work and home life were blurring due to COVID-19. We used to get advice to schedule our meetings/calls with others within the 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM window and take a personal day off if need be.
Flipkart, being a tech-company, had developed the infrastructure to support WFH. In that sense, they were pre-prepared for the lockdown. The campus team ensured that the internship programme ran a tight ship and ascertained that productivity and learning of interns did not get affected amidst the pandemic. We used to have a weekly campus team connect with all co-interns and play fun quizzes, take part in competitions like a ‘Plant for the Planet’ and ‘Know Your Interns’. Further, every week, speakers from the executive ranks across Flipkart’s business units used to speak about the work they do and their experiences at Flipkart and beyond. We also used to have weekly sessions to learn about the activities of a fellow interns’ business unit, and to support each other’s projects in the best way possible.
The lack of face-to-face interaction at the workplace got compensated by these social engagements. I could enjoy my work, as I avoided long office commutes, worked in my cosy pyjamas and spent more time with loved ones.
Sameer is currently a post-graduate student of PGP/ MBA at IIMB. Before joining IIMB, he worked for two years with Alstom India and, holds a bachelor’s degree in Mech. Engg. An indoor person by nature, Sameer enjoys photography, reading books and working on new ideas for e-commerce startups.