I still remember my first call with HR team, I can tell about my feelings, but, I am sure other interns might also be in the same shoe as I was in. In this time of uncertainty and ambiguity, one thing which was on top of our minds, was that, how things will move in this Virtual setup. I was all prepared by taking relevant guidance from seniors that how to go about these 2 months. But as all are aware this time, it was completely different setup. No one ever experienced this uniqueness which we were going to experience this time. I literally prepared a one-page long question list which was there on my mind and wanted to ask in that call. Then the call started, HR covered all the doubts without even asking and cleared all the ambiguity. In addition to that, the HR assured us, “We are there for you at every step, you just need to keep us posted, where you need our help”. That is how my journey started with complete faith, that coming two months are going to be the best in ability with the situation which was going on with people out there to support me.
Project Briefing:
I received my Project Charter at around 11.30 PM on 7th of April. I went through the Project charter; I saw the title which says, “Value stream mapping of manufacturing end to end process & Packaging material specification of India processes with Global practices”. The first question popped up into my mind was, How?? Why? And I must say my reaction was a shocked one in its first place :D. My project was not something related to data analysis or developing a tool sitting at my home. It was about understanding the complete manufacturing process of India operation and that too for 3 Manufacturing units of India and simultaneously understand Global process as well and then present my findings. So, one thing was clear that my coming two months are going to be mostly on call as It involved talking with lot many people from India as well as from global unit. I took a deep breath and thought that If it is given than it would be doable. It will be fun accepting the challenge and deliver it to my best abilities. I tried connecting with my Project guide and had my first call with him. The assurance I received from my guide was unparallel. My guide said, that, “I will be there to support you at each step so don’t be scared, these two months will be an unforgettable learning experience for you as well as for us, and we will work as a team”. And here, I would like to take a moment to say, that this is how the culture of RB is. Teamwork, Frankness, Freedom to succeed is of vital importance to the company and does not really believe in hierarchy. People here are very approachable.
Induction experience:
I must say, Soar Beyond Induction program is very purposefully planned to give an Intern a holistic understanding of how a Business works. Every week, engagement sessions were arranged in which we were not only told about how different functions of RB works but also, sessions were kept keeping the growth of Intern in mind. We also got a chance to interact with India leadership team of RB and got to know how Company is finding new ways of working abiding by its Compass in this Covid situation. Sessions like FocusU presentation skills in which we were told about the art of effective presentation giving skills. Session on “Building your brand” was also arranged in which we were informed what does an Employer seeks while searching through platform like LinkedIn.
Project experience:
My initial days went in understanding my project and knowing the expectation out of it. My project was something in which I had to interact with so many stakeholders. I had interacted with almost 50 + people and can surely say about the culture of the company. In simple words, “RB is a well-established FMCG with entrepreneurial & growth mindset of people who works closely in teams to achieve for a bigger goal & If a peak is achieved then people of company look out for another one”. During my internship journey, I came across points when I was not able to picture the benefits on a larger level, there my guide with his experience was always there to help me to understand a bigger picture. One good thing about RB is, if you are suggesting something for good than people here are very welcoming for the suggestions and always open for exploring. People from factory/ Supply team, despite of working in such a challenging environment helped and supported me a lot in my project. This journey wouldn’t have been possible without them and all have played a very important role.
Learnings:
My learning here have grown exponentially. I not only learned technical or management concepts but also learned some very good aspect which will help in networking with people in professional life. Interning with Reckitt Benckiser for 2 months certainly gave me many learnings but two key learnings, which I would like to share are:
1. You should always be aware of the purpose of whatever you are doing and then the work becomes easy for you to do and to get it done from the stakeholders.
2. Project Ownership is must. You should always voice your concerns if something is there in your mind and sort it out, because as an intern we are in learning phase and various phases will come, It is always good to take opinion from experts around, rather than letting the project to suffer. Ultimately, at the end, every project has its purpose and people would like to know, what is your contribution to it.
To sum it up all, this internship followed different curves filled with excitement and provided me with various obstacles and challenges. Whether it was collaborating with multiple stakeholders, testing my technical skills or brainstorming possible ideas with my team, it was overall a roller coaster ride. I was accompanied with likeminded passionate folks and with them this journey became a more enjoyable one.
PS: With the support I got from my guide and sponsor and the people around & the effort and dedication I poured into my project I was fortunate to get an award of Best Intern among the batch :)
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