Final Semester Internship Experience

“ Intern — An affordable option to an expensive employee. A win-win scenario for both.”

During their final year of study, students are typically advised to pursue an internship to gain insight into how the industry functions and to develop an understanding of the corporate world. This presents a valuable learning opportunity for young individuals or freshers, as they gain valuable experience and insights into their future profession following graduation.

Organizations offer internships to provide necessary training and work experience to students. This, in turn, shapes their career by exposing them to the industry, increasing their employability and gaining a competitive edge in the job market. Internships allow students to step out of their comfort zones and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds working towards the success of the organization. This includes peers, seniors, mentors, business leaders, trainers, influencers, company directors, CEOs, and others, with whom they can build strong professional relationships. Internships also enable students to explore their passions and develop new skills. Overall, internships provide a valuable opportunity for students to gain a practical understanding of their field, improve their employability, and make meaningful connections within the industry.

As a final semester B.Tech CSE student, I had several internship options available through my college’s placement cell. After careful analysis, I chose to pursue the IT Business Development Trainee position at Cantik Technologies Pvt. Ltd. I was intrigued by the opportunity to explore this field, which may seem unrelated to my technical background at first glance. However, this internship requires a strong technical knowledge base in addition to business skills. Thus, it is not solely a non-technical internship. I am glad that I made the right decision in choosing this internship, and I am thoroughly enjoying the experience.

About the Company

Cantik Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is an IT solutions company, established in 2017 and based in Gurgaon, with a vision to provide next Gen solutions and specialized and differentiated IT services by adopting new-age technologies with a commitment to quality and customer sensitivity by maintaining the highest levels of integrity & values to address human resources challenges in IT infrastructure space. The main business offerings include System Integration, IT Managed Services and providing skilled IT manpower.

Selection Procedure

I received a message in my campus placement WhatsApp group about an internship opportunity, and I forwarded my resume to my college’s placement team. The selection process consisted of three phases. The first round involved resume shortlisting, followed by a telephonic interview with the IT Business Head, and finally, a one-on-one interview with the IT Business Head and Managing Director at the company office in Gurgaon. The interview questions were straightforward and covered topics related to my personal life, a few technical questions, and some situation-based queries. I answered all the questions confidently and was selected for the internship.

Following my selection, I received an offer letter for the internship period, which was scheduled to take place from Feb’23 to May’23. A few days later, the HR department contacted me for the documentation and onboarding process.

First day into the corporate world

I started working at the company in February. Fortunately, a college friend of mine, Divyanshu, had joined the same profile 20 days earlier. Even though I had relocated to Delhi and started late, he helped me settle down by providing me with information about the company’s dos and don’ts and other necessary instructions. My manager/IT Business Head, Mr. Madhaw Kumar, introduced me to our IT Business team and other teams, such as finance, talent acquisition, IT, and management. I found the office environment to be very pleasant, and everyone was interactive. Overall, I liked the office culture. Although I was initially nervous about my first day, the people and office culture helped me settle in without any hesitation.

Following that, I had an induction session with HR, during which she provided me with complete details about the company’s working, processes, business, goals, philosophy, major projects since its inception, and brief information about the various services that the company offers.

Training Programme

Once I had settled down and gained a basic understanding of how the Company operated, my training began with my mentor and IT business head, Mr. Madhaw Kumar. Our training lasted for around a month and a half, and was divided into several modules, each with its own focus.

In Module 1, we learned about sales and business-related topics such as GST, GSTIN, CIN, PAN Card of Company, MSMEs, Shop and Establishment Act, Start Up India, HSN and SAC codes, Proprietary Firm, LLC, Private Firm, Limited Firm, Public Limited Firm, S-Corps, C-Corps, Shares vs Stocks, Stock Exchange, IPO, PSUs, Provident Funds, Current vs Savings Account, Assets and liabilities, Import and Export Duties, SEZ Zone, STPI Zone, Quotation, Purchase Order, Invoice, E-Way Bill, Delivery Challan, Inventory, Procurement Process in a company, cost pricing and gross margin, Industry Verticalization, and study and research about list of Industry Verticalization and associated companies mapped to it such as Manufacturing, Healthcare, IT-ITES, Government, Enterprise, etc. This included learning about their nature of business, their customers, and main source of business.

Module 2 was focused on network and related technologies, including ICT (Information and Communication Technology), hardware, software, operating systems and types of operating systems, servers, clients, internet, intranet, the 7-layer OSI model, server and client architecture and its current requirements, data centers, their components, storage, applications, networking, and why they are necessary, types of networks such as LAN, WAN, MAN, and PAN, structured cabling, its benefits, types of cables, their use cases, cloud, benefits of cloud over on-premise DC, DC and DR concepts, virtualization, and why it is needed in today’s world.

Module 3 covered the company’s internal processes and functioning, including the business model and its offerings, the customer sales cycle, the partner ecosystem model from a product supply perspective, and internal processes from procurement to payment.

Module 4 delved into the company’s IMS solution and service delivery capabilities, including an introduction to infrastructure managed services, the IMS solution for customers, the IMS ecosystem, service delivery and types of services, service level agreements, the service desk, ITSM/ticketing tools, skill levels in IT (L-1, L2, L-3, and L-4), Cantik service delivery capabilities, call flow, location and resource details, current customers (direct/indirect) to whom the company offers managed services, and discussions with customers based on experience from a service delivery standpoint.

Finally, in Module 5, we learned about digital solutions offered by the company, including an introduction to all digital solutions, digital solutions for customers, customer handling skills, soft skills, digital media and marketing, creating LinkedIn pages and connecting with other followers, gathering customer contact details from digital media, how to promote the company profile on digital media/social platforms, and CCTV solution and VMS, servers, endpoints, printers, and other accessories, and access control systems.

Day to Day Tasks after training completion

Upon completion of our training, we were assigned several tasks including researching emerging technologies and industry trends to identify potential clients and new business opportunities using tools such as LinkedIn or support from the Talent Acquisition team. Once potential clients were identified, we reached out to them through email, phone or social media to understand their requirements and suggest potential solutions. We also introduced them to our company’s services and scheduled meetings or demos to further discuss our offerings.

Another task was to research the market and competition to analyze industry trends, identify gaps, and gather information about competitors’ products and services. We worked with existing clients to ensure their satisfaction and identify opportunities for upselling or cross-selling. We engaged with them through networking and emails, aiming to build better relationships with them.

Furthermore, we were responsible for drafting proposals, RFP responses, and preparing billing of materials (BOM), request for proposals (RFPs), service level agreements (SLAs), annual maintenance contracts (AMCs), quotations, and IT sales order forms after processing of customer purchase orders.

We also attended industry events, conferences, and meetups to network with potential clients and partners. One such event was the Acronis | DQ Channels Exclusive Event “Prevent Cyberattacks with Better Email Security Services” at Crowne Plaza, New Delhi, where we gained exposure to top service providers in the cybersecurity segment of IT and interacted with highly qualified individuals.

Key learnings from the Internship

I was exposed to various aspects of the IT industry and worked closely with a team of experienced professionals who provided me with guidance, support, and feedback throughout the duration of my internship. These tasks were instrumental in helping me understand the importance of team collaboration and communication in achieving organizational goals.

I gained a deeper understanding of intricacies of IT Business Development and various technologies and processes involved in system integration and IT infrastructure managed services. This knowledge has helped me understand the technical aspects of the requirements of the IT industry. I learned how to create compelling proposals that effectively communicate the company’s offerings and value proposition to potential clients. This skill has helped me develop my communication and writing skills and has given me the ability to articulate complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner. I gained experience in interacting with clients and understanding their needs and requirements which helped me to develop my interpersonal skills and has given me the ability to build strong relationships with the team and clients.

This internship experience helped me to learn and grow both personally and professionally in ways that exceeded my expectations. I am immensely grateful to everyone who played a role in making this experience a truly memorable one for me.