Ayush Kumar is from Bokaro, Jharkhand. He passed his intermediate examinations from Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Bokaro. Currently, he is pursuing his bachelor's degree in Commerce from Satyawati College which comes under Delhi University. He is in his second year now and he has done an internship in a company named “goDutch” and his role at the company was as a Business Development Intern.
How did you get the internship at goDutch Can you tell me about the selection process?
Getting this internship was not that difficult for me. One of my seniors in the entrepreneurship society referred me to the company for this internship. This helped me to skip the screening phase that interns generally have to go through. I was then interviewed by my team leader on the same day of the submission of the application. Thereafter, I was selected for this internship.
What was your title and responsibility in that internship?
My title during this internship was as a business development intern. My responsibility is to locate potential clients and explain to them the purpose and uses of our product. This was a major element of promoting it to different-different targets. Thankfully, because I performed well on this internship, I was promoted to the position of Team Head where I had to manage a group of 5 interns.
Challenges faced getting an internship?
When we are studying in university, we study a general area. But when it comes to the internship, we need to make sure which area we want to be focusing on. I had a tough time realizing what I wanted to do. Once I was very sure of the area I wanted to intern in, there were very limited opportunities available for professional experiences in that very field.
What kind of skills and characteristics are needed to be a business intern at goDutch?
For this very role, one has to be well versed with Excel, database management, and communication leadership.
How was your experience interning at goDutch?
I pretty much enjoyed working in a corporate structure. It was a fresh and new experience for me altogether. This internship not only provided me with a fresh experience, but I also made new connections and friends during the same.
What was your stipend/ salary range during this internship? What kind of benefits did you get from the same?
As a business development intern, the stipend I received was Rs. 2k per month. When I was promoted to the position of team head, my stipend was raised to Rs.4k per month. During this internship, I also received a certificate from the company.
What do you think is a decent stipend during the internship which would interest students? Can you give a range?
According to me, the decent salary range for a work-from-internship is Rs.2k to Rs.4k per month, and that for an in-office internship is Rs.5k to Rs.8k per month.
Do you think an internship is important for students why?
According to me, for students who are sure about what they want to do once they complete their graduation, internships can play a vital role for them to gain prior experience.
What suggestions can you give to fresh grads/students who want to apply for internships?
I would like to suggest that they look out for their interests and keep searching for them till the time they do succeed. Once they are sure of their interests, they should try to let go of the stipend and place their primary focus on gaining all the experience that they could.