Internship at the FMCG Giant : Hindustan Unilever

As soon as you enter a bschool, you are forced into a frenzy of CV preparation sessions, CV reviews, mock GDs and mock interviews, all with a singular aim - securing internship into a good firm. Securing a good internship is crucial from many aspects. Not only is it a huge addition to you CV, it gives you a glimpse of the corporate world and helps you understand the softer aspects of people management and business.
After sleepless nights during the Summers process, I secured internship in Hindustan Unilever as a Sales and Marketing Intern. Needless to say, I was delighted beyond measure. HUL is the mecca of marketing and the best place to learn nuances of FMCG business. I looked forward eagerly to the summer months of April and May to step into the huge world of FMCG.
I arrived at Mumbai HO of HUL on May 4th 2017. HUL gave all the interns a grand welcome including a welcome kit waiting for us in our rooms, a 3 day fun-filled induction with lots of games, and the cherry on the cake was a grand party at Hard Rock Cafe!

We started working on May 7th. The first 2 weeks were spent trying to understand the structure and functioning of the huge firm and the nitty gritties of my project. As it turns out, the one page project charter turned out to be the second one pager I spent hours reading and re-reading and analyzing after my CV in bschool. Followed by it was lots and lots of excel sheets and some market visits. Though the work threw up number of challenges, constant support and pep talks from friends kept me going. The work is challenging but fun, and the organisation provides ample opportunities for learning. The people in the organization are supportive, and encourage out of the box thinking. The senior managers in the firm give a lot of importance to the internship program and regularly organize meetings with interns and take their feedback. The entire internship program is painstakingly developed to provide a lot of learning and support.

The Mumbai HO has an amazing ambiance, which makes you want to come back again and again to office. Right from 2 huge waterfalls inside the office to a living room with cushy sofas, books and a guitar, the Mumbai HO of HUL is an experience in itself.

The 2 months of internship turned out to be a Pandora box of challenges, experiences, and learning. I came with the intention of forming a network, but I take back with me what I am sure will be friendships for life.