Ever wondered what it takes to work as a Tax Consultant intern with a global giant like Deloitte? It seems like a lucrative but daunting proposition; what is the ground reality? We had Sonam Marwaha, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida on the ground, interning as a Tax Consultant with Deloitte US, Gurgaon. According to her, every single day in the professional environment was filled with opportunities. She reports on the challenges, the tasks, interaction with professionals and the overall learning experience from her internship with UK-incorporated multinational professional services firm.

Getting up to speed after a false start

Sonam recounts the time she enrolled for the program late in the first semester. Soon after, she was taken ill with chikungunya, which hampered her progress. But with the support of her faculty members and friends she managed to keep pace with her studies and came through the internship process with flying colors. “The experience taught me never to give up hope and I took that attitude to my internship. Internships help you get true insight of the corporate world and build your own network. That’s why I was always proactive, communicating and networking, which helped me get the best out of my internship,” she reveals.

Not getting ‘taxed’ about it

Sonam’s internship brought her a stipend of Rs. 50,000 but it also demanded every bit of her effort and dedication. Her project was on Tax compliance for C – Corporation and as a part of business tax services central she was a part of Houston team, as they are divided geographically. “I was assigned to prepare the book return for the U.S Clients and compute their taxable income. I learned about Tax software and how to calculate taxable income. About the work environment I would say that they have an open door policy. All the professionals are so amiable and I learned how to connect with right people and build a network,” she narrates.

What Tax Consultant role demands?

Now as an insider, Sonam reveals the key responsibilities of the role with Deloitte. You need to understand the basics of US Tax law, learn the software for various tax returns and above all to be strong team players. The confident Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida intern proved herself on all these counts and overcame the challenges along the way too. “Getting comfortable with US Tax provisions proved to be a challenge because it is a whole new concept for me. But as my industry mentor said to me, no question is stupid. If you don’t understand something, ask the questions. An inquisitive mind is the key to internship success,” she reveals her mantra.

Opple Lighting is an interesting company to work with. Being a comparatively new global player, the company’s innovative approach to lighting makes it an extremely unique player in the market and Smriti’s tryst with Opple Lighting happened this summer, 2017. She worked with the company as an intern and bore the sun, rain, heat and wind to make things work out her way.
“It wasn’t easy but my colleagues and mentors at Opple made it a phenomenal experience for me. I learnt amazing things and the challenges started feeling like cakewalk,” mentions a satisfied Smriti of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida.

On-field training opportunities are “invaluable” and why does Smriti believe so?

Smriti was beating the blues of peak summer while at Opple. She was visiting retailers and sellers to understand the edge of Opple Lighting over its competitors. The Delhi sun of May or June has never been kind to anyone and amidst all the dust and heat; Smriti was pulling a 9am to 7pm schedule, everyday. Not to forget, the anemometer was reading 40 degrees Celsius.
What is she saying about it all? “Through varied tasks I got a firsthand experience of figuring out the market, competitor analysis and interacting with retailers. I also had to make sales pitches to make people aware of our products. The end goal was to increase sales. I just couldn’t get that kind of experience in a classroom,” she says matter-of-factly.

Paid or unpaid, unless your internship is introducing you to a world you haven’t seen already, it isn’t doing you any good. Did Smriti’s do enough good to her?

While Smriti might not have received a stipend for her internship, she knows that she has been enriched by the experience. “I never thought I could handle so many people at a go. I was speaking to consumers, moody and difficult retailers, boosting sell of the company, studying customer psychology, pitching business, and I tell you, my internship experience could not have been better than this!” admits an excited Smriti who is now back to her Jaipuria classroom with fresh energy and insights.

“Importance of taking certain initiatives yourself. I took mine and am glad I did!” How?

Smriti is of the opinion that B Schools can only play their part in preparing you for internships; beyond that you need to take the initiative to gain optimally from the experience. Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida had already done everything possible to bring industry exposure to the campus through guest lectures, seminars, workshops and facilitate the internship. It was up to her to get the most out of the internship experience she had. “To do well in your internship you need to have the right attitude to learn. You have to be humble and cheerful to work in a stress free environment. If you can manage that, the internship can be a big step towards successful professional career for you,” she says.

Students of Jaipuria Institute of Management are no strangers to practical exposure. They study in an environment where they closely interact with corporate professionals and are put through activities that help them hit the ground running from day one at the B-school. Leela Swarup Mullapudi, student of PGDM Class 2018 remarks- “I felt confident going into the internship and had the right mindset for it. I performed to the best of my abilities and have come away with many crucial learning experiences for my future career.” Here’s Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida’s Leela’s story.

What was Leela’s Summer Internship all about?

Leela’s summer internship project focused on “Reduction of Cost at Accenture” and process improvements in operations of the facility. During the internship he was based in their office in Gurgaon and learned a lot from interacting with experienced professionals. “Initially it wasn’t easy to get into a groove with the team. But as I got familiar with professionals and worked in different departments, things got a lot easier. You have to work hard but smart when you are in a professional environment and communicate effectively; it will take you far,” he claims.

There is no one specific job role for an intern. You have to bounce with multiple things and do them well.

Leela asserts that to work with a renowned name like Accenture, you have to be flexible and versatile when it comes to responsibilities of the role. From ensuring sound progress of scheduled activities to collecting daily snags for maintenance, he had to handle different tasks every day during his internship. “I was also managing the inventory and client visits. I was inspecting quality of operations and in charge of organizing training programs for third parties. I was thrilled to have such dynamic professional experience at this stage in my life,” he enthuses.

Getting the most out of the internship

Of course, Leela had to face challenges during his internship but he looked at them as learning opportunities. According to his, working with the transportation department was a big challenge but he got over it, thanks to the support from his industry mentor. Today, in spite of the struggles, he wouldn’t trade the internship experience for comfort because it has molded his. “Internships are vital for management students because they make you familiar with the corporate environment. You understand different processes in an organization. I also improved my communication and networking skills, which I will rely on in the future,” he adds.