Converting a Sales internship to a strong pre-placement offer

Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur’s Rhythm, PGDM 2016-2018 interned with Jaro Education, Mumbai and used it as a literal stepping stone into professional life as her outstanding performance helped her bring home a pre-placement offer with the company by the end of the stint. For Rhythm, “it has been a big ticket internship for me and applying concepts into practical world was one big ace,” she says.

From stipend to salary, what did Rhythm’s Summer Internship span?

The internship with a leading name in the world of education required Rhythm to identify the market potential of the company’s products. The stipend of Rs. 20,000 plus Rs. 18,000 as incentive was a handsome bonus, but she calls her learning during the experience her major gain. “It gave me immense practical exposure and made me come out of my comfort zone. Internships help management students discover their hidden abilities,” she adds thoughtfully.

How did Rhythm’s typical day at internship with Jaro Education look like?

Rhythm had a three-step mantra to perform during the internship. She stayed keen to learn, didn’t shirk responsibility and respected everyone she met. From cold calling prospective customers to setting up meetings and closing deals, she handled various aspects of Sales with great composure. “As a management intern I had to generate leads. I would have to meet and counsel prospective students, who were mostly working executives, which was interesting,” she explains.

Rhythm had her set of challenges. What were they?

However Rhythm also admits that being an introvert, working in Sales had its challenges. In fact she compares it to climbing a mountain as it took her long to get out of the comfort zone. Being in the metropolis of Mumbai, travelling on the local trains and dealing with professionals, was a task too. “Sometimes I would have to work till midnight but it taught me corporate survival skills. It made me confident of working as a professional in the future,” she says strongly.

Making her mark during the internship and getting noticed for her performance to bag a pre-placement offer is a huge credit to Rhythm’s adaptability and presence of mind. But she is quick to acknowledge the contributions of her mentors in her internship success. “Mentors from my college and my industry mentors didn’t only motivate me. They gave me opportunities to excel and come into my own as a professional in corporate environment,” she concludes graciously.