Deepak Meedha, a current PGDM student of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur aspires to have his own event management company someday ‒ that is the motivation that pushes him to make the most out of his education and internship. Born and raised in Rajasthan, he opted for an MBA at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur, hoping to turn his dreams into reality. He has made steady progress so far, with the latest achievement being a Summer Internship Project with Pearson that includes a handsome stipend per month along with a work profile he wanted to. Obviously, Deepak is very excited about this opportunity: “I am looking forward to my SIP with Pearson that I have bagged after a stringent selection process. I believe self confidence, work experience and quick response helped me get this SIP. Of course, we are made to learn all these right from first day inside the classroom at Jaipuria. Every assignment subtly underlines the necessity of integrating confidence and spontaneity.” He further adds- “That this is a paid experience adds to its already huge value in my perspective! I am going to share my first pay with my family and am waiting to get started”.

At Pearson, Deepak will be managing events. Just what he wanted! His primary job role includes budgeting and scheduling events. Explaining his responsibility, Deepak states, “I will be working as a team lead with a five member team. Our aim is to positively impact the admission numbers for the organization, as well as ensure branding for it”.

Deepak belongs to Bikaner, Rajasthan. He is an entrepreneur at heart and is striving hard to learn to manage situations and people in a professional role. His decision to join the management program was based on this need, as well as advice from his family and mentors.

Deepak believes Jaipuria Institute of Management is one of the best decisions of his life. Not only is he acquiring the required skills, but he is also being supported to hone these skills in the work environment. “I am continually supported by my mentor from Jaipuria, and during my SIP I plan on continually seeking his guidance. Dr Abhijit Nair, the Asst. Dean of Jaipuria, Jaipur is my mentor and he has always motivated and guided me”.

SIP has already started teaching real life lessons to Deepak, the important ones being teamwork and meeting strict deadlines. He also has specific learning objectives in mind that include handling large events, working under pressure, working in a team and leading teams, and optimizing resources. Every day he picks up something new at work and moves another step closer to his ambitions!

“I just want to learn as much as I can, in this limited period of two months”, says Shubham Barthwal, PGDM Class of 2015, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur, who recently bagged a Summer Internship Project in Marketing and Event Management with Pearson. He is going to be attached with the marketing division during his internship, and will work on Pearson’s brand perception in the market through events specifically targeting children and their parents. Shubham explains the responsibilities of his position: “The objective is to reach the customer where Pearson’s reach has been limited. We will be marketing through events, and the important thing is to manage the event within the purview of the budgets that are allocated to me and my team”. The team gets together in the morning and plans for the day. A lot of time is also spent travelling around the Pearson school campus to understand the target audience and their locality in order to identify the venue for the event. The arrangements are meticulously managed by the team, and events are executed to perfection in the evening.

Shubham has been assigned a mentor Dr. Abhijit Nair, Associate Professor, Jaipuria Institute of Management, to help him optimize this opportunity. He says that there are some differences between the classroom and the corporate world: “Customer perception, sales, marketing are broad concepts, which when we learn in the classroom create an impression that things always have to be done in a particular way; however, in the real world there is scope for alternative ways. One has to be inventive and innovative while remaining knowledgeable of the industry”. A good SIP is a great way to learn, relearn and experiment. “There is a gap between academia and industry so far as student competency is concerned. It is important that the student work closely with the mentor during SIP who helps the student bridge the gap and become relevant in the industry”, explains Dr. Nair.

For Shubham, this paid SIP brings an opportunity to learn outside the classroom. He wants to learn how to adopt effective business practices, and to adapt to different work environments. This SIP has certainly opened the doors to professional world for him: “I feel confident today and want to share this happiness with my family. I am going to buy gifts for my family with my first pay and hopefully all our dreams will come true”.