Chapter 1 : Session 1

Summer Internship Project

Background
Management pedagogy lays more importance on practical training than merely sharing
knowledge. Management experts have always advocated and emphasized on skills development
and have believed that skills are learnt hands on. The skills required to manage businesses can
only be inferred and imbibed through actual experience.
Positive Attitude, updated skills, new areas of expertise and knowledge are critical to achieve
success at work place especially when they are honed through self-exploration. In line with this
thought, Summer Internship program of 14 weeks is conceived that allows you the space for self-
exploration. Interns get a hands on feel of 'real' jobs in their chosen fields of specialization, and
this experience comes with no direct responsibility. This program offers brilliant opportunities to
students to work closely with professionals in business corporations of all sizes, leading to novel
work place experiences, wider professional networks, adjusted attitudes and highly valuable
learnings.

Self-awareness and self-reflection post SIP – Perhaps one of the most critical lessons from the
internship experience is that reflecting upon the process and understanding how it impacted you
is just as important as the internship itself. Taking the time to understand what you liked, what
you didn’t like, what your challenges were, and what you could have done better or differently
will help you gain a clearer idea of what you got out of the internship. Furthermore, regardless of
whether you decide to return to your employer or pursue other opportunities it will inform what
direction you decide to pursue next. Using this time to talk to others (classmates, professors,
alum) write, journal, or just articulate your experiences is a valuable opportunity. Your
reflections on SIP and Self awareness will pave the road for your career by giving you clarity on
career choices you make and also helps recruiters appreciate the value additions you took away.
 Session 2
Top skills sought by recruiters.

During personal interviews recruiters would want to check whether the candidates they are
interviewing possess the skills that help in performing well in their roles, contributing value to
the organization and growing in ranks within the organization. It is highly beneficial to identify
the skills you possess and list them in your CV and be ready to talk about them during the time
of the interview. Micro stories that emphasize the manner in which you positively handled
various situations in the past using the identified skills can turn an interview in your favour.
Here’s a look at the 10 top skills that will be in demand in future:
1.Complex problem solving
This skill is considered as the most important managerial skill regardless of the role or domain
that one wants to choose. In today’s workplace one encounters numerous problems that need
effective and optimized solutions.The ability to use logic and imagination to come up with
intelligent solution to a problem is a critical skill that employers look for in candidates.

2. Critical thinking

The ability to use logic and reasoning to evaluate situations is going to become increasingly
important in the coming days. Though this skill has always been considered critical, increased
complexity and intricacies of businesses will mean more and more employers will be looking for
critical thinking abilities in the candidates they interview. Critical thinking involves being
reflective, possessing the ability to logically connect ideas and evaluate situations to find
inconsistencies and being non-biased.

3. Creativity

The importance of creativity goes beyond the traditional domains of application in media and
entertainment. At work place, being creative goes hand in hand with problem solving ability.
Employers believe that creative thinkers will find innovative and simple ways to solve business
problems and also will come up with out of the box ways to apply new technology and create
new products and services, will be in demand.

4. People management
Strong people skills are a prerequisite for a successful career. Individuals with good interpersonal
skills also score high on communication and emotional intelligence. Someone who has strong
interpersonal skills will have the ability to manage customers, clients, fellow employees and
teams spread over geographies. Therefore, interpersonal skills are highly valued in employees.

5. Co-ordinating with others

Departmental tasks, day to day functioning, team meetings, working with cross functional teams,
client meetings etc. will all need Co-ordinating skills. This involves, time schedules,
communicating to different stake holders, multiple interactions, follow-ups and finally adjusting
actions in relation to others demonstrating flexibility. Given that teams are spread over time
zones and geographies, Co-ordinating skills become all the more crucial for organizations.

6. Emotional intelligence (EQ)

It is said that EQ is the level of the ability to understand other people, what motivates them and
how to work cooperatively with them and also helps in diffusing conflicts. High EQ further
enhances communication to achieve maximum effectiveness at work. Since the correlation
between greater EQ and higher productivity has been well documented, recruiters rank EQ high
on their priority list.
7. Judgment and decision-making
Making quick and considered decision is a skill that is sought after by recruiters. After taking a
decision and being accountable for the same requires adjacent abilities such as thinking logically,
objectively and analytically without ignoring and upholding the organizations larger interest all
the way is the most preferred ability in would be managers.
8. Service orientation
In this age of automation, there is a need for human intervention in the Business value chain that
can put the stakeholders at ease. In this context service orientation, defined as “actively looking
for ways to help people” will become an important core skill in the near future.For e.g.Calmly
dealing with customer complaints and handling difficult situations to turn them around.
Understanding the importance of customer satisfaction and delivering more than required to
ensure customer retention.

9. Negotiation
Whether it is a sales pitch one is making for a highly valued client or just a team meeting, one’s
ability to convince others to see the value in the product or idea that’s being offered and to be
able to reconcile differences at interpersonal level is a skill that recruiters want to see in
candidates that they hire regardless of the role
10. Cognitive flexibility
Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to switch one’s thinking between two concepts, mix-
and-match ideas, systems, processes, materials and data to create a whole new idea or concept.
This skill is regarded as one of the most critical skills required in future
 Session 3

Writing SIP script

SIP experience of a candidate is a critical area of evaluation for recruiters.This gives them an
opportunity to understand your attitude towards work and learning, along with the skills you
have developed ,knowledge and expertise you could bring to the table.It is always a good idea to
write down the internship experience in a structured manner and go through the script
repeatedly.This helps you to quickly recall and articulate their experience fluently without
eliminating important parts of SIP.
The components to be covered are-
Company Details: Prepare a concise write-up on the company, its products / services,
operations, size, number of employees etc. Also prepare the list of their competitors and their
size adding high quality research inputs about the sector in which the company is operating and
the challenges faced by the industry itself.
Objectives: Write down in two or three simple sentences why the company hired you.
Method in which the work was done: In simple language start writing how you went about
your SIP work. What business gaps did you identify? Did you use any theoretical models or
concepts that were taught in your 1st and 2nd sem courses? Or how did you plan to execute the
tasks you were assigned to deliver, what plan of action did you come up with to produce the
expected result.
Contibution : In simple language start writing how you went about your SIP work. While you
detail the work you undertook, make sure you quantify your efforts and contribution such as the
number of cold calls you made in a day, the number of financial products you sold, the revenue
you generated for the company, the percentage increase in customer base because of a new
process you followed/ put in place,the number of clients you spoke to in order to collect
feedback on a service the company offered etc. Keep in mind that no work is too insignificant.
Findings / Observations: Record the insights you might have gathered during the internship by
reflecting on what is that you learnt that your text books didn’t tell you. What action or process
brought out a small or big revelation that might favour or hinder a business process.
Some examples-The insights you gathered during your project about customer preferences, your
findings on how salesperson’s diligence, information communication, and inducements directly
affected buyer satisfaction and indirectly increased trust; if you interned in a product centric
company, you might have understood that the strength of the company comes from the diversity
of the products offered that are considered innovative and unique when compared with the
competitor products; How technology has changed the face of HR and will completely augment
the HR functions in the future and that it will not make the HR obsolete but enables the
department into becoming more efficient and a strategic territory.
Learnings: This is the most important part of your SIP. Try to recall three or four significant
learning. Some examples connected with SIP in Sales:
How to handle difficult customers; Importance of having a thorough knowledge of product and
service offering; Practical aspects of closing a sale; Not to give up after multiple unsuccessful
attempts in convincing a Buyer; Understanding the idea of aligning brand story, mission, and
vision of business with every social media post or campaign that is run for business; how
internship experience developed skills and expertise that are required for social media marketing.
etc.
 Session 4

Highlighting your skills learnt during SIP

In order to leverage your Summer internship experience and impress the recruiter, you must
establish your SIP’s relevance to the job position you are applying for.The challenge is when
your internship doesn’t match the role you are applying for.Lets say your SIP was in a
domain that you don’t specialize or don’t intend to specialize in.In that case how do you
impress the recruiter on skills match?
There is a sure shot way to impress your recruiter on skills match.Lets see how-
 As a first step,You must take the time to review your scope of work during the internship
and identify the tasks that were similar or relevant to the job position you are applying
for. For example while discussing your learnings and skills you acquired, highlight that
SIP gave you first hand experience of facing a customer (relevant in any industry)
 Many industries will also look for adjacent skills. For example, You may want to
highlight that doing SIP in a bank helped you to learn about various financial instruments
of investments (that makes it relevant for insurance, brokerage firms, wealth management
services). It can be vice versa too.
 You may have handled different Types of customers and this can be highlighted as a
relevant factor in another industry. For example, someone having done an SIP in OYO
rooms, can highlight that they learnt intricacies of handling corporate accounts. Someone
having done an SIP in Paperboat can highlight that they have gained experience of
handling retailers, which makes it relevant for FMCG/Pharma companies as well.
 Sessions 5
Summer Internship Project

SIP Presentations
Presenting Summer Internship experience to recruiters and other industry professionals in your
network in a lucid and crisp manner is a very important skill to be developed. You ace the
presentation when you organize your thoughts in a logical sequence and present it confidently.
• Make sure you bring out the best aspects of your SIP details.
• Use the same flow/components as discussed above.
• Your energy and enthusiasm while presenting reflect the level of your interest and
engagement with the work you carried out.
• You must be able to do an elevator pitch of 1 minute or scale up the pitch to 3 minutes as
the case may be.
• Use domain specific terms and key words to give your presentation a professional appeal.
• Practice your presentation several times and video graph the presentation.Play the video
and look carefully from audience perspective. Check for good eye contact, poised body
language, voice modulation and intonation. Ask your friend for feedback on the video.
• Do not tend to stress on how ‘Work from Home’ arrangement took away the opportunity
to learn. Rather stress on how you adapted to working online and overcame the
challenges. Dwell more on what was the ‘ask’ of your internship and what you delivered
vis-a- vis the expectations and stress on the learning.
 Session 6

Useful Skills inventory

 Effective  Stress management  Attention to detail

communication
 Problem-solving  Adaptability
 Emotional intelligence
 Productivity&  Teamwork
 Conflict management organization
 Responsibility
 Teamwork skills  Critical thinking
 Openness
 Creativity  Leadership
 Adaptability
 Problem-solving  Extroversion
 Time management
 Leadership  People skills

Marketing Skills
 Data analysis  Project/campaign  Brand management
 Web analytics management  Creativity
 SEO/SEM  Social media and  Copywriting
 HTML & CSS mobile marketing  Storytelling
 Wordpress  Paid social media  Sales
 Email marketing advertisements  CMS Tools
 Web scraping  B2B Marketing  Search Engine and
 CRO and A/B Testing  The 4 P-s of Keyword
 Data visualization & Marketing Optimization
pattern-finding  Consumer Behavior
through critical Drivers
thinking
Sales Skills

 Customer  Persuasion  Communication skills

Relationship  Effective  Social media/digital
Management (CRM) communication and communication
 Cold-calling sociability  Teamwork
 Negotiation  Empathy  Time management
 Public speaking  Networking  Buyer engagement
 Closing  Creativity  Product knowledge
 Lead generation  Problem Solving  Buyer-Responsive
 selling


Accounting and Finance Skills

 Microsoft Excel  Cognos Analytics  Anti money

(Advanced) (IBM) Laundering
 Enterprise Resource  Visual Basic  Clear communication
Planning  Accounting Software  General business
 Big Data Analysis &  Revenue recognition knowledge
SQL  Numerical
 KnowYour Customers competence
(KYC)  Accuracy
 Attention to detail

Business Analytics
 SQL (a must) and  Entity Relationship  Machine learning
Hive (optional) Diagrams  System Context
 Programming  Wireframes Diagrams
language (R, Python,  Big Data tools  Business Process
Scala, Matlab)  Microsoft Visio Modeling
 STATA, SPSS, SAS  Agile Business  Technical and non-
 Data Mapping Analysis technical
communication
HR Generalist

• HRM Knowledge and • Intercultural • Proactivity

expertise Sensitivity and
Language skills • HR Information
• Recruitment and System Knowledge
Selection • Team Work

• Advising • HR reporting Skills

• Coaching • Analytically driven

 Chapter 2
Session 7
Group Discussion-Introduction

GD Introduction
Group Discussion is a deliberate and purposeful interactive oral process used as a tool by hiring
professionals to evaluate your fitment to a job role. Your ability to perform well in a GD by way
of examining the constructs of the GD topic, analyzing the facets of the topic, expressing views
or opinion about the topic, supporting their own views through examples or facts and figures,
building on the thoughts and ideas expressed by other group members, demonstrating critical
thinking skills and moving towards a palpable solution, and the ability to work in a team are
some of the important parameters of evaluation.
A number of students think that GD is very similar to a Debate. Debate is competitive in nature
while group discussion is a co-operative group process. In a debate, a speaker can speak either
‘for’ the topic or ‘against’ the topic whereas in a GD, the speaker can express both. The final
decision or result in a debate depends on voting while in a GD, the group reaches group
consensus.
Therefore, a left, right or a neutral standpoint can be assumed on the topic without fanatically
arguing for any one of them. It’s all about examining the possibilities that the topic brings to the
anvil.
 Session 8
Types of GD
Factual Topics

Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary person is aware of in his day-to-day
life. Typically these are about socio-economic topics. The topics are typically drawn from
current affairs. A factual topic for discussion gives a candidate a chance to prove that you are
aware of and sensitive to your environment. It’s important to keep update of knowledge.
Eg:Do we need another lockdown? How Covid 19 has changed our lives for good, Can we
totally ban Chinese products?

Opinion Seeking Topics : In such topics, you are asked to put across your opinions and point of
views. The panelists look for candidate’s ability to form an opinion which is rational and well-
articulated. Also your ability to work in a team and leadership skills are judged.
Eg: Nuclear Family or Joint Family, Love Marriage or Arranged Marriage, Democratic or
Authoritarian and so on.

Case study topics

Case studies try to simulate a real-life situation or a Business situation. Additional Information
that could be used to fill any gaps in the case study will be provided as annexures. Students are
expected to piece together the case study with relevant information and move towards resolving
the issue/ situation. In case studies there are no incorrect answers or perfect solutions. The
purpose of a case study discussion is to evaluate the ability to think critically about the situation
from various angles.

Controversial Topics

Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature. The idea behind giving a
topic like this is to see how much maturity the candidate is displaying by keeping his temper in
check, by rationally and logically arguing his point of view without getting personal and
emotional.
E.g. Women are better managers, Reservations should be removed, Religion & Politics,
Existence of God and so on.

Abstract Topics

Abstract topics are about intangible things and often their possibility cannot be ruled out. These
topics test your lateral thinking and creativity. Such topics can be interpreted in different ways by
the candidates. In such topics, the comprehension skills and communication skills are judged.
E.g. All that glitters is not gold, A walk to remember,Has the Dragon crossed it line? etc.
You will be able to perform well if you have cultivated the habit of reading and are in tune with
current affairs and Business news.
 Session 9
GD process
The panel which normally comprises of the technical and HR (Human Resource) experts of the
company will observe and evaluate the members of the team. The rules of the GD – the time
limit, panel’s expectations etc are usually explained after the initial introduction by the panel,
soon after the topic or case to be discussed is given to the groups. The panel does not interfere
during the discussion, it only observes. The panel at its discretion may provide some time to
think over the topic or may ask them to start immediately. Each candidate is supposed to express
their opinion either supporting or against the topic. The discussion carries on till the panel signals
termination. It is left to the discretion of the panel to extend or cut short the given time.
The four major areas evaluated by using GD as an evaluation tool are: Subject knowledge, oral
communication skills, leadership skills and team management.
As participants you must possess a thorough understanding of the topic on which you are
supposed to speak. Be prepared to talk on a wide range of subjects and stay abreast of the current
events, national and international affairs, burning social and economy related topics, scientific
and environmental issues, key newspapers’ controversial topics and any experience that may be
expected of an educated person. As a member of the group, you are expected to contribute
substantially to the discussion. The originality of your ideas, your knowledge and initiative and
your approach to the topic or case contribute to your success in the group discussion.
Once you have understood the topic or issue, you should be able to generate ideas as well as
organize them so that you present it well. You will have to demonstrate the ability to analyze
facts or information in a systematic way. A person putting forward new ideas that may work will
be accepted as the natural leader of the group. The panel will observe the ideas put forward, their
originality, the depth of analysis and their relevance to the topic.

As a member of the group, you are expected to contribute substantially to the discussion. The
originality of your ideas, your knowledge and initiative and your approach to the topic or case
contribute to your success in the group discussion. The best way to equip yourself is to read daily
newspapers, good magazines, national and international journals and also watch new bulletins
and informative programmes on the television. Internet is the greatest boon which provides you
with everything you are looking for. The World Wide Web is a vast database of current authentic
materials that present information in multimedia form and reacts instantly to a user’s input.

The greater your knowledge of the subject, the more enthusiastic and confident you will be
during the discussion. Once you have understood the topic or issue, you should be able to
generate ideas as well as organize them so that you present it well. You will have the ability to
analyze facts or information in a systematic way. A person putting forward new ideas that may
work will be accepted as the natural leader of the group. The panel will observe the ideas put
forward, their originality, the depth of analysis and their relevance to the topic. Problem solving
skills are essential and do not hesitate to give solutions. Your approach to the case study will be
observed keenly by the evaluators.

Oral Communication Skills: If subject knowledge is important, communication skills is more

important as without expression, the knowledge is of no use. As the exchange of ideas in a group
discussion takes place through speech, one of the pre-requisites of success in a GD is the ability
to speak confidently and convincingly. Good communication skills include active listening,
clarity of though and expression, apt language and proper nonverbal clues. Listening Skills: One
of the weaknesses of most human beings is that we love to listen to our own voice rather than
listen to others. Listening is as important as speaking in a GD, unless you listen, you cannot
contribute to the stated purpose of communication. It is extremely important to listen very
carefully, only then you will be able to pick up the thread of discussion and continue. Only active
participation as a listener in a group makes a person a good leader. A leader is identified by the
panel.

Clarity is the art of making yourself clear to the audience. Only when your expressions are clear,
you can convince your team and the panel. More than words, it is the tone in which they are
spoken that conveys the message. You should not be too loud or too soft. A lively and cheerful
voice with appropriate modulations will attract the audience. Proper articulation of words,
achieved through phonetic accuracy is very essential slang, and artificial accents are to be
avoided.
The flow of language must be smooth. Use simple language and avoid long winding sentences.
Appropriateness of language demands that there should be no errors of grammar. Do not use
unfamiliar phrases and flowery language. Be precise. Be polite and courteous.
Non verbal clues include eye contact, body movements, gestures and facial expressions. The
panel very keenly watches the non verbal behavior of the team. They generally evaluate the body
language cues of the team to determine personality factors such as nervousness, co-operation,
frustration, weakness, insecurity, self confidence, defensiveness, etc. A candidate who appears
professional is more likely to be noticed by the panel. A confident posture, appropriate facial
expressions and meaningful eye contact with the team will create a good expression.
The selection panel notes the differences in the amount of participation of the members. They
observe the silent spectators, the ever dominating but not contributing much, member who
participates actively exhibiting his knowledge and the moderate ones. Your ability lies in
analyzing the problem well and making others to endorse your view. Finally while appreciating
others point of view, you should effectively present yours without contradicting other’s opinions.
Your ability in convincing the team is your success
 Session 10
Presentation and Etiquette

• If you initiate the GD then greet the group.

• Do contribute your thoughts and ideas to the discussion
• Listen carefully while others speak.
• Look at the group when you speak and avoid looking at the recruiter.
• As far as possible build, elaborate or add your thoughts to the preceding speaker’s ideas.
• It’s always a good idea to enter the discussion at least thrice in order to get noticed by the
recruiter.
• Don’t interrupt when others are speaking.
• Don’t hesitate to politely remind that someone in the group is taking too long to express
his thoughts
• Don’t ask someone else to speak up.It’s not your business.
• Agree to disagree.Don’t argue.
• Speak clearly so that others understand what you are saying.
• Pay attention to your sitting posture.Sit straight and look interested in the discussion.
• Energy and enthusiasm catches the attention of the recruiter
• Be in formal attire.
• Look crisp and thoroughly groomed.
• In case of online GD process or presentation,keep a notepad and pen handy. Jot down
some points quickly.
• Look at the camera while speaking and not at the monitor.When others are speaking you
can look at them on the monitor.

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