“Being selected by IBM for my internship is quite special for me because it’s a huge company and this is the first big opportunity in my life,” says Pratigya Sharma, student of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. Summer Internship Placements are a big deal for students because it’s their first taste of what life is going to be like as a professional. SIP helps prepare them for the transition from classroom desk to work desk. And, Pratigya believes that she has struck gold given the worldwide reputation of IBM.

Pratigya cherishes the opportunity to intern with IBM because she had to go through a serious screening process to earn her placement. After the initial CV screening, students had to go through an HR interview in person before a telephonic interview with the HR department in IBM’s Gurgaon office was conducted. Pratigya believes it was her confidence, work ethic and knowledge that she gained at her institute that propelled her through the process.

Her profile with the company is that of an HR intern. This is a profile that Pratigya is quite happy with because she gets to learn the practical aspects of her education. Talking about her experience with IBM as an intern so far, she says, “It’s been quite satisfying and I want to learn all about HR practices followed by big organizations. I get a chance to explore the challenges HR professionals face in the real world and I hope to learn how to deal with them during my time here.”

Talking of a typical day during her internship, Pratigya says, “It starts with a lot of enthusiasm because I am keen on learning something new every day, especially since I am lucky enough to be a part of a dynamic working environment.” She admits that there are rough days, but she is glad to have support from her mentor Dr. Shikha Bhatia. Calling Dr. Bhatia the “best mentor ever”, Pratigya says that she feels encouraged by his pep talks every time she lacks motivation.

Now, Pratigya looks forward to new challenges so that she can display her talent to the fullest. After all, she is not looking at her internship as just two months with the company. “I want to be a part of IBM in the future ‒ it’s one of my dream companies to work for,” she says. “I want to gain from my experience here and show my potential, which I know I can.” It’s not surprising that Pratigya’s key learning from her SIP in her own words is, “If you are determined, you can achieve anything.”