What I learnt from my internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited -By Anjali Sam from IIM Calcutta

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Bennett Coleman & Company Limited, founded 180 years ago, is India’s largest media conglomerate. On a personal front, I felt attracted to this organization because of its special model which was different from other VC firms. Also, I had a brilliant opportunity to get a taste of multiple roles in a single internship. So, when I got a chance to do an internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited, there was nothing that could stop me.

What is the selection process for doing an internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited?

The selection process for securing an internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited comprised of the following rounds:

1. CV Shortlisting
2. Two Interview Rounds

After being shortlisted, I was called for a face-to-face Interview with the company. The first round tested my knowledge about the company. Since I had done some prior research before the Interview, therefore, I could answer most of the questions easily. The interviewers were pretty impressed with my responses and I breezed through this round easily. Post that, there was a final Interview round with another panel that ascertained my analytical abilities. They also quizzed me about my areas of interest and tried to gauge my industry knowledge.

Sailing through all the rounds of Bennett Coleman & Company Limited’s selection process required hard work, perseverance, and dedication. I feel privileged that I was able to crack all of them with the utmost ease.

What was my role during the course of my internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited?

During my internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited, I worked in the domain of Brandscope which houses 4 brands. My main objective was to conduct an in-depth analysis of these brands and support the ongoing deals and social media campaigns to help strengthen the company’s brand image. My role during my internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited required me to invent ideas, innovate methods and deploy my creative bent of mind. Overall, interning with such a reputed brand was a wonderful experience.

What did I learn during the course of my internship?

My internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited nudged me out of my comfort zone and made me think out of the box. I got a chance to chisel my creative skills. My internship made me realize that I am not the least creative person on this earth! I will forever be indebted to Bennett Coleman & Company Limited for giving me the opportunity to develop my creative skills in a holistic work environment.

What is the work culture at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited?

To attend my internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited, I moved to the city of dreams, Mumbai. I was thoroughly excited at the thought of experiencing a new city and thus, I made the move. What made the experience even more enjoyable was the fact that my company was in South Bombay. I got accommodation facing the Marine drive at a pretty cheap rate! I roamed around the city every weekend, discovered new places and interacted with new people. To be frank, I guess I enjoyed the city more than the internship itself.

Bennett Coleman & Company Limited has a very relaxed work culture where you go around meeting senior leaders while doing regular work. The best thing was that there was no need for an official team outing to interact with them. I loved the fact that the CEO walked on the floor every day, chatted with almost everyone, and maintained a friendly relationship with all of us. All this never made me miss home.

If given a chance, I would love to join Bennett Coleman & Company Limited as a full-time employee. This is the only role that offers a combination of Marketing, Brand Building, Valuation, and Media Insights, all in one place. I thoroughly enjoyed my internship at Brand Capital and I am looking forward to working with the company in the near future.

What did I learn from my mentor during the course of my internship?

My mentor, Mr. Amar Thomas, was very supportive throughout the course of my internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited. He provided me the right inputs at the right time. I was corrected when I was wrong and appreciated when I was right. He helped me understand the importance of Brand Personality through the assignments I worked on. He always asked me to focus on the bigger picture and helped me understand the business valuation process as a whole.

One of the memorable experiences during my internship occurred when I got an opportunity to work on a business deal. I had engaged in it right from the negotiation phase to the point where it went into the Investment Committee Meeting for final approval. A sense of achievement surpassed me when my work was printed in the newspaper. It was presented to the CEO of the company.

In a nutshell, doing an internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited helped me in directing my career in the right direction. I had the freedom to explore various fields. I could discover domains that genuinely interested me. After my internship at Bennett Coleman & Company Limited, I feel like a thorough professional ready to enter the corporate sector!