What I learnt during my internship at Gramophone -By Shalaka Abhimanyu Kadam from SIIB Pune

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Gramophone, an Agri-Tech company, aspires to bring a difference in the lives of the farmers by providing them with authentic information, innovative technology and specialized inputs. Agriculture is one such area that has never failed to pique my interest. Moreover, since my graduation days, I wanted to be associated with a company that is doing something for the cause of farmers. So, when I got an opportunity to pursue my internship at Gramophone, I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing it.

What is the selection process for doing an internship at Gramophone?

The selection process for securing an internship at Gramophone had two steps:

1. CV Shortlisting
2. Personal Interview

This was one of the most unique selection processes that I had ever witnessed. There was no cross-your-fingers moment as everything happened within a span of just one day. I was shortlisted at 12 pm, gave an interview at 2:30 pm and got selected by 5 pm! I pinched myself hard to ensure that I was not daydreaming!

What was my role during my internship at Gramophone?

I was staffed on three different projects during the course of my internship at Gramophone. The domains that I could play around were Business Development, Competitor Analysis, and Marketing. My role entailed dispensing essential functions like conducting market surveys, devising growth strategies and understanding the nitty-gritty of the agricultural sector in India.

As a part of my responsibilities, I had to visit different villages, meet farmers from varied backgrounds and interview several retailers. All this was relatively new and, at times, challenging for me as I had no prior experience of working in such a diverse setup. However, this did not deter my spirit and I geared up each day as if it was my first!

What did I learn during my internship?

The extent of my role at Gramophone gave me an exceptional opportunity to refine my hard skills. I could brush up my basics of Data Collection, Data Mining, Questionnaire Preparation, Data Analysis and Data Presentation. I am grateful to the Gramophone for equipping me with all the necessary skills required to strive and thrive in this field. Overall, my internship at Gramophone was a great learning opportunity. And, personally, I believe that I could exploit it to the best of my capabilities.

What is the work culture at Gramophone?

To attend my internship, I moved to Indore, the cleanest city of India. During my free time, I explored Maheshwar and several other places in Indore which are famous for their cuisine and culture. All this helped me a great deal to easily adapt to the new surroundings. Savouring on delicacies was the best part and I love Indore for that.

If working with Gramophone was a choice, I would be more than happy to grace this opportunity. A perfect blend of commendable work culture, innovative approach to help farmers in distress and growth conducive work environment makes Gramophone an ideal place for me to work at.

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

My mentor was my support system during the course of my internship at Gramophone. His feedback sessions were enlightening and helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, I understood that I majorly needed to improve on my Data Analysis and Presentation Skills. The best part was that he not only made me aware of my shortcomings but also helped me a great deal in overcoming them. His able guidance and support were my constant companions. These helped me breeze through my internship at Gramophone with the utmost ease.

In a nutshell, doing an internship at Gramophone was one of the best experiences of my life. The fact that I got a chance to explore my domain of interest more closely made my internship even more exciting, enjoyable, and most importantly, a memorable one!