What I learned during my internship at Kantar IMRB -By Khushboo Kumari from IBS Pune

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I have always wanted to work in the marketing field. The internship at Kantar IMRB was a golden opportunity to work in the market research field and know more about it. Kantar IMRB is a leading market research company and prides itself on developing and setting industry standards and continued focus on innovation. The experience at kantar IMRB was extremely smooth and amazing.

My internship helped me prepare for the working world, while at the same time, finding out more about myself.

The first step 

To get the internship at Kantar IMRB, I had to clear the selection process. The process included- CV shortlisting, personal interviews, asking some research field questions and innovative strategies. 

On the interview day the branch manager of Kantar IMRB, Pune briefed us about the company and gave us the details of the projects that will be assigned. The interview was mostly based on my background.

A new start

My first day at the internship was quite good. My mentor updated us about the company. He told us about the ups and downs that he & the company faced. He also briefed us about the facts and procedures of how the company is working. My mentor was both friendly and supportive as a colleague. Kantar IMRB had a friendly work environment.

My roles and responsibilities

The work which was assigned to me was based on the data acquisition, data collection from the target audience and focus groups which are prescribed by the clients along with the sample size. I managed the following projects ― 

• Impact of COVID-19 on the pharmaceuticals sector 

• Impact of COVID-19 on small and mid-size business segment 

• To assess the satisfaction level of Bharti AXA life insurance customer

I used the survey method to collect the data. The survey method is attaining information from the people through questionnaires and personal interviews. The main tool in the survey was the Questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on multiple-choice questions. Along with the questionnaire I had to take face-to-face interviews of the respondents. Sometimes it was difficult to approach the customer and convince them to give their time. There were a few occasions when I was refused even the first meeting but that only motivated me to do better. The findings and observations helped the company in aligning customer information with the engaged workforce and creating a high impact action plan in improving the customer experience level.

Virtual internship protocols

Because of COVID-19, I was not able to continue with our fieldwork. But COVID-19 did not stop me from working. Amid the lockdown, I was assigned roles and assignments on calls. I took interviews of my respondents on the telephone. My on-field internship turned into a virtual one.

Virtual internships are opportunities knocking on your door, as you will not have to move out of your place and still be able to learn new things. The benefit of a virtual internship comes from the assurance of being safe at home and that we are all with our families during these scary times. It makes it easier for students to work from home to save time and travelling expenditure. It also provides flexible working hours so that you can work accordingly.

My project was based on the impact of COVID-19 and its effect on small and midsize business segments like essentials grocery, pharmacy, retailers, food and dining and beauty and fitness. The study was to analyze the factors influencing their business and to know how it has been affected because of this COVID-19 pandemic situation.

I learned so much at my internship at Kantar IMRB. But learning how to interact with customers was my key take away. I overcame my fear of talking with strangers. Also, the company offers an excellent platform that helped me to explore my management skills. The internship was a dream come true.