Marketing internship at Snackible – How I discovered my real interest
About the Author: Meghna Talreja (second from left), a student of H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, shares how she utilised her vacations in doing an internship at Snackible and how it helped her in rediscovering herself.
Unlike most of my friends, who planned on enjoying their vacation, I decided to make it productive by doing an internship. I was in my first year of college, learning accountancy and finance, when I interned at this healthy snacks company called Snackible in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. At that time, it was an online food portal which has now expanded and supplies snacks to some of the renowned departmental stores. I got this opportunity through the Placement Cell of our college. During our winter break, these companies came to campus for interviews. There were many interesting companies and start-ups, but I being a foodie, wanted to work here which seemed really cool.
The concept of an interview was very intimidating for me as it was my first ever interview. Also, I was an introvert who had just argued with her mom, leaving the house in despair that day. When my name was called out I was really scared to face the director of the company who was taking the interview. Fortunately, he was a very reassuring gentleman. He briefly explained to me how those 2 months would go about and what they were expecting from different job profiles. There was no stipend being paid but that wasn’t really something I was looking for.
The work seemed really interesting and I was anxiously waiting for the announcement of results. After a week, I got an email confirming I was selected and that moment, trust me, was priceless! I was put under the Business Development department, where I had to maintain data sheet on MS Excel and tackle cold calls with customers for potential orders, and with companies regarding potential tie-ups with our company. This made me really uncomfortable as I wasn’t ready to interact with more than 50 unknown persons every day. My department head really helped me through this by motivating me and boosting up my confidence. When I made my first call, I was literally stammering until I blanked out and disconnected the call. But with all the support and encouragement I received, I was a pro at my job within a week or two. I remember how happy I was receiving my first ever order! With time, 1 order increased to 2 until I started receiving a bulk of them.
As it was a start-up, I also contributed to other departments like Operations and Social Media Marketing, which helped me in finding my real interest. The company also held kiosks and stalls at different companies and exhibitions. This contributed towards the expansion of my horizon in the area of marketing. Marketing, that never seemed to be my cup of tea, was now my field of interest. I extended my 2-month internship by another month as I loved my job and enjoyed the working environment. Right from compiling data sheets and making calls to making a home delivery of our snack box during an adverse situation, I’ve just come out stronger. It helped my personal growth and turned me into a confident and optimist person who looks forward to new things rather than shying away from them.
It made me explore a completely different side of me and made me aware of my hidden interests. I would advise every student to do an internship not just for building on their CV but to help them grow as an individual.
Editor’s note: Inspired by Meghna’s journey? Apply to these amazing marketing internships and business development internships and find your true passion.
