Interning at National Aluminium Company: A step driven by curiosity
About the Author: Abhijit Roy studies at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior. He talks about his internship which exposed him to the world of human resources.
Human resources plays a significant role in today’s dynamic corporate scenario in ensuring that an organization functions efficiently and achieves the set goals. This generated a curiosity in me to learn about Human Resource Management, so I enrolled myself in an HR program.
As I continued to enhance my knowledge and skills in the field of human resources, I realised that the role of an HR manager is quite challenging. To fathom if I was fully prepared for any challenge that I might face, I decided to do an internship. During my summer break, I applied for internships in a number of companies through Internshala. I was shortlisted for an internship in Bangalore but I could not pursue it owing to some health issues. The disheartenment did not last long as my father suggested me to apply to National Aluminium Company, a ‘Navratna’ Central Public Sector Enterprise under Ministry of Mines, which he had heard about from one of his colleagues. I contacted the training and development department of the company and submitted an application form as asked. Soon after filling the form, I received an email stating that my application was accepted and I was invited for the interview.
Before going for the interview, I made sure I had acquired the basic information about the company, its mission and vision, and how it functions. I reached the mentioned address and was welcomed with a delightful but formal workplace, which impressed me. As a step in the selection procedure, I was asked to write my views on ‘Who contributes more to the society – rich or educated?’ I cited that an educated person shares his knowledge and guides others with his experiences and creates opportunities to help the society. I added that there is no denying the fact that rich people can support others yet the nation is struggling to provide even the basic amenities to people, whereas educated people are doing the best they can. To prove my argument, I included the example of Anand Kumar of Super30, who prepares underprivileged children for IITs.
The interview began with a test of my knowledge of the company and I stated all commendable details about the company along with its role in the aluminum sector of India. On hearing that football interests me in response to their next question, they asked me about my favorite player and the reasons for the same. I told them that David Villa was my favorite player; his determination and hard work motivated me, and I could relate to him owing to our spirit of never giving up. I added some details about his game which excited me. The interview continued with questions regarding the economic condition of India, roles of an HR manager, and importance of human resource management, which I answered acceptably. I was also asked if I had faced any problem with my peers in response to which I shared an incident that I had come across.
Within a few days, I received an acceptance email. With loads of excitement and a happy heart, I joined there as an HR intern for a period of two months. I was placed in the training and development department. Right from how candidates are selected for an interview, their recruitment, and their joining process, to their induction, training, and joining, I learnt everything I was looking forward to. I assisted the deputy manager of the HR department on various projects related to recruitment, employee benefits, etc. I got acquainted with the roles of an HR manager, the challenges he/she faces, and the ways to overcome them. I volunteered for various intern programs and conducted interviews for the GATE qualified students. Apart from these, I took care of form management and proper maintenance of employee files and closely observed the intricacies involved with it. The sixty days of my internship cleared all the doubts and insecurities I had about my capabilities. National Aluminium Company proved to be a turning point in my career and provided me with not only knowledge but also memories and life lessons.
‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’ –Mahatma Gandhi
Looking forward to gaining a real time experience of human resources? Check out these latest HR internships.
Editor’s note – If you also have an interesting story to share, you can now participate in Your Internship Story Contest 2017 and win cash prizes and goodies worth INR 1 Lac!
