“Internships part of extended interview process” – The Woodland Internship Program
Internshala catches up with Mr. Harkirat Singh, Managing Director, Woodland, about the working and details of the company’s internship program.
“You’re learning in an active, real-world environment, so your contributions and your mistakes affect other people” – this is the directive that interns at Woodland are expected to imbibe to the core. Internshala recently had a chance to catch up with Mr. Harkirat Singh, Managing Director at Woodland, to learn more about their internship program. Excerpts –
Hello Harkirat. It’s a pleasure having you on our platform. Could you please give an overview of the internship program at Woodland?
Hello, happy to be here. Our internship program runs approximately for ten to thirteen weeks and internships are located in the Woodland Corporate Office. Interns, hired from diverse streams, work in coordination with design team, learn how to first fabricate appealing designs and then promote the product line with complimenting campaigns. Responsibilities vary based on placement in the following departments: Product Development, Design Services, and Merchandising.
What qualities do you seek in an intern and what’s the recruitment process?
In true Woodland fashion, we look for – inquisitiveness, creativity, leadership and ownership of the task given, passion to excel and the ability to execute.
As far as the application process goes, the usual resume, cover letter, and work sample(s) (wherever applicable), are required along with the field of interest. Interested students would need to send their resumes in advance to the company officials (through their training and placement cells) in order to be eligible for the recruitment process. The shortlisting happens on the basis of minimum eligibility requirements followed by rounds of personal interviews.
Since deadline for the ‘Woodland intern season’ is in December, students should get their applications in early! By January about 90% of the positions are filled. Another tip – do your homework. It’s crucial for applicants to know brands and their customers intimately.
Any particular project where interns played a critical role?
It would not be fair to pick out any one project; every project is special in its own way. As interns, candidates earn valuable real world experience in the fashion industry with the overall understanding of the fashion marketing process.
What would be the top 2 or 3 mistakes that interns generally commit and you would like to warn a prospective intern about?
At Woodland, we prefer to encourage interns –
- To get the most of their internship; they should treat their internship like they would any job.
- To be responsible and remember that their work will have an impact on the organization.
- To learn to be adaptive; it will broaden the opportunities considerably.
How has the company benefited from the internship program?
We’re beginning to perceive internships as part of an extended interview process, which is a great way to assess a candidate for a longer partnership. Interns come with open mind. They are beaming with fresh, new ideas and are good at questioning processes that can often lead to doing things from a fresh perspective.
Finally, what are the 3 things about this internship program that would make it an unforgettable experience for an intern?
- Adequate training and supervision – We assign able mentors for interns who give them an insight about their career paths. With this, we bring the best out of our interns; they know exactly what is expected from them.
- Hands-on experience – We give them live projects to work on, projects that really matter for the company.
- Work culture – Everyone, no matter how senior, is very approachable at Woodland and open to respond to job-related questions or request for career advice.
Thank you Harkirat for giving an insight into such a nicely implemented internship program at Woodland. We’re sure students on our platform will find this very useful.
Know the possible ways to score an internship through an article written by someone who managed to score 8 internships in 15 months! Presenting, the most practical guide ever written to land an internship.
Want to read more such articles? Subscribe here!
Are you an employer looking for interns? Hire interns through Internshala; it’s free and hassle-free.
