Summer Internship with General Electric — Astha from NITIE
Wildcard entry for: – 17th August 2012
Name of the intern: – Astha
Institute: – National Institute of Industrial Engineering
Organization interned with: – General Electric, Bangalore
One of the defining moments of a B-schooler’s life is when he/she is nudged out of their books and given a glimpse of how things happen in the corporate world. It’s a cocktail of excitement, apprehension, cluelessness, and (most importantly) a wonderful learning experience. You get to meet new people, new ideas, and a glimpse of how seemingly impossible tasks are executed within the four walls of the corporate. I got this opportunity when my Summer Internship with General Electric was confirmed last November.
Over the years I had already heard a lot about GE and it was a company that was known for its diversity, rich work culture, and the innovative ideas that have transformed the business environment – in short, it was my dream company. Post-orientation and introduction, we left for our assignment specific locations. I reached Bangalore and reported to Varsha Kakati, my Assignment Lead. The onboarding process followed in GE is a revelation in itself. The kind of flexibility which is given to the interns to choose a project assignment of their choice is truly amazing. Interns are given the opportunity to be very candid about the goal and objective settings. Varsha, after explaining the project and the goals associated with them, asked me whether the assignment was up to my expectations. Well, to be frank, I was overwhelmed. I had not expected to get such a tremendous exposure – both on the technical and managerial front. It was an excellent assignment and I consented enthusiastically.
My project was a kind of mini software build project within Power Generation Services (PGS) wherein I had to understand the nuances of program financials (budgets, estimates etc. about the cost of implementation and forecasting for the future), how they are worked out for a global system. The steps involved understanding program financials, checking out some quick turnaround tools, choosing appropriate software, desigingn the solution, coming up with the data model, and building a prototype to capture budgeting process. My second assignment was related to ERP Payroll Module Integration to PGS Accord. My goal was to understand the integration process of large ERP systems, vendor management, and nuances of SOA architecture. It is a pilot integration based on which the other Third Party integrations would take place.
Initially, I was completely clueless about how to proceed with the modeling and design – when suddenly it dawned on me – “I am not alone. I simply have to ask.” And believe me, that was exactly when my problem ended! I was given innumerable suggestions and a variety of brilliant ideas. It was during these interactions that I discovered the true nature of GE. It truly is a flat organization. You can approach anyone, anytime, anywhere. As long as you have a curious mind and a valid question – there will always be people who’ll readily quench your thirst for knowledge. Another experience that I will cherish during the course of my internship was the opportunity to get involved in GE’s Voluntary Social and Community Building Activities. I got the opportunity to be a part of LISTEN and visited Little Sisters of Hope, Richmond Road. It was an extremely touching experience that made me wish to contribute more. It also made me want to understand how the GE Volunteers framework works. I did some research and came to know about volunteering being an integral part of GE’s culture and how much GE values the opportunity to “put something back” into the local communities.
At GE, corporate citizenship activity is led by local employees within a strategic framework set by the business. At the end of the day it is good to know that business for GE is not always about profits and that there is always a human touch associated with it. As Douglas Adams has rightly said – “To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” My GE journey has been a roller coaster ride filled with countless memories, amazing experiences and invaluable learning. All in all it made me wish that the “GE Internship” ride could go on forever :)
Was this interesting? If yes, please like the post on Facebook (below) and help Astha become winner of the week and win the prize (Rs. 1,000/-) that she truly deserves!
