Summer Internship with Duane Reade – Jaspreet Kaur from Chandigarh Engineering College
Daily Winner for: – 30th August 2011
Name of the intern: – Jaspreet Kaur
Institute: – Chandigarh Engineering College
Organization interned with: – Duane Reade
I could not hold back my emotions when I got my Internship confirmation. To work with one of the largest Pharmaceutical companies in the Financial Capital of the world would be a dream come true for any graduate. Just thinking about the fact that I would be spending the next six months in New York made me excited to the core. As time passed, I packed my bags and starting getting nervous as I never had been out on my own before. It was my first job and that too in a place totally alien to me.
Finally the D-day approached and it was my first day at Duane Reade, a Fortune 50 company, the largest pharmacy store chain in USA. I got down from the sub-way station to reach my destination, but looking at the huge buildings in the ‘Big Apple’ just bedazzled me.
At this time all the excitement had melted down and I was numb out of nervousness. I was all alone in a group of strangers, in a place completely unknown to me.As I entered my new work place, I was greeted by smiling faces and embracing arms. Such a warm welcome did make me quite comfortable. I was introduced to everyone from the pantry keeper to CEO of the company. Initially I was quite amused to address CEO as ‘Jim’ and not James Sir !
As the induction got over I was introduced to the IT team and my mentor. I was given 2-3 options for choosing my project. I took up Java based MQ Web Sphere project that could communicate protocols with the ability to transmit millions of messages from every store per day. I worked with Project Management team to analyze and prioritize information needs and functional requirements. It was very interesting and a learning experience. After a month I received my first pay cheque (stipend) in dollars and I could not believe my luck!
Being the only Intern and youngest of all, my colleagues helped me a lot and I must say my experience wouldn’t have been so great had they not been so friendly. I gained some valuable knowledge that helps me till date. Working in cross-cultural environment gave me a lot of exposure and confidence. As those six months came to an end, my colleagues gave me a farewell party. In just six months I had developed such a special bond that I feel nostalgic till date.
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