“Do not consider the lockdown as leisure time”
Shree Nidhi
Bachelor’s in Printing Technology, Final Year, College of Engineering Guindy
Intern
ITC, Chennai
Interviewer: Vishwa Sree K
Interviewee: Shree Nidhi
GT: Can you tell us about yourself?
Shree Nidhi: I am Shree Nidhi, doing my final year and eagerly waiting to complete the semester exams. I am the president of CEG, and being the president, I have learned a lot. I began doing projects right from my second year and also presented one of them at the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, Thanjavur.
GT: For a domain like Printing technology, which seems to lack familiarity among people, is it difficult to search for internships?
Shree Nidhi: From my perspective, it is not as difficult as everyone believes it to be. There are numerous opportunities available, and we ought to choose them wisely. Students can always reach out to professors and alumni for help. Also, surfing through the web and platforms like LinkedIn makes this process a lot easier.
GT: As a Printing engineer, on what basis should students search for internships, and how should they go about it?
Shree Nidhi: First, one must have a clear understanding of their area of interest. Ensuring that they research more on different companies and their domains, is critical. Students also need to make use of vacations by doing in-plant training and internships in various sectors. This will help them gain practical experience since we, as students, require more clarity about the industry we will be placed in.
GT: Now that you have interned at ITC, was there any particular reason for choosing this company?
Shree Nidhi: I love packaging industries, which makes me genuinely interested in them. This was the main reason behind my choice. Also, visiting many other companies during vacations and learning more about packaging made me choose this company.
GT: Could you brief us through the procedure to get an internship at ITC?
Shree Nidhi: In general, to do a corporate internship, students can directly approach the company of choice. For ITC, students are expected to get permission from the department (its HoD) in which they wish to work and submit a resume. Finally, a bonafide certificate issued by our college needs to be forwarded to the company.
GT: Students generally study deep into their domains only during the fourth semester, as per the curriculum. Can you tell us what kind of internships can be chosen, and when to pick them so that we get to work and gain knowledge efficiently?
Shree Nidhi: As said, students can choose it based on their interests. It could be a packaging industry, a newspaper industry, or any other commercial printing industry. Suppose students are not clear about their interests. In that case, they must look out for the upcoming core papers and explore them to know where their interests lie. If students are still not sure, they can approach their professors, who are always ready to help. For the second part of your question, it is essential to find an internship that helps us learn more. This will result in improving one's career prospects. It is only possible to get a feel over a specific domain if one takes up an opportunity to do so. Students need to look for companies that make them feel enthusiastic about facing new challenges and successfully overcome them.
GT: How did you feel on the first day of your internship, and can you brief us on your day-to-day experience at ITC?
Shree Nidhi: On the first day, I was very excited, happy, and a bit tensed. I was mesmerized to see such a big printing plant. I was then assigned to a project, and I started working on it. Every day was challenging, and I came across new scenarios, which needed quick solutions. The employees and staff at ITC were very helpful. Overall, this internship will always be a great and cherishable memory of mine, for many years to come.
GT: How does it feel after working at such a big company? Could you brief us on the academic changes you have undertaken after the internship?
Shree Nidhi: I feel delighted, and I am thankful to the company. The senior employees at the company were my pillars of strength and guided me throughout. I gained lots of experience and improved my time management skills, as well. I learned more about packaging, thereby improving my technical knowledge, which is what internships are for, aren't they?
GT: In any way, did COVID-19 affect your internship?
Shree Nidhi: I started my internship much earlier, in November. So, I luckily had enough time to complete my project before the pandemic began.
GT: Having so much time during the lockdown, how would you suggest your juniors to utilise this time efficiently, helping them find the right internship?
Shree Nidhi: To all the Juniors out there, do not consider this as leisure time. Instead, this needs to be regarded as an excellent opportunity to equip yourself with various skills. Learn and update yourselves to the current trend. You can start preparing your resume from now so that you need not rush at the end. Make use of various online learning platforms and get course completion certificates, which would be an added advantage to your career.
GT: What qualities, according to you, does a company like ITC expect from their interns?
Shree Nidhi: They expect interns to come up with innovative and unique ideas. Being more creative is an added advantage. One must work towards improving oneself. Interns should also be flexible and seek new opportunities. Lastly, how one adds value to the company is a crucial factor a recruiter looks out for.
GT: What do you think about this initiative of Intern Diaries by the Guindy Times?
Shree Nidhi: This initiative is beneficial to the juniors because they get a clear idea of how things work. I wish this began when I was in my second or third year. Thanks, Guindy Times!
The Guindy Times thanks Shree Nidhi for her valuable time and thoughts, and wishes her great success.
