As a B-school student, I love participating in competitions. One of those competitions paved way for an incredible internship opportunity. After securing the first runners up position in the ‘PepsiCo: Dare to Do More’ competition, I was awarded the opportunity to intern with PepsiCo. The challenge was to develop ideas to accelerate PepsiCo’s efforts to become more sustainable as a company, and this piqued my interest as a sales and marketing enthusiast. Winning this competition was no less than a dream come true, and my experience at PepsiCo exceeded all my expectations.
Laying the foundation
Initially, I was scared about how Covid- 19 would impact my internship experience. But not only did the company honour its commitment, my mentors went above and beyond to make sure that my learning did not diminish in any way. The internship on-boarding was handled seamlessly, and we had sessions with multiple senior leaders from different verticals. This helped us understand how the company operates and grasp the nuances of this industry. This was important in a way to establish a strong base to approach our internship projects.
All of our projects were altered to make sure we could work on them remotely. My project revolved around the Traditional Trade Channel, for which I was working with the East Unit, with a greater focus on the Kolkata team. At PepsiCo, you are always encouraged to ask as many questions as possible, and everyone is ready to clear your doubts and provide assistance. All my mentors were highly experienced professionals and the knowledge transfer was immense.
Positive work culture
Some of my key learnings have been understanding the various channels through which the company operates, different levers to drive sales, and identifying ways to grow in this field.
One of the best things about working for PepsiCo is the positive working environment within the company. It allowed me to perform to my best potential, and ask questions without any hesitation. This entire experience has cemented my interested in sales and marketing. I want to thank PepsiCo for making my summer internship such a memorable experience.
(The writer is currently pursuing his MBA from IIM Shillong. He is a BBA graduate fromJadavpur University, Kolkata.He worked for J Thomas&Co, the largest tea broking company in the country, before deciding to pursue a career in management. His areas of interest include sales and marketing.)