Nineteen-year old Peiwei chose to intern in Bangalore through Leave UR Mark because she was looking to challenge herself, explore an area of the world she had always wanted to see and learn business skills to complement her educational background. Hailing from China and pursuing an undergraduate degree in France, she spent six weeks this past summer working at our Marketing internship. Like most people who come for four to six weeks, Peiwei was not ready to leave when her stay came to an end. She was just getting settled, had made friends through coworkers and other Leave UR Mark interns and kept stumbling upon new things she wanted to explore in Bangalore and around India.
We were sad to see her go but luckily, managed to spend some time with her during her busy last few days to chat about her experience and convince her to come back soon! Here are some of the things she had to say about Leave UR Mark, her internship and India.
What was a typical day for you like at the office?
One word could describe it: intense. That’s one thing I found really interesting. People often asked me which company I was working for and they would expect me to spit out some fancy grand enterprise’s name. Sorry to disappoint those people, I was not with a huge corporation. However, working in a rather small but energetic and innovative company was much more exciting for me. It means more responsibilities and a greater learning experience. The company was small enough that it could absorb and be open to new ideas and large enough that it could implement them. Even though I was doing only one project, the content was so rich that I had to work really hard and dedicate a lot of time and energy into it. For me, it was like taking a course. There was so much to learn, to practice, to explore. And my colleagues were experienced professionals, their knowledge in business not only allowed me to learn, but also create a much clearer and more practical future for India’s booming business scene.
What is your opinion on India and it’s business growth?
Most of the business in India is developing at a striking speed. On one hand, the majority of business/markets are not fully organised, for instance the transaction regulations or standard procedures among entities are restrictive and heavily regulated. On the other hand, those “shackles” as mentioned above are exactly the proof of a great chance for exploration and development. Combining this with the IT industry which India is proud of, I would say India is one of the countries with the most potential in the world today.
Is there any way to better prepare yourself for the internship that Leave UR Mark didn’t mention to you?
Yes. Beware of falling in deep, deep love with this place and not wanting to leave. I think LUM did a great job, I was fully prepared for my internship. And of course, I think it helped that as a person, I do love challenges and surprises, which you can be sure to expect as well.
What are the top 3 lessons you have learned from doing an internship in India?
A) How to balance intensive work and intensive recreations in a month and a half in a unique, fantastic and exotic country– I wouldn’t say i did a great job but I’d like to think I wasn’t too bad.
B) Indians are workaholics. But workaholics aren’t so efficient all the time.
C) Observation is important. Either in terms of business or of humanity. Everything is in understanding the culture and growing from it.
Do you think this is an important internship for business students from other countries to do? Please explain.
I think this would depend on what the student expects from an internship in India. They will need to cope with many challenges along the way. If the student is looking for a rather easy, slow-paced relaxing internship, I don’t think they will enjoy having my experience here. For those who are eager to learn, to take challenges and stress, to test their capacity of handling multiple tricky tasks at the same time and are ready for many random issues (like trying to find a rickshaw in the pouring monsoon rains), this is definitely necessary. Like I’ve mentioned, I’m convinced that India has a bright future, and is a good place to come and build your own business experience.
What advice can you give to future interns who want to do a Marketing Internship in India?
Marketing is based on every country’s unique case. There are lots of facts we can’t gather through textbooks. Make friends, business partners, and I mean lots of them. They can give you unexpected inspiration for your work. I believe observation is a great education opportunity. As Steve Jobs said, “Stay hungry, stay foolish”. And always keep a journal, or take notes or pictures. Not just for memories, but also for experience and knowledge.
To apply for this internship, please email info@leaveurmark.com along with your resume/CV and when you’d like to come to India.
