What’s the best summer internship you’ve ever had?

Let me take you back to the time when I experienced a unique opportunity.

Back when I was pursuing my Master’s in Marketing, the talk of the town was the elusive Summer Internship. I’ll admit, I was feeling quite anxious as I was yet to secure a position. Unlike some of my peers, I hadn’t landed any leads, and the pressure was building. In our institute, students were responsible for finding their own internship opportunities, and I was doing my best, but luck seemed to be avoiding me.

Then, like a stroke of serendipity, it all changed. Merely a week before the summer break, a few companies came to our institute in search of interns, and to my delight, I was selected by none other than Nokia. You can imagine how elated I felt, especially considering that only four students from our institute were chosen. And guess what? We were among the lucky few who were going to be ‘paid’ for the internship – a rarity in those days.

My excitement was in its peak as the internship began, and I soon discovered that my role would involve presenting Nokia’s newly launched flagship product, the iconic Nokia N97. Ah, those were the days of Nokia’s domination. The N97 was called a pocket computer in your hand.

As a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast, I can surely say that the N97 was truly ahead of its time and I couldn’t have asked for a better product to showcase.

Over the course of those three transformative months, I found myself presenting the N97 in various settings – from the corporate offices to the showrooms of car dealerships, and even to affluent individuals. Sometimes, I even found myself presenting right in Nokia stores.

I never expected that this internship would teach me invaluable lessons in Sales and human interaction. Sure, I learned the art of selling a product, but what stood out was understanding the importance of emotions in the sales process.

Seeing how emotions could influence a person’s decision to buy or not to buy, I came to appreciate the complexities of human behavior and its impact on business. It was a profound realization that would stay with me throughout my career.

But the most significant takeaway from that unforgettable summer was the rekindling of my confidence in my chosen field. I felt reassured that I was on the right path, and my passion for marketing was reignited with an even greater intensity.

Looking back, that summer internship at Nokia remains one of the most cherished experiences of my life. It not only shaped my professional acumen but also helped me grow as an individual.

So, when someone asks me about the best summer internship I’ve ever had, I proudly share this story – a story of how a chance opportunity with a pioneering company fueled my love for marketing and set me on the path to success.