About Shreya Pundir:
Despite being a Fauji kid, I’ve stayed in Pune for most of my life and did the majority of my schooling here in this very city. Making the decision to pursue a Masters in Business came as a pleasant surprise to me, as well as those who knew me, given that I had a Bachelors degree majoring in Microbiology, with Botany & Chemistry as minors, and had been considering getting into a hardcore research field of Veterinary Epidemiology.
Now that I’m getting my Masters in Business Administration with an Operations Major, while Marketing as a Minor, the playing field has completely changed for me, and I’ve had to absorb a whole new set of jargon and information. The learning curve was steep, to be sure, but completely worth it.
Being in the Executive Staff of TEDxSIUKirkee and having won several Case Study & Presentation competitions, I believe that learning in business schools also happens outside the classroom, where interaction & coordination with peers & competitors gives us a real sense of the environment awaiting us when we graduate in the next year or two.
About the Internship
- Company - Google
- Industry - IT
- Role - Staffing Intern, People Operations
- Location - Bangalore
- Duration - 2 Months
- Company - Google
- Industry - IT
- Role - Staffing Intern, People Operations
- Location - Bangalore
- Duration - 2 Months
How was your overall experience?
The selection process for Google was understandably drawn out, with the first screening exam being held in July-August, and the interviews were conducted in late November. The screening exam comprised of General Cognitive Ability & Basic Mathematics, and was designed to make one think before answering.
When the shortlist for the Interview Rounds was announced, there was no discerning pattern observed in terms of candidates who are freshers/experienced or previous degree held. There were two elimination rounds of interviews conducted where the questions posed to me were either situational or analytical, with no technical questions being asked.
The selection process for Google was understandably drawn out, with the first screening exam being held in July-August, and the interviews were conducted in late November. The screening exam comprised of General Cognitive Ability & Basic Mathematics, and was designed to make one think before answering.
When the shortlist for the Interview Rounds was announced, there was no discerning pattern observed in terms of candidates who are freshers/experienced or previous degree held. There were two elimination rounds of interviews conducted where the questions posed to me were either situational or analytical, with no technical questions being asked.
When the shortlist for the Interview Rounds was announced, there was no discerning pattern observed in terms of candidates who are freshers/experienced or previous degree held. There were two elimination rounds of interviews conducted where the questions posed to me were either situational or analytical, with no technical questions being asked.
How was the selection process conducted?
Spending eight weeks in Google, Bangalore was like a dream come true. It was good work, full of learning & fun. I had flexible hours but would usually arrive at 0830 hrs and leave a deserted office at 1700 hrs, since most of my colleagues left early to beat the infamous Bangalore traffic!
Spending eight weeks in Google, Bangalore was like a dream come true. It was good work, full of learning & fun. I had flexible hours but would usually arrive at 0830 hrs and leave a deserted office at 1700 hrs, since most of my colleagues left early to beat the infamous Bangalore traffic!
What was your project and how did you execute it?
My internship comprised of an eight-week project where I worked with the Technical Recruiting team, and aimed to understand & create a more efficient & effective process for Recruitment in Technical Roles in Google India. The MO of the project was extracting, transforming & analysing data from various global teams and elucidating where the critical pain points lie, and what can be done to fix these issues. Interacting with various people and charting out a process that involved a number of intermediaries were a challenge that had to be overcome to arrive at logical & scalable solutions that were cost effective & ready to implement.
My internship comprised of an eight-week project where I worked with the Technical Recruiting team, and aimed to understand & create a more efficient & effective process for Recruitment in Technical Roles in Google India. The MO of the project was extracting, transforming & analysing data from various global teams and elucidating where the critical pain points lie, and what can be done to fix these issues. Interacting with various people and charting out a process that involved a number of intermediaries were a challenge that had to be overcome to arrive at logical & scalable solutions that were cost effective & ready to implement.
How was the work culture at Google?
Google has a reputation for having a fantastic work culture, and I experienced that first hand during my internship. It was a very open & friendly work environment that had its moments of seriousness but always followed by a laughs & amiability. The team I worked with were from such diverse backgrounds, it was amazing to interact with such an eclectic mix of people.
Everyone was incredibly friendly & eager to help. Even if I was talking to a Senior Executive, they would willingly acknowledge & aid even an Intern in their work, and this nature is something Google actively cultivates in their quest for G&L (Googleyness & Leadership).
What I loved most about the work culture was the abundance of respect & dignity people had for each other. Teams worked together in one open bay, which seated all levels of employees, right from senior executives & managers all the way down to interns. The cafeteria was absolutely impartial to whether you’re a full-time employee or part of the support & security staff or a janitor, everyone came for meals and were treated equally. It’s these small things, like holding the door for anyone behind you, that add up value and make the culture so enviable.
Google has a reputation for having a fantastic work culture, and I experienced that first hand during my internship. It was a very open & friendly work environment that had its moments of seriousness but always followed by a laughs & amiability. The team I worked with were from such diverse backgrounds, it was amazing to interact with such an eclectic mix of people.
Everyone was incredibly friendly & eager to help. Even if I was talking to a Senior Executive, they would willingly acknowledge & aid even an Intern in their work, and this nature is something Google actively cultivates in their quest for G&L (Googleyness & Leadership).
What I loved most about the work culture was the abundance of respect & dignity people had for each other. Teams worked together in one open bay, which seated all levels of employees, right from senior executives & managers all the way down to interns. The cafeteria was absolutely impartial to whether you’re a full-time employee or part of the support & security staff or a janitor, everyone came for meals and were treated equally. It’s these small things, like holding the door for anyone behind you, that add up value and make the culture so enviable.
Everyone was incredibly friendly & eager to help. Even if I was talking to a Senior Executive, they would willingly acknowledge & aid even an Intern in their work, and this nature is something Google actively cultivates in their quest for G&L (Googleyness & Leadership).
What I loved most about the work culture was the abundance of respect & dignity people had for each other. Teams worked together in one open bay, which seated all levels of employees, right from senior executives & managers all the way down to interns. The cafeteria was absolutely impartial to whether you’re a full-time employee or part of the support & security staff or a janitor, everyone came for meals and were treated equally. It’s these small things, like holding the door for anyone behind you, that add up value and make the culture so enviable.
What were the key challenges that you faced during your internship?
While it was a fantastic experience, and I didn’t face many challenges during the internship this summer, I was an Operations Major working with a Recruitment Team, so I had to really stop myself from thinking that I’m out of place. The project I worked on was essentially process improvement, an integral part of Operations Management, albeit in the HR function of Recruiting. In the first couple of weeks, I felt a little out of depth since the work is so immersive that it’s easy to forget which specialization you’re from, and this was my first cross-functional corporate experience, so it took a while to acclimatize.
While it was a fantastic experience, and I didn’t face many challenges during the internship this summer, I was an Operations Major working with a Recruitment Team, so I had to really stop myself from thinking that I’m out of place. The project I worked on was essentially process improvement, an integral part of Operations Management, albeit in the HR function of Recruiting. In the first couple of weeks, I felt a little out of depth since the work is so immersive that it’s easy to forget which specialization you’re from, and this was my first cross-functional corporate experience, so it took a while to acclimatize.
What were the key learnings of your internship?
As a fresher, working with an industry stalwart with such a reputation was too good to be true, and I have imbibed so much of the work ethic and culture I observed while interning there. That aside, as mentioned with the challenges, it's easy for us as students of SIMS to label and differentiate each other based on specializations, but cross-functionality & coordination across specializations is more widespread than we think.
As a fresher, working with an industry stalwart with such a reputation was too good to be true, and I have imbibed so much of the work ethic and culture I observed while interning there. That aside, as mentioned with the challenges, it's easy for us as students of SIMS to label and differentiate each other based on specializations, but cross-functionality & coordination across specializations is more widespread than we think.
Any memorable moments from the internship?
There was a particularly fun challenge given to all the Interns across India, which was to make a minute-long Mannequin Challenge video, and the best submission would win goodies and schwags! My fellow co-intern, Ridhima Walia and I got our teammates to dress up retro Bollywood style, with ethnic wear and sarees and the classic dramatic eyeliner and shot a minute-long Mannequin Challenge video. Although we didn’t end up winning, the day’s activities turned into a fun photoshoot and lightened the atmosphere, giving us a break from our everyday routine.
There was a particularly fun challenge given to all the Interns across India, which was to make a minute-long Mannequin Challenge video, and the best submission would win goodies and schwags! My fellow co-intern, Ridhima Walia and I got our teammates to dress up retro Bollywood style, with ethnic wear and sarees and the classic dramatic eyeliner and shot a minute-long Mannequin Challenge video. Although we didn’t end up winning, the day’s activities turned into a fun photoshoot and lightened the atmosphere, giving us a break from our everyday routine.
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