Well, I never really thought I’ll get to write a blog on this.
It was February 22, 2017, when my phone buzzed with an email from the university placement committee and popped this up.
The lazy afternoon had turned peppy by now. Whoa! My excitement had reached another level. What would it be like? Will I be able to meet the expectations? Will it get boring eventually? Will I love my work? Will I, as an intern, be able to make a difference - even the slightest for that matter?
In short, ”How will my 2-month internship at Signeasy turn out be?”
And by the time I could wrap my head around all these questions, it was April 5th already - the day I start my marketing internship with Signeasy.
It was about 11 AM as I stepped into the office and the immediate thought that ran through my head was, “Wow! So colorful!”. While I was still occupied with my wide-eyed admiration of the hustle on the office floor, I was greeted with a big smile by someone really tall and calm (that’s how Sreekandh, the Head of India Operations greets you :) ) . I was asked to wait till my mentor comes in. I thought I would be handed a book with catechetical instructions but on the contrary, I found myself interacting with Sreekandh over a cup of coffee about the journey of Signeasy and the things to come. Ten minutes into Signeasy, and I already felt comforted and at home!
My mentor, Bhupinder, arrived soon enough and after a brief conversation, I was on my desk with a sleek new laptop for myself and already going through some onboarding documents and awesome customer reviews. The starting pistol had fired!
The next 60 days were nothing short of being positively overwhelming. My internship was in the sales and marketing function, where I was helping the team with demand generation. This allowed me to look at the existing customers and interact with them on a daily basis. I remember Bhupinder talking about how Signeasy is making a positive impact in the life of individuals and businesses around the world during the interview. With my everyday exercise of going through customer profiles, I finally got to see it first hand. I was amazed by the spectrum of customers Signeasy has left delighted - from small accounting firms to household names in internet and technology. The positive reviews left me wondering about the last time I wrote to a product/service thanking them for who they are. :D
My learnings and takeaways are in plenty - most important of them being how a customer-first culture can propel a company to greater heights. That's Marketing 101 right there! I had stepped in wondering if I would be able to make any sort of impact in such a short span of time. But it is amazing how the culture of ownership and getting things done trickles down even to the junior most intern in Signeasy. This enabled and motivated me to think beyond the obvious tasks and start measuring the impact of whatever I do. This was the first time I could see my marketing courses theory in action and driving actual growth in demand and revenue. Not to mention, it also gave me bragging rights among my friend circles once I am back on campus. :D
Signeasy has put together an amazing group of people filled with immense exhilaration towards what they do. This, in hindsight, makes me feel a tad proud of myself for being a part of this group, even though for a short while. I got a chance to interact with people across teams and understand how each of them adds to the company. Something which really left me surprised was a chance to frequently interact with Sunil, the founder and CEO - it let me shed my inhibitions of being a mere intern and helped me immerse myself in a culture which is open, encouraging and puts everyone in the driver seat.
The foodie in me had a ball as well! I am sure a lot of people in Signeasy will have things to talk about my frequent trips to the pantry for snacks and my enthusiasm on weekly lunch gatherings and office outings. Cool stuff, right?
In just a matter of 2 months, I developed an endearing connection with Signeasy and the people. And then soon enough, it was time to leave and get back to my campus. It was rather an overwhelming feeling to leave.I am certainly going to be in touch with the people here. I must mention that I would wait eagerly to come back to learn and grow not only as an employee but also as a person! Thank you Signeasy for such a delightful and enriching experience!