Sumili Dey explored a new world with her internship in Market Research and found her true confident self

For a B.Tech Biotechnology student an internship in Market Research might seem like an odd choice. But for Sumili Dey of NIIT University, who is currently undergoing her Industry Practice with Growman Research Group, Pune the blend of two worlds has worked out beautifully. "My project requires me to interact with a wide range of people, from all over the world. I am learning to communicate with people, irrespective of language, cultural and personality differences. It also allows me to keep in touch with my field of education," she says with worldly wisdom.

According to Sumili, it’s this universal reach of the project along with the vast spectrum of learning experience that makes her Industry Practice stand out. She also admits that she was confused when she had to make the choice but now believes has made the right decision thanks to her university mentor. "I got to explore a new field of market research, which is strongly backed by healthcare and biotechnology. It helped me gain experience in the practical field, and my knowledge was not confined to the textbooks," she says with the confidence of someone who has just explored unchartered waters.

It’s interesting to note that not just the internship but the qualities the company looked for during the placement process that were different from the rest too. Sumili sheds light on the selection process as she says, "The interview was conducted by a three member panel. They want to test us on our general knowledge on market research, quick wittedness, reaction to emergency situations, and English proficiency. I felt confident going into the selection process and I tried to carry the same level of confidence when the internship began,"

Sumili however couldn’t have anticipated the challenges of a different field. She tells us that initially she found it tough because the field of market research was comparatively new to her. But as the company is based on healthcare, her biotechnology background held her in good stead. "As a Market Research Analyst I have to extract data for the client projects. Gathering information and data, requires extensive knowledge in the healthcare sector. I could handle it through knowledge-based study, research, conducting online surveys, interviews thanks to my background," she adds.

But there was one occasion when things could have gone awfully wrong. Sumili recollects a project where due to wrong input from a colleague, the whole research went downhill. She had to take matters in her own hands and correct the project in one night since it had to be delivered the next day. "I used to think that I am not equipped to deal with emergency situations but I have proven myself wrong. After that incident I know I can step up and deal with tricky situations. It has built my self-confidence and I am not undermining myself anymore" she adds with candor. And it’s this newfound headstrong spirit and self-belief that will take her places in her career.