Gaurav Sharma AB Inbev internship

 Introduction

The summer of 2018 got me interning at Anheuser-Busch InBev, abbreviated as AB InBev, which is a transnational beverage and brewing company and one of the largest FMCG companies in the world. They recently acquired Budweiser (avid football fans might have seen this name plastered across the advertisement boards in numerous matches) which is one of the sponsors of FIFA World Cup 2018.

Selection Procedure
Coming to the selection procedure, the application process for AB InBev was fairly simple and straightforward; I just had to submit my resume and wait for the shortlist. The good thing about their selection process is that they gave a lot of people the chance to go through the GD and interview, which shows how much importance they give to every person who works for them. The interview tested both my analytical and business skills and the business case given to us was pretty open-ended which gave us ample opportunity to channelize our thoughts in various directions.

Work
I was instructed to work with the commercial team, under revenue management, which basically affects the top-line sales directly. My project was to figure out opportunities for new beer pack launches, price increase opportunities and drive more volume (literally) of our product in the European Market. The open office planning was a good thing to see; knowing that whether it’s an intern or the Global VP for the commercial team, irrespective of position there were no cabins, which made the seniors much more approachable.
Office timings were typically between 11AM and 9PM, Monday to Friday. There were times when I had to burn the midnight oil and stay back up to 11PM, but on rare occasions. The people who I worked with were very adept at their work, with more than 10 years of experience under their belts. They knew how to guide me through the work and how much workload I could handle.

Contrary to what I had heard about this city, Bangalore desperately needs a major revamp in the city structure. With a population of more than a crore, Bangalore is bursting at the seams. While the IT sector has developed at a blistering pace, the city itself still has a lot of catching up to do. Rains pose a major problem here; the traffic is abominable and probably the worst I have ever seen (in India). The weather here at this time of the year (May-July) is a saving grace though, probably the best antidote to a long and stressful day at work.
My internship was not ‘all work and no play’, for one of my weekend getaways I paid a visit to a brewery near Mysore and also explored a hill station in Tamilnadu, approximately 250 KM away from the heart of Bangalore.

Takeaways
Internships with corporates like AB InBev can be a very enriching experience and give you major insights into how things progress on a global scale. Survival in the corporate sector banks on your ability to be keep up with changing technologies. While some projects have a specific outcome and offer little freedom, some have a broader scope, so there exists a possibility of using your free-flowing ideas into doing something productive. The only thing you have to keep in mind is: You have to learn to accept changes in the existing systems which you might be used to, and never get scared if you feel lost. Falling behind will not bode well for your internship. Should you ever feel stressed, there are always people around who you can approach for help, so keep calm and keep learning!