A Personal Experience From An Intern At Josh

It was during our sixth-semester, that the entire class received an email about the internship at Josh Software Pvt Ltd. We had to attend a coding round, and then two technical rounds followed by an HR round. Being a student of Industrial mathematics course I was not into programming much but still, I decided to appear for the coding round. Overall 40 students came for the internship drive. After the initial round due to some glitch, my name was not in the list of those selected for the next round. This was a major blow to me because I was hoping to make it to the next rounds. As I was about to leave the place with a heavy heart I was informed that I have also cleared the first round. I was literally on cloud nine by this time(So overwhelmed…that I almost shouted at my friend). Then came the technical and HR rounds, I excelled in all of them and ultimately bagged my first ever internship. When I look back the whole selection process itself was a learning experience. I got to know more about myself, my goals, strengths, and weaknesses. The fact that I was the only student from my class and the only female candidate who was awarded the internship helped in firmly establishing my belief in myself.

After joining as an intern at Josh, I went through a rigorous 10 days training. I learned and relearned a lot of stuff. It was exhausting and scary at the same time. The feeling of vulnerability and inadequacy would come now and then. One thing which helped me initially in gelling out with the people at Josh was the new year’s party.

All the interns were introduced to the other team members at Josh. The environment at the party was very chill. From co-founders to new appointees everyone was present there and was enjoying freely. This was an ice-breaking moment for me because I realized that your work is all that matters. As long as you are doing your work sincerely, you don’t need to be scared of anyone. It doesn’t matter whether you are experienced or fresher. Also being an intern all I wanted was an environment where there is room for mistakes, improvements and a place where people are approachable. One thing which standout for Josh is its amazing work culture. It’s so conducive for one’s overall growth.

After a while, I was assigned a project manager and a mentor. I was very nervous and especially when I and my partner were called by our project manager Anil Kumar and mentor Rahul Ojha. We were asked to complete an assignment which was full of technical jargon. Being a naive programmer I was scared to death when I was asked for this. I requested them that I need time because I have never attempted such an assignment before. To my surprise, they understood and told me to start with elementary assignments. It took a lot of mistakes, learning and brainstorming sessions with Rahul but ultimately I was able to complete my assignment. This was a huge achievement for me. The way I was being monitored by my mentor was amazing. He was not just spoon feeding but was giving me hints about what to learn and where to look for the answers. It was like a puzzle. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The first project was finally given to me and my partner after carefully analyzing our performances. We were working on the rails technology and were asked to make an app. From being a student to an intern to my first client meeting. It was a roller coaster ride. I got a chance to directly communicate with the client. It was a humbling experience. For the first time, I felt like I am an integral part of Josh and have been given responsibilities for which I am accountable.

Presently my project is at the fag end of completion. I would be lying if I say it was an easy journey from beginning to this end. There were many ups and downs. Often I found myself in the position where I couldn’t decide how to go about the problem. When one is not able to even pinpoint the problem, finding the solution is a different problem altogether to solve. But then a word with Anil or others would dissipate the clouds of dismay. Things became easier for us because we could ask our doubts to anyone and everyone was ready to help us with full enthusiasm.

I could mention so many incidents where I was helped by my team like the one time I was frustrated with the pace at which I was completing my work. This was hampering my performance also. I was like what I am even doing here. This is not for mathematics students and is tailor-made for computer science students. Like a cold breeze on a hot day, Rahul’s advice would come to stick with the problem and that with extra effort I could solve my problem. God and only he knows how much I have troubled him by my doubts. Shailesh for whom I had this impression that he is very reserved and strict proved me wrong by laughing at the memes I used to show him. The attitude of Ganesh whenever he sees a problem often leaves me speechless. His statement “ab to isko solve karenge hi” works like glucose. It provides immense energy to tackle any problem. Sahil’s perseverant attitude always pushed me to have the same tenacity on my work too. I still remember one talk delivered by Mr. Gautam Rege(Co-founder of Josh), it was accessible to anyone and was very motivating. All one needs at the start of his career is ample support and motivation. I really look up to you sir. Thank you for being so inspiring and motivating.

As I have mentioned earlier, the one thing which standout at Josh is its work culture. It’s a perfect blend of professionalism and flexibility. One gets appreciated for good work and at the same time, you can’t take your work for granted. I remember the numerous times I have been rebuked for my mistakes and also appreciated for my good work. My participation as a trainer during one of Rails girls meet up was appreciated in All hands. These little acts worked as a catalyst for my growth.

How many times does an intern get the chance to share lunch with co-founders? Yes, not many times but at Josh, the environment is very congenial. The monotonous office culture would sometimes take a toll on us and to kill the boredom we-the music lovers-would start playing songs. Instead of not allowing us Neha and Sai would just advice us to slightly lower the volume. The other thing which came to our rescue was carrom. I am nowhere qualified even to tell myself a naive player. The probability that I would not hit the piece I am targeting was more than I hit it. I was casually made fun of my bad shots by Mr. Umesh and Mr.Swapnil but now it seems that along with programming skills, I have also honed up my carrom skills.
This blog has been the hardest to write for me by far. In part, the challenge stems from trying to sum up months worth of experiences in just a few paragraphs.
My internship at Josh software has taught me more than I could have imagined. As an Intern, I feel my duties were diverse and ever-changing. Sometimes it’s tough to recall everything I have taken in over the past months, but I feel that these are some of the most beneficial lessons I have learned.

What I’ve Learned:

I’m not alone: Coming into this position, I felt that I had no idea where my career was going and I lacked confidence about what I could do and what I am really good at. My internship has definitely given me a better understanding of my skill set and where my career may take me, but most importantly, I’ve come to learn that I am not alone. This job has taught me that almost everybody is in the same position. Very few college students know what they want to do, and it is something that is simply not worth worrying about. Thanks to my internship I now know that if I continue to work hard things will fall into place.

How to behave in the office: This being my first position in an office atmosphere, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. The environment here at Josh is quite relaxed, yet it taught me how to behave in the workplace. Simply working in the office and getting used to everything here has definitely prepared me for whatever my next position may be. Just observing the everyday events has taught me more about teamwork, and how people can come together to get things done. Although sometimes I have to remind myself to use my inside voice, I feel I’ve adapted to office life relatively well.

How to build my resume: As I said, this internship has improved my skills a ton, both off the paper and on paper. I didn’t realize it all of this time, but this position served not only as a positive learning experience but a resume builder as well. I came into this with a resume that was basically naked, now I am leaving and I have lots of updating to do. My resume doesn’t need a makeover, it needs to be restarted from scratch, and that’s a good thing! I underestimated how much work I did that actually translates to my resume.

I’d like to thank everyone here at Josh who has helped me out. This has truly been a great learning experience and I’ll be forever indebted to those who gave me a hand here. As far as future interns are concerned I would advice to always be friendly, work hard, and ask questions. Always ask questions. Hopefully, you come away from your internship with as much as I did.