MyStory: IBM Research Intern Experience
Found this blog about my internship experience at IBM Research Labs India and looks like this is worth sharing with students (just like me) confused between research and fin/software internships.
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Let’s start with “How did I get there?”: It was like any other hostel nights. I was deeply immersed in my finance work, when suddenly a mail popped up informing about the IBM Research and Development internship. I was a bit unsure of applying for it as I was one of those rare guys in my batch who was more interested in Finance than in Computer Science. But, being a technophile at the same time, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Thus, I ended up applying for the same. And now when I look back I am glad I took the decision that has made all the difference.
The interview: After the first resume shortlisting, they scheduled an on-call interview with one of the researchers. My interviewer was a very experienced researcher in the lab and was heading projects in the domain of Social Media and Human-Computer Interaction. We started with a brief intro and then moved to a Resume walk-through. He asked in details about the projects I have worked on and how/what helped me come up with the solution that was implemented. There were a few acronyms like DSL listed and he was inquiring about them like someone who’s hearing them for the first time (it was a trap :P). Once we were deep into some topics, he started sharing information about the domain and helped me learn new things during the interview itself. The interview lasted for about 45 mins and it was one of those enjoyable interviews where one doesn’t feel like he’s being tested but more like an open-minded discussion. Within the next couple of days I received a call from the HR department confirming my selection for the summers.
The formalities: A fortnight before the start of the internship, all the paper processing and formalities started. It was the first time my mentor contacted me. For a mentor, we have an image of someone in their late 30s or 40s. But, our stereotyping was proved wrong when our mentor, Shubham happened to be very young. In fact, he was just one year out of college. This served as a positive sign that brought all my skepticism and apprehensions to a momentarily halt and paved way for an amazingly exciting journey.
The workspace: It was the first day at IBM and I was pretty excited about it. They had a spectacular building and a spacious arena. There were just two interns present on that day and I was impressed by the quick processing of all paperwork and documents there. Within an hour we were allotted our laptops and cubicles. A complete floor was dedicated for the research lab and the entry was restricted only to the researchers. It was all super cool. Being called as researcher was just an overly amazing feeling. Mentors, Shubham and Pooja introduced us to other team members. We were about 40 interns that made the whole office livelier. The ice on the cake was that there were no strict office hours. The timings were flexible. Only thing that mattered was the assigned work to get completed on time.
Oh Bangalore, my Bangalore: Post the office hours, I had plans of meeting my college friends and going out for dinner (It was my birthday :D ). Coming from Chennai, Bangalore was a relief. The soothing weather of Bangalore has no substitute. Being a foodie, Bangalore served as the right destination for a person like me. The cosmopolitan atmosphere of Bangalore made it a hub of all different cuisines. It is rare to find good North Indian foods in South India. But, not when you are in Bangalore! It has equally good standards of both North Indian as well as South Indian food. From the very first day, I fell in love with Bangalore for all the good reasons.
Our research work was going fine. The work we were assigned was an interesting one and we were making quick progress in it. Going for brunch and chitchatting became an integral part of our office routines. Playing Table Tennis was never missed. Almost every day, after the office, we would go out exploring the city. This routine was religiously followed. We went to many trips to nearby places. The geographical location of Bangalore offers many places to explore such as Tada Falls, Shivasamudram falls, Coorg, Mangalore etc. Nandi hills is the best one day trip from Bangalore.
Some highlights: The days of internship passed very quickly. Even before the internship was over, I was already looking down to all the memories we have created, the amazing people that I came across in this journey of mine. It was a lifetime experience working with some of the greatest minds. During this internship, I also got a chance to present my work to Sriram Raghavan, Director of IBM India Research labs. At the end of the internship, we started writing the paper, which was a first time experience for me. Often when we read a paper we find many things ambiguous and think why the writer hasn’t put a little more effort in explaining things better. But, now when I have done it by myself, I realize how difficult a task it is! The successful completion of paper embarked in me a great confidence and zeal to keep reading more research papers directly.
Exposure: The overall internship experience was a journey that showed me the greater dimensions of the world. It was in a way an experience similar to spiritual enlightenment. Beyond the walls of the college, there existed a world that we were kept aloof of, I am glad I witnessed it.
With a heavy heart of memories and a light smile of experiences, I walked away from my cubicle, writing “signing off” on a piece of paper.
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If you have any further questions or want to interact with me personally, feel free to drop a message/connection request here.
