Isha Kumari of Apeejay School of Management (ASM) has developed a strong interest in sales, marketing and customer relationship management. Additionally, she gained practical exposure through internships and live projects, which helped her understand how businesses operate in real market situations. These worked as catalysts for Isha to bag a job offer from Signify as a Sales Trainee. Sharing how this achievement was both exciting and rewarding as well as her aspiration to start her career with a global company, Isha in this interview expressed placement preparation techniques and more. Read edited excerpts:
Can you tell us about the role you have secured and what excites you most about joining a multinational company?
I have secured the role of Sales Trainee at Signify. The role mainly focuses on understanding market dynamics, working closely with dealers and customers, and supporting sales operations.
What excites me most is the chance to learn in a multinational environment where I can gain exposure to global practices and develop strong professional skills and also it’s a field job so exploring new places and culture will also be there.
What key skills during your MBA helped you stand out in the recruitment process?
During my MBA, I focused on improving my communication, customer interaction, and problem-solving skills.
My experiences in internships and marketing projects helped me become more confident while interacting with people and understanding business needs, which I believe helped me stand out during the recruitment process.
How did internships or projects prepare you for this opportunity?
My internship with Saint-Gobain gave me valuable field exposure where I interacted with dealers and understood how sales work in real markets. Earlier, during my CRM internship at Hilary Rhoda Cosmetics, I handled customer queries through chats and messages, which improved my customer handling skills. These experiences helped me develop confidence and practical understanding of sales and customer relationships.
Can you share insights into the selection process and how you prepared?
The selection process for Signify mainly had two rounds. The first round was a Group Discussion, where having knowledge about current affairs was really helpful. My GD topic was related to the IndiGo service failure issue, and since I had already read some articles about it, I was able to bring in different points and stand out in the discussion.
The second round was the Personal Interview, where they assessed my confidence, communication skills, and overall fit for the role. To prepare, I practiced mock interviews, researched the company well, and made sure I could clearly connect my internships and live projects with the role they were offering. I also tried to think about possible questions and challenges so I could answer them confidently.
What challenges did you face during placements?
One challenge was balancing academics and placement preparation at the same time.
I managed this by staying organised and preparing consistently. I also tried to learn from every interview experience to improve my performance.
What advice would you give to fellow management students aspiring to secure roles in multinational organisations?
My advice would be to first focus on building a strong and fascinating resume that can attract the interviewer’s attention. It’s also important to use the right keywords so that your resume passes ATS screening, which many companies use today.
Secondly, try to gain practical exposure through internships and live projects, because companies really value real industry experience.
And lastly, most importantly NEVER GIVE UP, work on your communication skills and confidence, because that plays a big role during interviews and in corporate roles. Consistency and continuous learning are really important during the placement journey.