What I learned during my Internship?

Working as an Intern in a Multi-National company is not an ordinary opportunity that everyone can achieve in IRAN and that's exactly what I experienced in IRAN.

UnileverIran presents itself as "Unilever products imported into Iran in 2001 and registered in 2003 starting with 5 employees. Unilever Iran started up its factory in Qazvin in 2003. Production line began in 2005 with the production of Lux soap. Production of Sunsilk and Clear shampoos as well as Signal and Close up and Lipton tea followed. At present soap, tea, and home-care products (Cif, Domestos) are being produced in the factory."

I had this opportunity to work as Intern in UnileverIran for almost a year and experience a multi-culture business environment with a great leadership team and people in this business who are working to improve Unilever's positioning in Iran Market, Although I was Supply Chain Intern, Namely as ULIP(Unilever's Leaders Internship Program), and I was working in Procurement Department, I get a good understanding of how the Marketing and Supply Chain are interconnected with each other in Practice and Real world. Supply Chain Books have introduced us how these Business functions work, but experiencing it, in reality, is the best way to deepen our knowledge regarding theoric concepts. The chance of scrutinizing the Business in it's highest level of maturity gives you a great chance to choose your career path from the early stage with a clear vision.

As a ULIP, you will be assigned to a Project that Unilever needs to be followed up day to day, So the output for you is the experience of following up a project from the very first designs to the Go-Live phase, I didn't have this opportunity to see the Go-Live phase but I hope people will benefit from the project's outcome.

If I want to summarize why everyone needs an internship the below topics will be my words in a nutshell:

1. You get a thorough understanding of a business.
2. You can create your career path wisely and based on facts.
3. You will learn more about yourself and your personality under the pressures of a real business
4. It can be the most exciting experience in your lifetime
5. You will learn new skills and if you be as lucky as I was, Soft-Skills will be your core skills that will be improved
6. Network, Network, and Network. You can create your network of people who might help you in your career path.

What can an Internship bring for the future entrepreneurs:

1. You can experience a business and fully understand how it works
2. On the job training, coachings, and mentors are an important part of every entrepreneur, If you were lucky, you can have some during your Internship program.
3. An internship can simulate a Real Business Environment for you and if you do fine in the simulator, you can build and improve your confidence in case of your business.
4. A Complete Business Model to study it while working as part of this BM, It can make your mind to structure your Business Model much easier than without.
5. You can use your network after establishing your business and promote your Service or Goods much easier.
6. Industry matters, You can understand the Potentials, Risk, and opportunities that are existed in the industry without entering into it, totally risk-free.

In conclusion, if you are a fresh graduate, Student or specifically MBA student, my recommendation is to apply for an Internship and create your career path wisely.