I am a 3rd-year student from Nagpur, Maharashtra, studying B.Tech (Computer Science) at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Tamil Nadu. Zoho visited the campus of our college to recruit summer interns.
Tell us about the selection process?
I cleared the first round of interviews in which only 7 people were selected for different domains, it was a great feeling. The first round was general and C programming which was tricky and it required a good command of both general aptitude and C programming. Later there was a DSA and problem-solving round which comprised questions from many areas like mathematics, logical acumen, etc. After another filtration there was a long coding round of 2 hours, then a technical round. After that, we were told to go back, and if selected we'll receive a call. The next day I got a call from Zoho and I was happy that I made it.
Tell us about your role and responsibilities as an intern at Zoho?
I will be working on Zoho applications mainly, but I am also exploring much of my coding knowledge and learning new things. Currently, I am working with the SaaS team and working on different assignments given to me by them. I also get a lot of technical questions, for which I am supposed to come up with solutions.
What skills helped you get this internship?
Firstly, I believe you should be good at aptitude and C programming. Then you must work on your coding skills. To consider my example, I have solved more than 800 coding problems and have been actively doing coding on various platforms like CodeChef, Codeforces, etc. Another vital thing is developing good problem-solving skills, which will give you an advantage over others in the selection process.
What are your views on online courses to enhance one’s skillset?
I believe it really helps and I have gone through the courses on these platforms to learn a few things and I was able to grasp them. It's just you will have to be consistent there. My college has partnerships with them, so I do get credits for it, which really helps me to acquire credits.
Tell us about your experience in Zoho so far?
The work-life balance is amazing, I am provided with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is a section of a gym in the office building where you can bust your body fatigue, the pantry is also open for snacks, seniors are super supportive and I am gelling with them easily.
What are the incentives as an intern at Zoho?
The stipend provided is based on various different factors, but if I have to mention it to you, I'll say that it is good enough for a college student with the kinds of incentives like food and other amenities. It must be satisfactory for an individual. It ranges between somewhere 15k to 25k obviously based on many different factors of your work and location.
How much is a good stipend?
I think there are many factors, but the most important ones are food, accommodation, and location. If these are provided, interns care very less about the amount of stipend, if not then you need a good amount enough to adjust easily at the place you are interning.
Do you think this internship will play a vital role in you getting a good job at tech companies?
I think yes, as I am looking forward to being a part of Zoho’s long internship, which will be from 6 to 8 months, and for that, I'll have to perform well in these 2 months of internship. We have been evaluated since day 1, and I am giving my best to be one of the interns to grab the extended tenure of internship, which will be happening in the 7th semester. This will increase my chances of getting a good package at a good company.
Can you provide us with a few suggestions that may help others who are looking for internships at companies like Zoho?
Diversifying your skills is very much important while emphasizing to you what love to do is the key I believe. Technical skills around problem-solving and learning coding skills continuously are also one of the most important factors that can help you crack such internships.