Name: Zulkarnain Choudhury
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Grameen Bank
Position Title: Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s): Economics
Expected Graduation Year: 2017
Briefly describe your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.
I started my internship program with Grameen Bank (a renowned microfinance organization) in Dhaka, Bangladesh in June 2015. Grameen Bank provides small loans to some of the poorest citizens in rural areas in Bangladesh without any collateral. These loans are given so that those people can invest the money to improve their living conditions, start a small business or send their children to school. The bank has received recognition for its method by the World Bank, United Nations and all over the world. The bank main motive is to reduce poverty in Bangladesh.
My job as an intern was to visit centers in several districts in Bangladesh (of Grameen) and listen to the people's stories, why they want to take the loan and make sure that they are eligible for the loan. My task was to be the banker who would develop a relationship with his borrowers and approve the loan to them. I was trained to ask the people questions like why they wanted the loan, and what they would do with the money. I was under the supervision of the officer who usually does the approval. During the internship period, I took training classes from my internship coordinator to learn about Grameen Bank and its methodology and how to approach to customers. I visited 7 different centers in 7 different villages (I had to bear my own expenses which was not much). I also went on a village trip for a week to stay and observe the method and see how the bank operates in rural Bangladesh. At the end of the month-long internship I submitted an internship report based on my whole experience.
Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.
Grameen Bank is very well-known organization and it was my dream to work for the bank after it received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for it's extraordinary approach in reducing poverty in Bangladesh with use of microfinance and microcredit. I went on their website and did a research on their internship program and sent them an email. After a week, they replied to my email requesting for my resume and a recommendation letter from a professor. After they received everything, they sent me a confirmation that I can start as soon as I go to Bangladesh for my summer.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?
What I have enjoyed the most about this internship was meeting interns from different countries who came from Europe, America and many other countries that shared this experience with me. It truly was a very enjoyable experience as we all went on village trips and I got to make some amazing friends. The most memorable part of the internship was the village trip, where I met the locals and experienced their culture.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe I made an impact on myself because a year ago, I was lost and didn't know what kind of career I would pursue in the future after graduating. But after doing this internship I discovered some qualities and some skills that I didn't know I had in me. I can interact well with different people, I can manage accounts, and I can speak well. I think I might be a good banker!
Another thing that I thought of was cultural issues. The women in rural areas in Bangladesh have less say in family matters than men. The majority of Grameen's borrowers consists of women. This gives them power, confidence, and reduces the gender inequality. So if interns like us can help these women receive loans by showing them support and letting them contribute, then we’re giving them more power. This experience also got me thinking of changing my major from Economics to Financial Economics. I absolutely loved my job and I want to be involved in banking and social work in future.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
If you get an opportunity to be involved in something or do an internship, you should do it. It really helps you to discover what you are good at doing. It exhibits your skills and special qualities, and makes you realize what kind of career you want to pursue in life.
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