Do an internship at a major company, learn how people adapt to the corporate culture, what tasks they solve, try to prove oneself and maybe get a regular job – this is what many students dream of. Still, not everyone decides to file an application and participate in a contest. During the meetup with ITMO Universuty students, the representatives of the Center of Analytical Solutions of Gazprom Neft stressed that any student who’s motivated enough can pass the selection. A good internship is both a basis and a stepping stone for a future professional.
“Doing an internship is essential for a student, even if they don’t stay to work at that company”, notes Vadim Abbakumov, an expert and Data Science analyst. “This is something that can later help pass an interview at a different employer. This offers good experience and an opportunity to see how a major company operates, what its business processes are like.”
The company currently accepts applications for internships from senior students in the fields of mathematical methods in economics, business informatics, applied and fundamental mathematics, systems analysis and programming, economics, logistics and supply chain management.
In order to get into an internship program, there are several steps that you need to take.
Step one: what kind of specialists are relevant
There are several ways of getting into a company for an ITMO student or graduate. The easiest one for those who don’t have the essential work experience is an internship. And if you’ve already worked on major projects or have achievements at international programming competitions, then you can send your resume right off or try getting employment via employment agencies.
“Gazprom Neft is a big company, we have about a thousand and a half petrol stations,” comments Vadim Abbakumov. “On the whole, we need many different specialists, from chemists to IT specialists.”
A major focus is placed on everything that has to do with data analysis.
“As part of the case championship, we take students in for subject fields: data analysis and engineering, business and strategy, integrative digital platform, and digital logistics,” explains Nikita Kudryavtsev, head of Gazprom Neft’s Competence Center for Data Science. “Data analysis and engineering involves several subfields. If you’re more interested in engineering tasks that imply deeper analysis, you should consider such fields as data storage systems development, Data Science, systems analysis and business intelligence applications development. In the other field, business and strategy, you can get competencies in analyzing a company’s activities and solving department-specific tasks, as well as learn to do infographics. The third is good for java developers. And the fourth is associated with managing the handling of products for petroleum stations.”
Step two: how to pass the first selection for an interview
The selection involves two stages: first, all applicants register on the GPN Intelligence Cup website. The deadline is October 10. By the way, you can choose one or several subject fields at this point. Then you have to solve a task which is a case associated with the company’s operation.
For the first subject field, data analysis and engineering, you’ll have to solve an application task. For example, create an algorithm that will forecast sales and assess the influence of various factors. If development is more to your liking, you’ll have to code something in SQL or Java – depending on which of these languages you know. The task for the second field, business and strategy, involves working as a team. There are two offsite selection stages and the finals. The teams will have to solve a business case and then present their offer in front of experts from the department of economics and finance. For the integrative digital platform, you have to solve a task with the help of Spring, Apache and similar frameworks. The task for digital logistics involves several stages: first, you have to solve a task associated with petroleum products handling, and in the finals, you will have to defend a project in front of experts from the company’s logistics division as a part of a team.
The championship’s finalists in every field will participate in an interview with division heads and can be invited for a paid internship.
Step three: proving yourself at the interview
According to the company’s representatives, any questions can be asked during the interview. Nikita Kudryavtsev says that it is inquisitiveness, boldness and willingness to learn that they look for in applicants.
“A specialist in Data Science, for example, has to have good communication skills. Good teamwork skills help organize work efficiently, especially in a major commercial company,” adds Mr. Kudryavtsev.
Step four: internship
In the course of the internship, the candidates who passed the selection will join one of the company’s teams and work on real projects. The internship usually lasts for three to six months, and for the most successful ones, it can be prolonged to nine months.
The students will work for 15-20 hours a week and get paid on a monthly basis.
“Let me give you an example from the previous selection: two Data Science interns ended up working at the company,” says Nikita Kudryavtsev. “Sometimes it happens that a person proves themselves and likes working for the company, but the internship’s topic doesn’t suit them, then we recommend them to other departments.”
According to Alena Kurileva, chief officer in corporate training, students sometimes make decisions that the company then uses on a regular basis.
Step five: if you miss the deadline
The internship contests are held once a year. So if you failed to apply this time, you can do it next year. Also, the company’s representatives note that if you didn’t pass, you should try again.
“We hold a selection once a year; if you failed to apply, but feel that you could’ve passed the interview, send us your resume. We’ll have a chance to talk after the competition,” says Mr. Kudryavtsev.
“I’ll give you a piece of advice, and it has to do with not just working at our company,” adds Mr. Abbakumov. “Always write to your dream employer. If your project is really good, then you lose nothing. Worst case, you just won’t get a response. And one more thing: know who exactly you address, so it won’t happen that you send a data analysis project to a person who’s responsible for drilling.”
