Talk of Teachers’ Day, and your mind takes you back in time with images of classrooms, uniforms, textbooks etc. You may remember stealthily bunking a class, your chest may swell with pride at the thought of getting a compliment from your class teacher for scoring the highest, or... you may want to even forget a punishment or a scolding or an embarassment. But while you may have left the classrooms and the uniforms behind, you haven’t stopped learning, have you? The settings may have changed, you may hold a position now; however, every responsibility at work comes with a set of learnings associated with it. You may even have juniors looking up to you for work lessons! At ImpactGuru, we strongly believe, you grow up the ladder professionally only when you are able to constantly grasp, learn and evolve, as also comprehend the lessons from both successes and failures at work. 

We are basically a proud class of young, energetic, and vibrant employees disrupting healthcare financing in India via our crowdfunding platform. On the occasion of Teachers' Day 2020, we have received a wish from a special lot - A bunch of college kiddos at ImpactGuru. Our interns, taking baby steps into the corporate world, are leaving no stone unturned in making the best of opportunities available here for them. Here's an excerpt of a hearty chat with them on their learning curve at ImpactGuru. 

Four interns from different departments in our company share their experiences of working at our office. Some of them have gone back to their studies. Some have become a part of our team as full-time employees. And this is what they have to say about Class ImpactGuru!

@ Content Intern

• Why did you join ImpactGuru?  

Hi, I am actually pursuing B.A. English, here in Mumbai. We were advised to look for an internship as a part of our course. Of all the internship vacancies that I got to know, ImpactGuru seemed to be doing some really interesting and creative work. I tried my luck by applying for the internship. 

• What has your time here taught you? 

Working in the content team has been an enriching learning experience for me. So, I was given fundraiser stories of patients to work upon. My day would look like this: connecting with a patient, their family, understanding their need and putting all of these on paper in a way that would appeal to the donors. Easier said than done. But for my seniors, I am not sure if I could have pulled this off so well. They were always there to support, you know. The qualitative and timely feedback sessions with them helped me grow as a writer. Plus, how many interns would get to say - "My words helped in saving someone’s life!" That's so gratifying, trust me! 

• Any particular occasion or incident that you fondly remember from your days here at ImpactGuru? 

Offo, how can I forget that?! In one of our brainstorming sessions, where the entire group was discussing about making the content relevant to specific seasons and upcoming festivals, people started shooting names of occasions, events and festivals that the team should plan for. And I don't know what came over me at that point in time, but I just blurted out Valentine's Day. I can still remember that look on all the faces in the room, and the roar of laughter that followed. 

I am back in college, but ImpactGuru means more to me now than just a brand name in my work folio. Working here: definitely recommended!

@ Digital Marketing Intern

• Why did you join ImpactGuru?  

I was following ImpactGuru on Instagram and I still do. I loved the kind of work they are into. My idea was to do something fruitful after college hours. I had a flair for digital marketing and wanted to get absorbed here for internship. The day I came for interview, I remember well, the mood, the people who welcomed me, the ambience and the culture made me feel, "I wanna be here tomorrow as well :) "

• What has your time here taught you?

I got to learn an important life lesson. I remember when I had started working as a part of the team, I would browse through the different causes on the platform, especially the medical emergency cases. What hit me hard was - how lucky and fortunate I am! There are so many people in this world with so many different problems, literally life & death battles, and different sorts of critical illnesses. And I shouldn't be complaining at all. Thank you ImpactGuru, for giving me this realisation!

• A moment at ImpactGuru which particularly stands out? 

There was no point where I felt like an outsider or a guest for a few weeks. Everyone made me feel like I was a part of the family. There was this senior from the other team, she would come over and invite us for a debate on a topic that was trending. There was this other colleague whose mimic sessions I would look forward to in our lunch breaks. After my internship period got over, I was given an opportunity to join as an employee. The culture here, the spirit of the teams, and the fact that I could approach anyone, across departments, just instantly for any work-related doubts, without hesitations, was reason enough for me to say a 'Yes!' Well, now you are talking to an ImpactGuru employee, mind you! 

@ Design Intern

•  Why did you join ImpactGuru? 

That guy, the one you spoke to before me, yeah, the same one who flaunted his ImpactGuru employee tag, he stays in my building and I came to know about ImpactGuru through him. And only after joining here, did I realise, why he was all praises for the company! I am just 2 months old in the company. I was a bit concerned because I joined amid Covid-19. I didn't know if I would fit into the team given the external uncertainties but my manager made me feel so comfortable that I am already loving my job and can't wait to meet everyone at office once things open up fully.

• What has your time here taught you? 

Before I joined, I knew very little about visuals, design and editing. But in just two months time, with the help of my seniors, I am already getting to learn different tools and softwares. Not just that, I am also actively trained for use of images, fonts, design aesthetics, different visual formats etc. 

• A funny/serious moment; something that happened on the job that you would like to share

Since we are into healthcare crowdfunding, I work on patient visuals frequently. It's hard and heartbreaking to look at small children undergoing so much of pain. Initially, I used to feel very low when I would see something like that. Especially because we are working from different locations and there's no one around to share your plight with. But just when I would feel upset on seeing some patient in pain, my team would share success links of the lives we have impacted so far with the help of donors worldwide. "Doesn't that give enough energy to put all your heart, blood, and soul into saving the next life?" as my manager rightly puts it!

@ Operations Intern

• Why did you join ImpactGuru?  

I didn't have a reason back then. Had just wanted a job. But never knew that this would turn out to be the best learning experience ever that I can ask for. 

• What has your time here taught you? 

Patience. Empathy. Humanity. That's what I keep hearing from my seniors. Three golden rules that I got to master here at ImpactGuru. When I had joined I didn't even know how official mails were written or calls were meant to be to clients. Today, I write across and connect with so many stakeholders with confidence, knowing the knack of it all and my team has trained me well to trust me with this responsibility.

• Any moments that you would want to recreate or relive from the time spent here? 

Not just one or two. There are many. From employee engagement activities to town hall meetings announcing the best performers, I have had my share of amazing, embarrassing and funny moments. More than anything, I would like to thank ImpactGuru for making me ready for any work challenge and teaching me the nuances of professional life when I was a complete amateur. I have now completed a year here. I began as an intern; then, I became an employee. Now, I am training and teaching the new joinees. It’s been a great journey! For this amazing learning curve, and on behalf of the whole team, Happy Teachers' Day!

These are just some of the many interns we have had. We, as a healthcare fundraising company, have had our own share of learnings in these years, with all the interns, employees and professionals contributing to our crowdfunding know-how in their own ways. These lessons, we believe, will go a long way, in our endeavour to save and impact more lives. With feelings that are mutual on the occasion of Teachers' Day 2020, we wish all of you a very Happy Teachers' Day!

Also read: 

Teachers' Day special | Our learnings from dealing with patients, their medical emergencies and critical illnesses