Committed to being a center for talent development in the GCC, we launched our first Summer Internship Program in June 2009. Nominated by the Career Development Directors of Texas A&M Qatar, Carnegie Mellon Qatar and Georgetown Qatar, six outstanding students were selected to participate in this unique six week program.

Throughout the internship, we introduced the students to our Purpose Based Organization model by offering a set of differentiated experiences that delivered a great career start for them.

Take a look at what Fatima, Mateen, Akanksha and Abhay had to say about the experience:

Fatima Bahja - Georgetown

A year ago, if I’d been asked to intern at a start-up business like Vodafone, my answer would have probably been no. However, as a recent graduate desperate for a new and unique working experience, a Vodafone internship seemed like a valuable opportunity. So I took it. A week into the internship, I realized that it was exactly that. As an international politics major, it never occurred to me that I would ever be interested in the business field, but Vodafone completely redefined “business” for me.

As a purpose based organization, Vodafone has a heavy emphasis on values and the ambitious goal of making a world of difference. With that, the company completely appealed to me. The casual and friendly work environment provided more than just an obligation, but also an exciting and unique atmosphere. It was challenging, it was motivational, but more than anything, it was truly a priceless experience.

Regards,

Fatima

Mateen Kamal - Texas A&M

My friends asked me why a chemical engineering student such as me was interning at Vodafone Qatar during the summer. I told them, “Easy, it’s not everyday one can acquire experience from Vodafone’s first start-up in 10 years. It’s at our doorstep and its absolute idiocy not to be apart of it”. Unexpectedly, what I learnt in Vodafone Qatar was beyond the business skills that might be beneficial to my career 20 years down the road. It was how the true value of cooperation, respect and honesty can impact not only you and your organization, but also the people around you in our very small world.

Rgds,

Mateen Kamal
AIChE-TAMUQ President

Akanksha Menon - Texas A&M

This year, I spent my summer working as an intern at Vodafone Qatar. It all began with an interview with Frank Willemsen and from then on, there was no looking back. I believe that first impressions matter and my first impression of Vodafone is one that I can never forget. The whole place was so full of life and bright hues. What I liked the most was that it was filled with people from every part of the world. That’s when I decided that I was going to work here! I worked with the Technology Team and coordinated with Customer Care as well. For the first time, I was exposed to the technology behind mobile phones. I learnt about the whole telecom network and how things work behind the scenes.

My main area of work was coverage issues and outages. For this, I had to liaise with Customer Care and help them address the queries and concerns of our customers. Also, I worked on the Vodafone Access gateway trial with Stelios Savvides. I was taken by surprise (and was grateful at the same time) when Stelios made me the contact person for such a major trial and gave me the freedom to do things my way. He believed I was responsible enough to handle the trial and gave me my space. That for me was leadership in action.

The Vodafone experience helped me develop my communication skills and made me feel very confident about myself. I understood what it meant to be part of the corporate world and to contribute to the company. For a period of four weeks, I worked with Nabil Gaber, a student at the Georgetown University. Working with a partner made things a lot more fun as we could divide the work and also come up with several ideas. Through this internship, I learnt the true meanings of leadership and teamwork.

Three months flew by and soon, it was time for me to get to university. I had made a lot of friends at Vodafone and the thought of not seeing them every day was upsetting. I really hope that every student gets an opportunity to work in such a wonderful environment where work and fun go hand in hand. For me, Vodafone Qatar represents one big family where neither age, nor ethnicity, nor religion really matter. The lesson I take forward from this experience is this simple motto: “create magic with everything.”

Cheers,

Akanksha

Abhay Joseph - Carnegie Mellon

The Vodafone experience has helped me understand the functions and responsibilities of a global organization. It has helped me develop my communication skills as well. I got to work with the retail department during the launch stage which was Vodafone's first start-up in about 10 years!! The internship taught me to manage work stress and also gave me a broader view of the individual targets one has to meet. Overall, this internship has taught me a number of skills and I am sure that these skills will help me in my future endeavors.

Cheers,
Abhay.