Business student Tenzing Atsentsang ’14 spent the fall studying in Mumbai, India, and is now working as an intern at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in Gangtok, the capital of the Indian state of Sikkim. Read more about Atsentsang’s time in India.

Where are you currently interning?

The Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT). I’m working as a junior accountant in the project management and accounting department of the organization.

Where in India is the organization located?

Sikkim, India.

What do you do at NIT?

NIT is an institute that receives generous amounts of funding from different levels of the state with somewhat lenient to precise instructions to how the funding should be used; this is where my job comes in. I work with different accounting techniques that are used in the organization to help me work within project scope. With the help of my team members, we decide which projects to fund within the organization’s values. Projects vary anywhere from some sort of research expedition to the Himalayas to construction and expanding NIT building structures.

What is a typical day like?

Some basic duties and responsibilities that I complete on a daily basis include the following: I maintain financial records for the organization for each large sum grant by analyzing balance sheets and general ledger accounts. I concentrate more so on the liabilities side, things like notes payable, accounts payable, accrued expenses payable, and customer deposits. I also take part in providing financial status information by preparing special reports and completing special projects for the directors of NIT. Assisting with data entry and posting of everyday journal entries are also a part of my everyday duties.

What part of the experience has been most valuable to you, so far?

With this internship–along with studying abroad in Mumbai, India with top-level MBA students from all over India–the most valuable experience by far would be all the networking I have done so far. I’ve met people from all spectrums of the business world. Anywhere from Reliance Industries (Reliance basically has their hands on everything in India. Energy, communication, oil, supermarkets, clothing, commodities etc.…) to Ernst & Young, and even Maruti Suzuki Ltd. I’ve made some long-lasting friendships with all these “sharks” of the business world and I definitely plan to work and network with them in the future.   

What part has been most surprising?

This doesn’t really have to do with my internship or my study abroad, but India as a whole. India truly is a filthy and beautiful place at the same time. The culture here is so rich and the people are some of the warmest people I’ve met. I feel that there is a spiritual essence in the air here at all times, and people here hold faith in their way of life. In general, although India in the eyes of the western world is known as a “developing country,” I found people here to be much more content and satisfied with their lives than people back in the United States.

What is your internship adding to your study abroad experience?

Well, for one thing you get to add an internship to your resume and having international experience will definitely make you a strong job candidate.

More importantly, from my experience, you start to think differently and take different approaches to finding solutions to business-related problems. You’re able to understand how to work with a diverse group of individuals from different parts of the world while at the same time learning their culture and different social norms, which is very important if you want to work in a global sense. For me this experience encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and challenge myself to view ideas through different lenses.

Have you done internships at any companies or organizations in the United States? If yes, what is different about your international internship?

Yes, I worked at Merrill Lynch prior to this internship and in terms of just finance, the policies and procedures, complying with federal, state, and local Indian financial legal requirements are a lot different compared to the U.S.

What is your dream job?

My dream job would have to include three things:

1. I want my parents to be proud of what I’m doing.
2. I want to help others in one way or another.
3. Travel and make a lot of money.

What kind of job do you hope to get once you graduate?

This one is easy. I’d like to get my dream job. =)

Did your career ambitions change or evolve because of your international experience?

Most definitely. India is a country filled with entrepreneurs. People here are innovative and find use in things that we would not consider back home and make businesses out of it. I was thinking of working corporate most of my life and making my way up that way, but now I’m interested in doing something on my own, maybe starting something in importing and exporting. Let’s see…

What would you say to someone who was considering interning abroad?

Simply, go for it! Hearing or reading about something is nowhere near experiencing it firsthand. So go for it. Don’t confine yourself to one city, state or even a country. Explore different parts of the world and be a global citizen. The only limits in life are the ones you set for yourself. From my experience the grass was greener on the other side.

— Tenzing Atsentsang ’14