Shipra Chandak | Business Intern

Business Unit: Boeing Defense Services
Location: Bengaluru, India
University: Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship
Degree Program: Post Graduate Diploma in Management 

What Boeing product(s) or service(s) do you work on?
I was part of the Strategy Analyst team in India, working alongside the team to identify available capabilities that we could build as a competency. I helped business development teams make the right contacts to enable this journey. I worked on streamlining finances under a leader in the business unit. This led to focused attention on cost control. I was also involved in building a business case for a production facility.

What's been the most rewarding project you've worked on as a Boeing intern?
I helped draft a business case for a product Boeing India planned to manufacture. I participated in brainstorming sessions related to capital expense utilization during the actual production. I also analyzed standard learning curve percentages used by different industries. My team used that data to shape the learning curve for our project.

How will your internship experience at Boeing influence your future career?
I got an inside look at the aerospace industry, which can’t be learned by reading an article or sitting in a classroom. Since most of my work was related to project management, it helped me learn about the business from the inside and understand if it’s the right career path for me. The constructive feedback from my supervisors helped me realize what skill sets I lacked or which ones needed immediate attention.

What have you learned as an intern that you wouldn’t learn from your coursework?
As an intern, you get to network with professionals in your field. Learning the nuances of navigating a large organization is an art and science in itself and that is something I cherish learning during my internship.

What about Boeing's mission and the work we do inspires you?
Boeing is the largest player in the aerospace industry and is leading through technological innovation. They value integrity, quality, innovation, customer satisfaction and diverse teams.