Assistant Manager – Brand Marketing, Arpit Sood shares his journey from intern to full-time employee in Swiggy’s Brand Marketing team.
Picture this: you’re in a secure full-time job, and a friend calls with an internship opportunity. Most people would think twice. Arpit didn’t. In 2024, he left his full-time role for a six-month internship at Swiggy – driven by his desire to learn from the minds behind India’s most iconic marketing campaigns. Seven months later, he transitioned to a full-time Assistant Manager in the Brand Marketing team. Here’s his story.
Q1: What made you leave a stable job for an internship?
When I saw an opportunity to learn, stability took a backseat. Swiggy’s marketing campaigns had caught my attention long before this opportunity arose. I had actually applied twice before for social media roles without success, but that didn’t deter me. The chance to understand how impactful marketing really works from the inside was worth the career pivot.
Q2: Walk us through your hiring process at Swiggy.
The process was refreshingly straightforward. I submitted a marketing assessment within the 48-hour window, which tested my strategic thinking. The follow-up interview with the hiring manager felt more like a conversation about mutual fit rather than a grilling session. Sometimes persistence and timing align perfectly.
Q3: What sealed the deal for you at Swiggy?
One word: exposure. Swiggy’s brand reach meant I’d get front-row seats to marketing decisions that impact millions. You can’t put a price on that kind of learning opportunity.
Q4: How did you react when you got the internship offer from Swiggy?
I started dancing, honestly! I was in my final year of college, preparing for exams, and when my flatmates heard the news, everyone joined in. It felt like a collective victory – at least one of us had made it to Swiggy.
Q5: When reality met expectations on day one, how did it feel?
Honestly, I’d braced myself for the typical intern experience – being overlooked or given mundane tasks. Instead, I found a team that was genuinely invested in my growth. My manager made it a point to check in daily during those early weeks, not to micromanage, but to ensure I was absorbing everything I could. The onboarding wasn’t about throwing me into the deep end; it was about building a foundation.
Q6: How would you describe the pace of work at Swiggy?
One of Swiggy’s Values is to move fast, break barriers, and deliver results, which is deeply ingrained in our culture – it’s how everyone operates. The pace is intense and addictive. Ideas flow freely, mistakes are learning opportunities, and there’s always room for fresh perspectives, even from an intern.
Q7: Beyond the typical intern coffee runs, what did you actually work on?
I became a project manager within the Brand Marketing team, handling campaign briefs from conception to execution. This involved coordinating with multiple teams, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring budget compliance. I was trusted with important tasks, and it never felt like an internship.
Q8: Tell us about a project you were most proud of during your internship at Swiggy.
I’m most proud of our Shreshto Pujo campaign during Durga Puja. I owned this project completely, from planning to execution. The campaign featured Pandal voting in the app, and I even got a chance to travel to Kolkata to see it come alive during the festival. Standing in that crowd, watching people engage with something I’d helped create – that’s when it hit me that this wasn’t just an internship anymore.
Q9: How did you feel when you transitioned from an intern to an Assistant Manager?
Looking back, I realise how fortunate the timing was. While there wasn’t an immediate opening in the brand marketing team, my manager had been tracking my contributions. When Swiggy launched a new brand and needed someone reliable, my track record spoke for itself. The transition felt earned, not given.
Q10: How has your role evolved since joining full-time?
I’ve worn different hats across multiple businesses, including Instamart, Swiggy Food, and now Snacc. Each brand taught me something new about consumer behaviour and market dynamics. The learning curve has been steep but rewarding, especially when new challenges push you beyond your comfort zone.
Q11: Tell us about your experience working directly with Sriharsha.
I had the opportunity to report directly to Sriharsha Majety, Managing Director and Group CEO, during a critical rebranding project. This happened just one month into my full-time role when my manager was on leave. Coordinating with senior leadership and being trusted with such responsibility so early showed me how Swiggy empowers people regardless of their tenure.
Q12: What’s been your most ‘pinch me’ moment at Swiggy?
Two moments stand out. First, realising that I work directly with the team behind the Gulab Jamun uncle campaign – a legendary piece of marketing that everyone knows. Second, attending the Kyoorius Creative Awards, where I found myself in a room with India’s entire advertising and marketing industry. These are the people behind every campaign you see, and being part of that world still feels surreal.
Q13: For someone on the fence about applying, what would you advise?
Don’t apply just to add ‘Swiggy’ to your CV. Come because you’re genuinely curious about how great marketing happens. The moment you shift focus from ‘What can I get?’ to ‘What can I contribute?’, everything changes. Swiggy has its way of recognising effort and turning it into real opportunities.
Q14: Looking back, what would you tell yourself before walking through those office doors?
Trust that curiosity and hard work have a way of opening doors you didn’t even know existed. Take every project seriously, ask questions without hesitation, and remember – sometimes the best career moves are the ones that don’t make sense on paper but feel right in your gut.
