When I first heard that Mercari was coming to our campus, I was excited but also a little nervous. It felt like a huge opportunity — and looking back now, I realize it was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far.
The Beginning: Placement Journey
The process kicked off with an Online Assessment (OA) consisting of two medium-level DSA questions. It tested not just speed but also our ability to think critically under pressure. After clearing the OA, I had my technical interview with Rajat, where we discussed coding approaches, problem-solving techniques, and a few OS and computer science fundamentals. What stood out was how the conversation was more collaborative than a “grill” session.
Next was the managerial round with Atif, where the focus shifted towards understanding my motivations, how I work in teams, and cultural fit. It was refreshing to have an open, honest conversation rather than just technical questions.
Finally, I remember the day I received the confirmation letter — a mix of relief, excitement, and pride. It was the start of something new.
Day 1: A Warm Welcome
The first day at Mercari was truly special. From being welcomed with a thoughtfully curated goodies kit to meeting fellow interns and full-time employees during the onboarding, everything felt smooth and personal.
The highlight was the team dinner later in the evening — good food, casual chats, and laughter with people who, until a few hours ago, were complete strangers.
January: Settling In, Learning the Foundations, and a Special Cricket Memory
January was all about getting familiar with Mercari’s world and setting a strong foundation.
We started with our common onboarding sessions — diving into essential tools like GitHub, Confluence, Slack, JIRA, understanding Mercari’s overall architecture, and exploring key repositories. These sessions were packed with valuable insights about how teams collaborate here at scale.
Alongside this, we had platform-specific onboarding too. For me, it was about diving deep into Android development — understanding the basics to advanced concepts of Kotlin and Jetpack Compose. The focus was to build a strong technical base early on so that we could contribute meaningfully in upcoming projects.
Beyond the technical onboarding, there were fun activities too — dinners, parties, and networking events that helped us break the ice with other interns and full-time employees.
One of the most memorable moments was winning our very first Bukatsu Cricket Match. I still remember taking a wicket on my very first ball — the excitement from the team made the whole experience unforgettable! It made me feel that I wasn’t just joining a company — I was becoming part of a community.
February: Team Integration and Collaborative Onboarding Project
February marked a major transition — moving from a common onboarding phase to joining our respective teams.
I officially became part of the Android Engineering team of XB-GOP.
Before diving into real tasks, we were given an intern-specific onboarding project designed to simulate how work happens at Mercari. It wasn’t just about writing code — it was about collaborating effectively, clearing doubts openly, and aligning with teammates to avoid conflicts. It taught us the importance of communication, collaboration, and how crucial it is to come to common grounds while working in cross-functional setups.
Alongside project work, learning continued through 1:1 mentorships — regular catch-ups where seniors guided us through doubts, best practices, and helped us grow not just technically but culturally as well.
Bukatsu activities continued to sprinkle fun across the month — more cricket matches, movie meetups, food explorations, and many casual moments that helped deepen bonds with people across different teams.
March: Growth, Reflections, and Celebrations
By March, I could feel a real shift — from being a newcomer to becoming a contributor.
The biggest learnings during this phase were about embracing Mercari’s core values:
- Go Bold: Encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone.
- All for One: Reinforced the spirit of collaboration.
- Be a Pro: Taught me to take ownership of my work.
- Move Fast (newly introduced): Instilled a mindset of agility and iterative improvement.
The mentorship continued to play a strong role — my seniors were always there to guide, review, and encourage.
We also celebrated Holi together, which was a colorful and joyous reminder that Mercari truly values culture and inclusivity.
Bukatsu Adventures: Beyond Work
Bukatsu events weren’t just about fun — they became avenues to form genuine friendships. Some of the bukatsu groups I actively participated in:
- Z-explore-bangalore: Discovering hidden gems in the city.
- Z-cinephile-india: For the love of movies and cinema debates.
- Z-cricket-india: Because cricket is always a good idea.
- Z-india-food-cravings: Exploring the best food spots together.
Each event made me feel more connected not just to my immediate team but to the larger Mercari India family.
Android Guilds: Learning Beyond the Team
I also had the opportunity to participate in Android Guilds — where engineers across teams come together to share insights, best practices, and learnings about Android development. It helped me stay updated with tech trends and made knowledge-sharing an active part of my journey here.
Today: Looking Back at the First 100 Days
Now, standing at Day 100, I can proudly say that Mercari has shaped me into a more confident, skilled, and culturally aligned engineer.
The mentorship, the sense of belonging, the encouragement to “Go Bold” — it’s been a priceless experience. I’ve built real friendships, learned from some of the best minds, and most importantly, enjoyed every bit of the journey.
Tips and Advice for Future Interns
- Embrace the Culture Early: Live the Mercari values in everything you do — it makes a real difference.
- Be Curious, Ask Questions: Nobody expects you to know everything — what matters is your willingness to learn.
- Join Bukatsu and Guilds: They are a great way to expand your network and have fun.
- Enjoy the Little Moments: The first cricket match, the Holi party, the casual conversations — they shape your journey as much as the work does.
Conclusion: Grateful and Excited for What’s Ahead
The first 100 days were just the beginning. I’m excited for what lies ahead, and I can’t wait to continue growing, contributing, and creating more memories at Mercari.
And if you are inspired to be part of an organization that values growth, learning, and collaboration, we encourage you to look out for more opportunities on our careers website.
Stay tuned for more stories, lessons, and reflections as we continue to learn and grow together.
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