How to Handle an Internship That Isn’t All It’s Cracked up to be At least once in your life, you are going to have a job or an internship that isn’t at all what you thought it was going to be. But don’t fret, listed below are various ways that you can deal with this situation. Before the Internship Do Your Research: You should definitely find out as much as you can about a job or internship before you even apply. Not only will this help you in the long run, but employers like seeing that you have put some time into researching their company. Ask around and find out what people have to say about the company. Message a previous intern and inquire about their experience. Google some reviews about what the company has to say about their internship position or see what the customers have thought of their service. There are also a few websites designed specifically for employees to post information specifically about what it is like working for their company that are definitely worth looking into. One website I would highly recommend is glassdoor.com. Just search the company you are interested in and the website will do the rest! Ask Questions I’m sure you have heard this multiple times before, but you should absolutely ask questions during your interview for your job or internship. If you are explicitly looking for more information on exactly what the position entails, a good question to ask is: “What are some tasks previous people in my position have been assigned?” This way you get a real gist of what your assignments will be like. A few other questions you should definitely consider asking to get a better feel of what you will be doing in your potential position are: “What is the most difficult task you’ve ever asked an intern to complete?”, “Do interns usually ask to stay on for more than one term?”, “How many interns usually apply for this position and how many do you accept?” and “Could you describe a typical day in the office for someone in my position?” Each of these questions will help you really scope out the job and will give you a better sense of whether or not this opportunity is right for you. During the Internship Communicate As soon as (or even before) you get the job or internship, it is important to communicate to your employer what your personal strengths are and the areas where you would like to gain some more experience. This way, that your boss is aware of what you would like to be doing and you have some control over your assignments. If you wait too long to communicate, you might get stuck doing tasks you aren’t sufficient in or just flat out hate doing.
Voice Your Concerns No, you are not out of line talking to your employer about your expectations with this internship. This is a learning experience for you, and if you aren’t getting the practice you anticipated, it’s up to you to get back on track. If you begin to find that you aren’t doing what you wanted or hoped you would, it’s time to talk to your boss about alternative tasks or assignments that are more aligned with what you hoped to learn. After the Internship Exit Interview There is a very good chance that your employer or a superior is going to ask you how you felt the internship went. It is important that you be honest, but not disrespectful. If there were areas that you felt needed improvement, you should bring those up in the meeting. Internships are a learning experience for your employer as well so they can figure out what they can do differently with their interns in the next term. While you should probably mix in a few positives (if you can) it is also okay to speak about what you felt was lacking or what was proposed to you when you were interviewing that didn’t come through during your time with the company. Don’t Bad-Mouth the Company/Employer While it’s very easy to run your mouth about all of the things you hated about the internship that wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, it’s extremely important to keep those opinions to yourself. If someone interested in working for the same company asks for your opinion, feel free to tell them your truth. However, you should remember that experiences are different for everyone and just because it wasn’t what you expected, doesn’t mean someone else won’t benefit from it. Also, word travels fast. If you bad-mouth the company, it could either get back to them, or it could end up in the ear of an employer you’re interested in working for; they might be too nervous hiring someone who they fear would do the same to them. So, if it was a truly terrible experience, keep it between you and your mom or that pint of Ben and Jerry’s.