Internships in college are a must. Today, if you don't have an internship, your resume almost automatically hits the trash can.
But once you get that internship, you will be excited and ready to prove that you have what it takes.
But internships are an interesting beast. Essentially the entire time you are being given a gift (the opportunity) and you are expected to prove to them that "you were the right choice". You have no authority, less experience, less education, and are overall BELOW everyone else. Therefore as an intern, you will run into a multitude of tough spots. But not to worry:
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5 Tough Internship Moments and
How to Beat Them
1. You just messed up, BIG TIME!- I specifically remember in my internship messing up a project that was eventually going to go to a Fortune 500 company for review. I remember being so upset getting the email that in a nutshell said, "Yeah, I noticed you did all the equations wrong. I will just do them myself."
I was horrified.
Solution: When you mess up (and trust me, you will loose track there will be so many times) make sure you prove that you want to learn what you did wrong! Address the person and let them know that you acknowledge that you made a mistake. Ask them how you could have done things differently or what exactly went wrong so that next time you get it right. Cleaning up a mess shows true character and your potential to grow as a honest, future employee.
2. You feel like you ask too many questions- Going off the mistake above, if I would have gotten up the guts to go down to the person's office and make sure the equation I was doing was correct, I could have avoided doing the project entirely wrong.
Solution: No matter how trivial, ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS. Any logical employer knows that you don't know the in's and outs, rights and wrongs of the organization. AND THAT IS OK.
Asking questions takes 3 minutes and the answers will save you a lot of time and headache. Also, it makes you seem diligent, accurate, and conscious of your work. The employer will pick up of the fact that any work you do, you want it to be right.
3. They just hired a new intern, so what does that mean for you?- Within the past 4 years at my internship, I have had two interns join the team. Its easy to have the following reactions:
"Guess I am gonna get all the boring work"
"How did they get to do that so fast?"
"They are going to take all the exciting projects"
"But I was supposed to be the only intern in this department"
Solution: This is a blessing- Getting new interns, especially when you are one of the more experienced ones, is a growing opportunity for you. This is your chance to be a mentor and gain leadership skills. These new interns are looking to you and are available for you to mold. Most of the time they will be too afraid to approach real employees and management, so you have the power. Use it well.
Eventually with your guidance and training, they will soon become an important part of your internship team and you won't even realize that at one time you thought of them as a threat.
4. How to have "scary" talks with your boss- As an intern, you practically go brain dead when you have to approach your boss about one of the following:
-An issue with another employee you feel needs addressed
- An idea you have for a project
- Your future at the company, beyond internships
Solution: Be professional and honest- Yes, blurting out that you think you aren't being given good opportunities or that the one employee down the hall recently bashed another employee publicly is probably not the best approach. However I encourage you to take these following steps:
1. Email your boss and ask them if you could set up a meeting to discuss something
2. When you are in the meeting, keep a professional conversation structure, yet be honest. Most of the time, the boss will appreciate your willingness to bring something to their attention, whether good or bad. It shows you acknowledge the importance of their role as a boss, value the health of the work environment, and have a personal need to keep an open communication.
The more you talk with your boss on an everyday basis and build a relationship, the easier it will be to approach them in those iffy situations.
5. You feel like you can't say no and your pile of projects is almost to the ceiling- Interns kind of become the "catch all" of projects that either need to be done fast or are not as important for full time employees. Therefore, often times you can get work from up to 7 different people, from different areas. Keeping track of each project, who needs what done when, and who is "most important", can be a tough judgement and STRESSFUL.
Solution: Ask for a deadline: If someone brings something your way and you already have 5 other things on your plate, ask them when they NEED this done by. Also, let them know that you will be "incorporating it with other projects". This sends the signal that you acknowledge you will get it done, but if they don't give you a deadline, it could get lost or take some time to complete.
If the deadline is too close and you feel as though you can't do the project well, it is ok to say no. Politely say, "I would love to help you but I am overloaded with projects right now. Let me know the next time you need this done and I will be sure to schedule it then".
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These tough moments are only "sneak peaks" of things you will encounter in the real world. So learn how to handle them during your internship, and you will be one step ahead.
Best Wishes,
Meredith
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