Not every summer internship is an amazing experience. To be perfectly honest, some of them are just plain dreadful. Unfortunately, you’re expected to put on a brave face no matter what once you’ve committed to being an intern. But the good news is, whether you’re faced with long hours, mean co-workers, an unreasonable boss, or an internship that isn’t relevant to your career path, there are ways to make your less-than-ideal internship bearable! Here’s how to deal with some less-than-ideal internship situations.
You work long hours
When your Facebook News Feed is full of pictures of your friends at various sunny beaches and music festivals, it’s hard not to get jealous that you aren’t spending your summer relaxing and hanging out with friends. It’s even harder when it feels like you’re always at the office! If you’re expected to show up to work bright and early and not to leave until it’s dark outside, your summer internship can start to feel like a punishment more than an opportunity.
Gabby, an intern at a financial company, feels like all she does is work. “I get so sad some days when I think about how relaxing my summers used to be versus how stressful they are now that I’m working so late all the time. Then I still have the long commute from Manhattan to Long Island once I’m done working,” she says. “It feels like all I do is work and sleep.”
So what’s a collegiette to do? Vicki Salemi, author of Big Career in the Big City: Land a Job and Get a Life in New York and founder of the program Job Search Boot Camp for College Grads, says to remember to stay positive. “Working long hours certainly isn’t fun, but remind yourself this is only a temporary situation. If you’re getting something out of the internship, like honing dazzling new skills, it will be worth its weight in gold,” Salemi says. “A few ways to get through long hours would be to create breaks every three hours or so. Walk around, go outside and get a breath of fresh air, treat yourself to a gourmet coffee, or create mini treats to get through the day to break it up.”
If your workday feels like it’s dragging along, you can also find productive ways to make the time fly by. Ask your supervisor if they have any other assignments you can work on, or pitch your own idea for a new project. If you really run out of ideas, you can organize your desk or your e-mail inbox. The important thing is to keep yourself busy!
You have mean co-workers
As much as you might smile and try to make nice with your fellow interns and supervisors, there are bound to be a few who you don’t hit it off with. It’s only an issue when instead of simply not hitting it off, those interns or co-workers go out of their way to be rude or catty to you.
The best way to deal with nasty colleagues is to kill them with kindness. Don’t let them see that their negative actions or words bother you, and don’t retaliate in any way—the only thing that would be worse than dealing with mean co-workers is partaking in office drama! If they keep coming at you with negativity and you continually respond with positivity, they’ll eventually lose interest.
Unfortunately, until that happens, you’re going to feel hurt by their rudeness, which can make any internship feel unbearable. “You’re learning early on that not everyone is nice or supportive,” Salemi says. “The best way to deal with it is to ignore them. You don’t have to be best buddies with your co-workers, nor should you be. Try not to get sucked into the negativity and imagine yourself wearing a rubber suit; anything mean they say will slither right off you and bounce back to them!”
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Your supervisor is unreasonable
Though he or she may not be quite as bad as Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, the chances of your boss becoming your bestie are slim. That said, there’s a big difference between your boss acknowledging the difference in your positions and just being a total jerk.
“I did a PR internship where my boss was crazy. [He] made me do strange things and yelled at the other interns and me for no reason,” says Phoebe, a senior at UC Santa Barbara. “I definitely learned how to deal with his psychotic ways and find at least some pleasure throughout my three months of unpaid work.”
Salemi says the best way to deal with an unreasonable boss is to stay calm and levelheaded. “You may not always have a reasonable boss. It’s unfortunate but it’s the truth,” says Salemi. “So, if you’re dealing with an unreasonable boss, it actually gives you an opportunity to stay above the fray and to be extremely clear with your communication skills. Similar to dealing with a difficult roommate, sometimes situations like this present themselves to you to make you a stronger person, so be strong!”
Remind yourself that your internship is only temporary; it may bring you patience when it comes to taking the brunt of your boss’s hostility from time to time. Depending on the severity of the situation, you may have to get HR involved—but only if your boss is crossing the line by saying or doing things that are inappropriate for the workplace, like emotionally or physically harassing you. If your boss’s only crime is a bad attitude, try to keep your eyes on the prize: if you handle their insanity, you’re much more likely to receive a coveted recommendation at the end of your internship!
Your tasks are irrelevant to your career
No one wants to think that they’ll be expected to retrieve coffee or perform menial tasks all summer, but it can happen. “One time I had this internship where literally all I did was enter information into a spreadsheet. Every single day. For hours,” says Kelsey, a junior at Boston University who had a PR internship. “To help pass the time (and keep my sanity), I put my headphones in and listened to music.”
If your future career doesn’t remotely line up with the actual tasks that you’re being asked to do, it might be time to talk to your supervisor—but that’s in extreme cases. Otherwise, once you’ve committed to working there, you’re stuck doing what you’ve been asked to do.
Try to think about how you can relate the menial tasks you’re asked to do to your eventual career. In Kelsey’s case, as boring as working with spreadsheets for days on end may be, tons of companies in different industries look for people who are experienced with Excel. Your seemingly irrelevant tasks could actually be pretty useful one day!
“If your internship is unrelated to your passion, you’re still learning new skills,” says Salemi. “Even things like showing up at the office on time, maintaining a neat work area, and dealing with difficult co-workers means you’re growing and learning. And transferrable skills count a lot as well!”
As much as it stinks to be let down by an internship, keep your chin up! It’s only a temporary position, and as long as you can stay positive, the opportunity will be sure to benefit you in the end.
Photo Credits:
Bored at Work
Gossiping Workers
Boss Yelling