How to Get Past a Bad Internship
When researching internships, you try hard to find one you’ll enjoy at a company that treats its interns with respect and makes work interesting for them. However, it’s impossible to know how exactly it will pan out until you’re there. If you end up with a bad internship, you may feel like the summer will never end and wonder how you made such a mistake. Instead of dwelling in your misery and comparing your situation to the fun your friends are having, take these steps to make the most of the experience.
1. Make Everything a Learning Experience
Even when you’re in the midst of a task you’re not enjoying at all, you should be able to find something positive in the experience. For instance, you may learn a useful skill or put into practice knowledge you gained from the classroom.In addition, you’ll learn things about yourself — you may discover you dislike something you thought you’d enjoy, or vice versa. This is especially important if the aspects you dislike are central to the role, as you may even discover you want to pursue a different career to what you originally thought. Whereas this is initially disappointing, it’s far better to figure this out while you’re still at university than when you’ve entered the workforce.
Finally, you’ll learn about leadership styles. If it’s a superior’s leadership style that’s making your internship unpleasant, you should ensure you lead your team differently whenever you’re in a similar position. For example, you may offer team members more support and feedback or listen to what they have to say.
2. Avoid the Same Mistakes in the Future
To avoid similar situations in the future, reflect on what is specifically making your internship bad. It could be the hours are longer than you expected (such as if you need to take work home), the large number of people you interact with make it difficult to build contacts, or you work mostly in isolation whereas you prefer to collaborate. Whatever the case, you should search for jobs in the future that have characteristics you do like. You can assess potential positions by reading job descriptions carefully, researching companies, and asking the right questions at interviews.3. Don’t Blame Yourself
A bad internship can shatter your confidence, but it’s important to remember it isn’t a reflection on you. Struggling to fit in at one company doesn’t mean you’d have the same experience at another. This is especially true if what you dislike at your internship is the workplace dynamics, the company culture, or your supervisor’s communication style.Have fun over the summer in spite of a bad internship by moving into a better apartment. You can find Kingston student housing rentals at Foundry Mack. When you return home at the end of the day, you’ll be able to relax in your fully-furnished suite or head to the outdoor recreation area, fire pit, or lounge to meet other students. Apply now to move in over the summer and stay living here when the fall semester starts up.