Not all internships are created equal and sometimes you need to know when it is the right time to go.
Internships, when correctly run, should embolden a person to take that next step in their career, armed with a depth of skill and experience that they otherwise would not have had. Even if you don’t intend to stay on at an organisation, you should still find yourself in a position where, if and when you walk away, you are more skilled, confident and connected.
But if you are in the midst of an internship and are beginning to question whether or not you are truly benefitting from being there, it might be time to consider your next steps and if you should perhaps move on to the next opportunity. If this sounds like you, then read on for some of the warning signs that indicate when an internship is simply the wrong fit.
Othering
Internships operate under the idea that they will give you skills, a network and a foot in the door to your chosen industry and in return you accept that you likely won’t be regarded in the same way as a permanent staff member. But that does not mean that you have no rights, that you don’t deserve compensation, or that ‘othering’ is acceptable.
Poorly run internships can ‘other’ interns, identifying them as entirely different from other employees by measure of experience and seniority, and denying them fair pay, access to relevant meetings and excluding them from social activities and events. If you are in an internship where the divide has been made clear then it may not be an organisation that you would want to align yourself with in the long term.
You are bored
Now we all get a little bored in our roles from time to time, no matter how much we love our jobs. Simply put, not every day is a good one and some are more exciting than others, but if you frequently find yourself bored, surplus to requirements and drained from the monotony of it all, then it is very likely that you are not gaining any real skills.
We learn by being challenged and exposed to new experiences, so if you find that your work revolves around meaningless tasks that have little to no impact on the organisation, then your opportunities to develop additional skills, network and gain a greater understanding of how an industry works are essentially non-existent.
Unfortunately some companies will take advantage of interns and use them for ‘grunt work’ in order to free up salaried employees for higher-value tasks. Don’t let it be you.
You lack supervision
No one likes being micromanaged or having a supervisor hover over them like a bat in a cheesy horror film, but we all need support and guidance, particularly when we are just getting started and lack basic skills or the confidence to ask questions. If you find that you are not being trained correctly on procedures or that you are being left to your own devices too often then it is likely that the employer does not want to allocate resources in your direction.
Additionally, if you have a poor relationship with them, for example if they are short tempered, difficult to get in touch with or condescending, then it is unlikely that you will be able to learn or grow from your interactions with them. While a bad mentor won’t necessarily tank your internship, it will negatively impact the experience and make it that much harder to gain valuable insight and industry knowledge.
Your gut is saying so
This one may be a little more difficult to quantify but it is valid nonetheless. Sometimes, for reasons unknown even to ourselves, we just get a negative feeling in the pit of our stomach, or an idea floating around in the back of our mind, signalling that something doesn’t feel right.
While important decisions in your personal and professional life should be give considerable thought and you should only come to a permanent decision when you are in the right frame of mind, if you consistently feel that you are unhappy, unmotivated and in the wrong place, despite also knowing that outwardly there is nothing wrong, listen to your gut and explore the idea.
You don’t have to make a rash decision, but also don’t jeopardise your mental and emotional health by talking yourself into a career or a job that is beginning to feel ill-suited.
At the end of the day, it is only an internship and you have the rest of your career ahead of you, so rather than trying to force yourself to work through it, find an organisation and a professional path that works for you too.
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