meme89 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Right now I am contemplating on whether or not I should quit an internship I've been attending for 2 months. It lasts for 3 months, but I just can't stay a month longer. No matter how hard I try, I don't feel comfortable around the employers. It always seems like they underestimate my abilities or find a reason for me to look bad. In the beginning, I had a rough time adjusting to the environment and made usual errors as a novice, but after two months they still treat me like I'm incompetent. There is one employer who I know despises me and often singles me out for any little thing I do wrong. If another intern does something wrong, she politely explains to them the problem, but with me, it is the opposite. She gets highly frustrated and catches an attitude. This leaves me to feel that my work is unappreciated and I do not belong there. I am trying my hardest to apply for permanent jobs, so I can leave as soon as possible, but it is not promising. I know I have a month left, but I don't know if I can use this experience as a reference since it seems like I am not doing so well. Should I quit or stick it through? Link to comment
offplanet Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 If you won't be able to use them for a reference, and if it won't reflect badly on you with future potential employers, it might be ok to leave. I would feel like it myself, but I don't know the situation and if it would matter. Do you have any idea why they're singling you out? Do you think it's anything you're doing? Has it happened before anywhere else? If it's something about you it'd be best to figure it out so it doesn't keep happening. Link to comment
annie24 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Have you talked to your supervisor about your job performance? Are you sure you are doing that poorly? Link to comment
Iamstruggling Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I would 100% stick it out I went to uni and got offered a internship and left half way through. Now I am in a crap job and a economy which isn't helpful for job searchers every piece of experience helps. Link to comment
annie24 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 given that it is only one more month, and you don't have a job to go to yet, i would stick it out. and talk to your boss about what you can do to improve. hang in there. Link to comment
blueidealist24 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I don't know, since I'm not in your situation. I'd try to stick it out, but I don't really know how bad it is for you, you know? I quit an internship once because they want me to do all kinds of car travel, plus I had the flu and I didn't have enough sick days to get over it. I still feel guilty about doing that and it was months ago. Link to comment
ExcitedtoSleep Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I would not quit the internship. But you really need to speak to your employer because the whole point of the internship is for a reference. There has to be a reason for why they are treating you the way that they do. Link to comment
meme89 Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 Have you talked to your supervisor about your job performance? Are you sure you are doing that poorly? I am afraid to talk to my supervisor because it might affect my work and be awkward. My job performance might be worse since I will be extra careful and conscious of what I am doing. Maybe it is me and I do not work well with the job requirements. That is why I need to leave. I am sure they will be relieved. Link to comment
ExcitedtoSleep Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 That is why I need to leave. I am sure they will be relieved. Come on. You can handle one more month. It does not matter what your employer wants. Do what is best for you. If you are not going to work full-time for these people, then benefit from them as much as you can. And try not to put so much pressure on yourself. Link to comment
abitbroken Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I would give yourself an honest look. Are the mistakes you made things anyone would make, or based on your education, they were things that they assumed you should know? When they correct your mistakes, do you demonstrate that you learned what the mistakes were and improve or do you repeat them? Worse yet are when mistakes are random - one sometimes does a task correctly, sometimes doesn't. I know there are some "mean" people out there, but do you think they are being hard on you to teach you? That they know you are smart and expect more? Or is the career field actually something you thought you liked or had aptitude and really you don't Oddly, the people who have been hardest on me in my career are people that gave me the best reviews. And sometimes employers don't even call the internship - they just like to see it on the resume. I would just get a different internship next time. You CAN stick it out for FOUR MORE WEEKS - that is all it is. Link to comment
abitbroken Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I am afraid to talk to my supervisor because it might affect my work and be awkward. My job performance might be worse since I will be extra careful and conscious of what I am doing. Maybe it is me and I do not work well with the job requirements. That is why I need to leave. I am sure they will be relieved. Don't complain to your supervisor about other people. Just say that you would like some pointers on how you can improve your performance. So, what do you do when you have a paying job? Do you quit because you are afraid of someone at work, or do you face the music and talk to the person? If you can muster up the courage, you may find that it changes you into a more confident person. Do you really want to be that person who quits when the going gets tough? You can't do that if you expect to put food on the table once you are in the job market. Your supervisor will have more respect for you if you try to learn where you need to improve and ask for guidance instead of just quitting or whining. Link to comment
meme89 Posted March 22, 2013 Author Share Posted March 22, 2013 Don't complain to your supervisor about other people. Just say that you would like some pointers on how you can improve your performance. So, what do you do when you have a paying job? Do you quit because you are afraid of someone at work, or do you face the music and talk to the person? If you can muster up the courage, you may find that it changes you into a more confident person. Do you really want to be that person who quits when the going gets tough? You can't do that if you expect to put food on the table once you are in the job market. Your supervisor will have more respect for you if you try to learn where you need to improve and ask for guidance instead of just quitting or whining. If I don't understand something or ask a question to the employer I mentioned earlier, she gets sarcastic or snappy. So, I am afraid to ask a question but she is the only person I can go to because she is in charge of that certain project. I usually try to avoid her and ask someone else (like my supervisor), but they tell me to go right back to her, which leaves me distressed. If another intern ask the "snappy" employer a question and apologize for asking, she says "oh, its okay, its fine." I guess because I made too many mistakes before to ask any stupid question. The mistakes I made were somewhat not my fault. For instance, she wanted a paper she gave me earlier and I left it on my desk but I didn't understand what she was saying, so she yelled at me to get the paper. I have anxiety and she talks so fast, I can barely understand what she is telling me. There is work that I do where the employers brush over and never acknowledge. I fixed most of the problems I did in the past, but it fluctuates because it depends on the situation. I just want to quit so bad. One month feels like eternity. Hopefully, my future employer wont call them and ask for a reference. Link to comment
abitbroken Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Why not make a cheat sheet or a list of basic things you always have to do so that you always remember how to do them? The mistakes I made were somewhat not my fault. For instance, she wanted a paper she gave me earlier and I left it on my desk but I didn't understand what she was saying, so she yelled at me to get the paper. I would be frustrated if I asked someone for a paper and they didn't give it to me because they were confused about me wanting it. You need to learn to manage your anxiety. No one is going to give you special treatment at any job if you get so anxious you make tons of mistakes. Maybe this internship is showing you that you need better coping mechanisms. Also, taking ownership when you make a mistake instead of saying things were only "partially your fault" and assigning blame to others doesn't help. There will be people who talk fast. If they do, you learn to repeat what they said so you understand it or ask them to "please repeat that? I couldn't hear you over the fan." or "which report would you like? i didn't catch it?.." "I would be happy to". I am not trying to be uncaring, but I have anxiety too, and in the workplace you don't get sympathy points or special consideration other than not being elected to speak publicly perhaps. Link to comment
blueidealist24 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I don't think leaving a paper on your desk instead of bringing to her sounds like a HUGE mistake.. I mean, you could just walk back over and get it! I have a feeling she acts like she doesn't like you because she picks up on the fact that you're anxious. If someone's really anxious around you it can get annoying or awkward, and it's hard to deal with them. I know it's not your fault, but I used to act super anxious and I know people thought it was annoying sometimes. Link to comment
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