I am sorry for neglecting you, my little blog, but there have been some very big changes in my office lately. Work has been stressful, exhausting and crazed, leaving me with very little time to update you. You see, during the second week of my internship there were some substantial layoffs in my company. Not only did the majority of departments lose headcount, but there were structural changes that left everyone with additional responsibilities on top of their already heavy workload. Even as an intern, I sensed that major changes were on the horizon and when my boss informed me that she, in addition to two others in the department, were changing positions, I can't say I was surprised. These past few days were filled with moving boxes, new assignments and greater responsibilities. It has been somewhat of an awkward week for me as I attempt to navigate my assignments without burdening my crazed bosses, say goodbye to coworkers and welcome new heads of the department. The tension in my office is tangible and it slowly has trickled down to the bottom of the barrel (me!). While these changes weren't surprising, mostly because I am choosing to work in a rapidly changing and supposedly dying industry, their effects have been.
The leads in my department have always expected work to be performed based on the saying, "It is better to ask permission than to beg for forgiveness." However, even in this short period of time, the protocol appears to be moving towards, "It is better to beg for forgiveness than to ask permission." The high stress levels and workloads leave very little time for questions of little importance or urgency; whereas I would usually ask for some clarifications before, I now perform the work to the best of my ability and rely on past cues to gauge the expected results. Thankfully I have yet to beg for forgiveness, but as larger projects become my responsibility, it is possible that it is in my future. I've noticed that my bosses expect more from me and the need to be independent is greater. Of course, they are always still available, but it is necessary to judge when is the best time to ask for help and what is the greatest need.
There is a limit to what work an intern can do without prior knowledge of a project or assistance from a coworker. I have felt frustrated this week because of unattainable expectations placed upon me by my bosses. There were a few times that I almost threw my hands up and said, "How the HELL am I supposed to know that? I barely work here!" At that point, I did have a conversation with one of my uninvolved coworkers who explained that these frustrations were credible as our bosses were time-crunched and busy, allowing them to have little time to correctly assign projects. I did the best that I could under limited time and knowledge; I used the resources available to get the assignment done, even if it was a stretch from my domain.
Unfortunately, I am not really sure where this leaves me. I expect that my assignments will continue to grow and I will begin to work under greater pressure to perform. At the end of the day, it is sometimes hard to distinguish the blurred roles of intern and an entry-level position for some people. I'm not at the point yet where I want to bring my work home and stress about potentially imperfect assignments over the weekend. Whether that is the best advice for a new intern, I'm not sure, but it works the best for me.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Week One, Year Two
Hello from my desk in New York City!
It is the fifth day of my summer internship and after a filled week, I figured a blog update was very overdue. I was surprised that my nerves and anxiety about my internship peaked about a week before it started; ultimately, the night before I really did not even feel nervous about the next day. It was a great feeling to be welcomed back into the office, hugging coworkers after a long year away and updating them all on life at school, Prague and New York. While there are other interns in my office, I am the only one in my department (and, as far as I know, the only intern returning to their same position). Last year, I felt that I contributed to my department, but only upon return have I realized that they really valued my efforts and opinions. A lot depends on the success of this summer and the progress that I make as an intern - my bosses have already granted me more independence, suggested speaking with HR about my future with the company, and are planning bigger projects for me in the upcoming weeks.
While everyone might not be able to do a second year as an intern with the same company, it is possible to maintain relationships over email or the phone. Especially for those who are entering their senior year, it is vital to network at every opportunity. This summer's internship happened only because I took the intiative to email my former boss about the potential of a second year. If I had relied on blindly applying to companies, I most likely would not have found such a great fit in the field that I want to work in in the future. It may seem scary at first to email a former coworker or boss after a few months, but I believe that after a good internship experience they want to help you succeed in any way that they can. Keeping up with communication and expressing interest in their field (and company) shows dedication and maturity. This does not mean to fill their inboxes with your resume and send "Happy Monday!" flowers every week - show some restraint. Initially, I sent my boss a friendly "Hello" email, asked her about the company and did not really introduce the possibility of interning there again until the second email. Over the course of the past two years where I have dealt with the "real world" through internships, I think my biggest lesson is always to be proactive, but never expect anything to come from your efforts. It does take time to build a relationship with coworkers and sometimes it can be uncomfortable to ask for favors. However, the rewards can be huge and it is worth it to connect with them on a variety of levels. Even by introducing some of your hobbies or a glimpse into your outside-of-work personality can help forge a better connection. Just remember - a glowing recommendation probably will not come from sharing weekend tales of tequila shots and showing up hungover on a Tuesday. Keep it relatively PG as an intern.
Networking does help and it really can land you a job or internship. Start a conversation with your coworker and you might be surprised where it can lead you. Good luck!
Rebecca
It is the fifth day of my summer internship and after a filled week, I figured a blog update was very overdue. I was surprised that my nerves and anxiety about my internship peaked about a week before it started; ultimately, the night before I really did not even feel nervous about the next day. It was a great feeling to be welcomed back into the office, hugging coworkers after a long year away and updating them all on life at school, Prague and New York. While there are other interns in my office, I am the only one in my department (and, as far as I know, the only intern returning to their same position). Last year, I felt that I contributed to my department, but only upon return have I realized that they really valued my efforts and opinions. A lot depends on the success of this summer and the progress that I make as an intern - my bosses have already granted me more independence, suggested speaking with HR about my future with the company, and are planning bigger projects for me in the upcoming weeks.
While everyone might not be able to do a second year as an intern with the same company, it is possible to maintain relationships over email or the phone. Especially for those who are entering their senior year, it is vital to network at every opportunity. This summer's internship happened only because I took the intiative to email my former boss about the potential of a second year. If I had relied on blindly applying to companies, I most likely would not have found such a great fit in the field that I want to work in in the future. It may seem scary at first to email a former coworker or boss after a few months, but I believe that after a good internship experience they want to help you succeed in any way that they can. Keeping up with communication and expressing interest in their field (and company) shows dedication and maturity. This does not mean to fill their inboxes with your resume and send "Happy Monday!" flowers every week - show some restraint. Initially, I sent my boss a friendly "Hello" email, asked her about the company and did not really introduce the possibility of interning there again until the second email. Over the course of the past two years where I have dealt with the "real world" through internships, I think my biggest lesson is always to be proactive, but never expect anything to come from your efforts. It does take time to build a relationship with coworkers and sometimes it can be uncomfortable to ask for favors. However, the rewards can be huge and it is worth it to connect with them on a variety of levels. Even by introducing some of your hobbies or a glimpse into your outside-of-work personality can help forge a better connection. Just remember - a glowing recommendation probably will not come from sharing weekend tales of tequila shots and showing up hungover on a Tuesday. Keep it relatively PG as an intern.
Networking does help and it really can land you a job or internship. Start a conversation with your coworker and you might be surprised where it can lead you. Good luck!
Rebecca
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