What happens when your internship does not quite live up to your hopes? Do not feel like doing nothing and spending your summer season being miserable is your mere option—here are top 3 common internship issues and ways to overcome them.

INTERNSHIP ISSUES: NOT ENOUGH WORK

Part of the reason you took the internship in the 1st place was to gain worthy work experience, so it can be immensely annoying when you are not getting that – specifically if you are not being paid! Interns are often confronted with the problem of not having enough work, or being given busy work that does not actually add value to the company.

SOLUTION

If you seek that you are finishing projects before lunchtime, do not spend remaining day on Facebook – speak up! There are most likely projects that you could be doing, and your interviewer might be grateful for the assistance. Better yet, if there are specific departments you are interested in, grab lunch with a coworker from that department and inquire about what projects she is working on. Schedule a meeting with your boss and share your interest in assisting with few of those projects—your supervisor might acknowledge the initiative and you will be capable to do work you enjoy. Just be careful about what you consider “busy work” – there is a difference between work that is obviously meant to keep you busy, and necessary tasks that are useful to the company and that are part of your job description.

INTERNSHIP ISSUES: NOT ENOUGH DIRECTION

What if you get an assignment from your leader that is entirely unclear – you do not need to be annoying or get in anyone’s way, but you also have no idea what you are doing! Do you call up your boss for what feels like the tenth time to clarify something, or try to figure it out on your own?

SOLUTION

Sometimes it is convenient for supervisors to forget that you are new to the industry, but it is actually significant to reach out for assistance when you require it. Your employer will comprehend that you are not an expert, especially if you are beginning a brand new project. Just about any employer would rather answer queries during the process than have to clean up the results of a mistake that could have been ignored. The mere kinds of questions that will irritate employers are ones that have already been answered – so pay attention and take notes the first time to avoid making your boss repeat herself!

INTERNSHIP ISSUES: NOT ENOUGH FEEDBACK

It has been a few weeks, you’ve just the right amount of work, and do not have any particular queries about any projects you are working on—but you have had no feedback from your supervisor, good or bad. You actually want to know if there is something you can improve upon, but you’ve no idea how you are really doing – do you keep quiet and assume that no news is good news?

SOLUTION

The great way to get feedback is to actively seek it – set up weekly meetings with your supervisor so you can check in and make certain your expectations are aligned. Inquire for feedback and ways you can make better your work. Not merely will this alleviate some stress and frustration on your part, but your supervisor will also appreciate your conscientiousness. Send a repeating calendar invite so that the meeting is always in both of your calendars—this way, it will not feel like you’re bothering your boss when you do require talking.

Several of these scenarios can be avoided by taking simple steps before you initiate your internship. To ensure that you and your interviewer are on the same page, communicate what you hope to gain from the internship, as well as what sort of skills you can offer and what type of projects you will be working on.  Doing so will make a great difference in your experience.