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An internship is your first step into the professional world, and with it comes all the challenges and conflicts of a full-time job. Whether it’s working with a difficult supervisor, missing a deadline, or getting assigned work that feels outside of your skill set, these moments can feel overwhelming. That said, when situations like these are handled correctly, they can turn into learning experiences.
Recognize the Situation
The first step to dealing with a challenging situation is awareness. Maybe a project is mismatched to your background, or you’re finding it tough to communicate with another team member. Regardless of the issue, don’t let it go—reflecting on what’s wrong is the foundation of effective resolution.
Seek Clarity
Once you’ve pinpointed the issue, it’s time to confront it. Consider scheduling a brief sit-down with the person (or people) involved. It’s important to maintain professionalism, even if the issue is on the serious side, so be tactful and lead with curiosity.
Let’s say you’re having a problem understanding a problem or a set of instructions. Here, you could say “I want to do this right, but I’m not clear on [describe project/instructions].” This will show that you’re eager to learn, confident enough to ask questions, and that you’re willing to take the initiative.
Propose Solutions
Try to view challenging situations as opportunities to build your problem-solving skills. For example, if you’re falling behind on a task you could say, “I realized the estimate on my timeline for [name of task/project] was off. Would it help if I took another look and adjusted the deadline?”
Offering solutions like the one shown above shifts the tone from “I’m struggling” to “I’ve though this through.” It will show that you’re self-aware, reliable, and adaptable, which are all qualities that employers value.
Be Professional
If things are getting tough, resist the urge to vent your frustrations to your fellow interns on Slack, or worse yet, over social media. This kind of behavior can and will damage your reputation if it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Always maintain professionalism, avoid engaging in gossip, and if the internship isn’t going as well as you’d hoped, don’t go to LinkedIn and post “They didn’t give me any real work.” Instead, say something positive like “I’m grateful for the chance to support our product launch this week.”
Turn Challenges into Lessons
When things go wrong, think of it as an opportunity to grow. This can be a difficult perspective to gain in the moment, but if you’re intentional about it, you’ll form good habits.
Ask yourself: “What caused the problem?” or “How could I have prepared differently?” Keep notes on the lessons you learn. Writing things down can help you remember them, and tracking your progress can guide your professional growth.
Practice Empathy
The word “empathy” gets thrown around a lot these days, but it’s more than just a buzzword. Professional trust grows from understanding, and connecting with your teammates can help you gain insight into their work and concerns.
Consider inviting a colleague on a coffee break or setting up some Zoom one-on-ones if you’re interning remotely. Building relationships with your colleagues can help mitigate interpersonal frustrations and issues in the workplace.
Navigating tough moments effectively as an intern will help you learn how to become more resilient. Along with this, you’ll be demonstrating maturity and proactive thinking, which are qualities that will serve you throughout your career.
Rob Porter is an editor at Vault.
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