Episode 4: 1st Job and Internship
Hello, I'm Marilyn, and I have a passion for sharing fascinating stories about real people and their thoughts. Trust me, reading my blogs will undoubtedly enrich your life. You'll feel as if someone has understood your innermost thoughts, bringing happiness and a sense of fulfillment. Allow me to be your voice in this podcast.
Have you ever felt like there's a giant watching over you, observing your every move?
I certainly have. Feel it... your giant is right there, keeping a watchful eye on you.
Welcome to Season 1, Episode 4 of Our Life Giant: "Internship & 1st Job."
Are you ready? Are you all set? Is your attire ironed and crisp? Have you neatly trimmed your hair and nails? Set the right mood, and you're prepared for your first day at work.
Whether it's starting your first job at the beginning of your career or embarking on an internship while still in school, there are bound to be uncertainties. Don't you agree? We often wonder how we will be treated, whether our colleagues and teammates will be friendly, or if they will make our work challenging. Will they like us? Will our boss arrange a welcome party, lunch, or dinner? Oh, we Earthlings do love to ask questions.
The difference between starting an internship and beginning an official job lies in the expectations from both sides—the organization and the staff/intern.
During an internship, we strive to impress our assigned supervisor, who holds the authority to grade us. This grade will be recorded on our transcript upon graduation.
When starting our first job to kickstart our careers, we observe everything around us—our colleagues, boss, company culture, behavior, routines, and task assignments. However, as an intern, we may not be concerned with how our colleagues perceive us since we know we are only passing through and will be gone in a matter of months.
For me, on my first day, I prefer to avoid conflicts and make a positive impression on someone, particularly my boss or immediate superior, who can recognize my capabilities and potential to contribute to the organization's success. I strive to be acknowledged for my initiative and efforts in my job performance.
Let's reflect on being an intern, typically a college or university student in their second or third year. Many interns feel a sense of confusion on their first day. Most organizations are not fully prepared for the arrival of interns until the day arrives. It is common for interns to be asked to read handbooks or go through materials on their own until the supervisor becomes available. In fact, even when the supervisor is available, they may pretend to be busy, avoiding the hassle of mentoring a newbie. After all, the intern will only be there for a few months.
Now, let me share an unfavorable situation from my first internship experience. I was assigned a new task with an official deadline, which the company had never successfully accomplished before. I was instructed to find a remedy and solution for their products, which would be implemented immediately. Wait, what? I thought I was supposed to be an intern, learning and gaining working experience during my internship. Instead, I was given an official task as if I were a regular staff member, earning a meager salary. Throughout the internship, I had no supervisor at all. I was completely on my own. Frankly, I felt taken for granted. However, I thought to myself, "Alright, let's treat this as an opportunity to impress and showcase my capabilities." So, I worked diligently, conducting extensive research and experiments. By the way, let me explain, the company was a food factory that manufactured frozen ready-made meals. My project focused on ensuring the freshness of the food, particularly the vegetables, for at least two weeks after production
During my internship, I encountered a challenging project within the first month. The task involved finding a solution for a product issue that had never been successfully resolved before. I was given the responsibility to come up with a formula that complied with the permitted food safety guidelines, as additives were required. After extensive research and experimentation, I developed a solution that was implemented successfully. It was a significant achievement, and one would naturally expect such a contribution to earn recognition and distinction. However, to my disappointment, I received a Grade B-. I couldn't help but feel let down by my boss, who chose to save on hiring a professional and instead relied on an intern like me. There was no effort made to guide me or provide support, perhaps due to a lack of expertise in the company. I believed the unfair grading was a result of my boss wanting to assert their superiority and hesitating to give an intern an A. I was furious, silently expressing my frustration and disbelief at such cheap and ungrateful behavior. In a way, my anger extended towards my school as well, for not thoroughly evaluating the company's eligibility to accept interns. So, I did what many would do in such a situation – I lodged a complaint with the head of my faculty, and as a result, the company was removed from the list of approved internship providers.
After graduating, I secured my first job as a management trainee with the opportunity to manage a department after just one month. It was an exciting experience to be trained alongside other fresh graduates, as we all shared the same expectations and helped one another. This initial period was often referred to as the "honeymoon period." We formed friendships and developed a strong bond during our training, but our paths diverged when we were assigned to different departments at various locations.
The dynamics shifted when I, as a recent graduate, joined one of the most promising departments in a prime location. I was under the guidance of an inspired and ambitious colleague who had already been working in that department for over two years. In the first week, I felt fortunate to receive generous mentorship from this colleague. However, things took a turn for the worse when he learned that I would be heading the department instead of him. His behavior towards me changed, and he started avoiding mentoring me. I understood that he must have felt unjustified by the decision. These experiences during my first job as an inexperienced individual left a lasting impact on me. Perhaps I cared too much about how he felt, or maybe I felt guilty for taking the position. Eventually, I gave in to the situation and requested a transfer to another location. As soon as my colleague learned about my transfer request, his behavior changed again. He likely felt secure in leading the department without the fear of being transferred after mentoring me.
Looking back, I realize that my decision to transfer was naive. It meant forfeiting the opportunity for a double promotion in a prime department and location, as communicated by the Human Resources department. Due to my abrupt request, I ended up managing the same category of department but at a less desirable location. However, I justified it as helping my previous colleague achieve what he had worked hard for in the previous location. I genuinely wished him well in his career advancement, despite sacrificing my chance of a double promotion.
Soon, I began to regret my decision but pushed myself to move forward.
In terms of job hunting, I have been fortunate throughout my career. After spending a year in that job, I decided to leave due to a strong sense of regret and being unexpectedly entangled in office politics. I was always perceived as a threat by most of my colleagues, and it became overwhelming for a newcomer like me. Although I may not have been adept at playing the game of company politics.
Allow me to revise and enhance the passage for you:
I was fortunate enough to secure my next job with just one application. It was a managerial position in a large distribution company, where I was entrusted with overseeing a key product line. I found myself surrounded by wonderful colleagues, and although there were a few instances of company politics, I received tremendous moral support from some of my coworkers, which helped me navigate through the unfavorable aspects of politicking.
Reflecting on my experiences, I came to the conclusion that job and company politics often go hand in hand. They seem inseparable, like partners who are reluctant to part ways. Do you agree with this observation? I invite you to share your thoughts and comments or subscribe to the form to join the discussion.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. Stay tuned for the upcoming fifth episode on Courtship and Dating, where I'll be discussing what makes me nervous.
More insightful blogs on various aspects of life will be coming your way soon.
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