Internship supposed to be a good thing right?

Question

I'm a student-intern in the biggest oil refinery for a major oil company. My internship will last for 6 months, as part of my final year for my diploma. Since i took civil & environmental engg, i was posted under the environmental department, and then they told me the projects i have to do for the time i'm here.They made me take a compulsory course so that i can be allowed clearance to the refinery for my project.
The sad thing is, my supervisor went on maternity leave, a week after i came in, and i was put under another person...which is another blow coz he's always busy, with meetings and all... so i had to do 'desk duty' but i'm a hands-on kind of person...i got nothing at hand to work with..he didn't tell me where i can get the information i need, and when i ask him, he'll say 'i'll get back to you later' which he didn't till today...i feel out of place and half of the time, i'm 'lost' and i don't think they take me seriously (being 19)
so anyone have any advice regarding this?

Answer 1

There's a lot to be learned from situations like this. Some students are given specific roles in projects for internships; others are not and whether the internship is useful or not depends on what the student does with it. What you describe is very common in the workplace. You aren't given a specific task, so you have to make yourself useful. Also, you can learn by observation of what goes on around you; you have access to observe the workplace in a way you wouldn't if you did not have an internship.

My best advice to dealing with your boss is to set up a formal appointment to meet with him. If he is always busy, trying to catch his attention informally will always be an annoyance to him. If he has a secretary, do it through that person. Be organized when you meet with him. You don't want to come off as a whiner, who just complains about what you don't have. You need to look at the specific project and talk about what you have done so far, what you still plan to do, and what you need in order to be able to do it. Commit this to writing, so that he can't forget about it (alternately, you can tell him, then follow up with a "memo of understanding" in which you say, in effect, "My understanding of our meeting today was that I am going to do this, you are going to do that, and we will work together on the other things.").

As to not being taken seriously, realize that you are the low person on the totem pole, and you are not a permanent commitment for them, so it wouldn't be surprising if they don't take you seriously, regardless of your age. Behave like a professional, and if they still refuse to treat you like one, they are the ones who are making fools of themselves.

Answer 2

Yes internships are good
Supervisors are always busy or have a tendancy to act that way, be pro active and follow him up to ensure he doesnt forget to give you the information you need, if he still doesnt help, look for other ways to get the information like the internet, other people working there, make sure you do a great job, my first internship was just the same, I had a supervisor who was always busy and I kinda gave up on him and i ended up loosing and later on realised i should have been pro active and things would have worked out better and I'd have gained more and enjoyed the experience more, all the best girl go! go! go!

Answer 3

You need to speak to your student advisor or whomever is responsible for your placement in the internship program. Document your situation objectively (using factual statements) and demonstrate how your current situation is not condusive to successful completion of your required projects.
Simply stated: You have to take action because in the end, you can't blame the oil company. They will just take into consideration that you did not meet the requirements of the internship.

Hope this helps,
Mon :-)

Answer 4

If the company is going to offer internships, they should definitely have someone available to assign and assist. You may have to talk to your HR department at the company and explain that in order to get credit for the internship you must complete certain assignments and that there is no one available to help you. If your supervisor isn't going to help you, they should put you in another department where someone can.

Answer 5

first I have to say 'way to go"! you have reached a goal, you need to use all these resources to better your career. he might be busy with meetings but he should have people who take up the slack. get to know them. ask for guidance, ask them all. keep plugging away at your goal. someone will notice your talent. good luck to you. if it is so discouraging, stick out your 6 months and move on. even a year or 2 is a small sacrafice for your (hopefully) 80 years of life.