You’re a college student and you have been anxiously waiting for summer. A break from tests. Term papers. Cafeteria food. From the looks of social media, all your college friends are either working at some camp in Tennessee or they’re spending six adventure-filled weeks trekking through Europe. For the rest of us, however, summer means one thing: internships. Yes, the dreaded but necessary summer internship. Whether you’re interning at a law firm or a software company, you will most likely meet these five distinct people.
1. The Helicopter Supervisor
This is the hovering, attention-to-detail manager who peers over your shoulder as you write an email and makes you feel guilty for getting up to go the bathroom. This manager treats you like you are actually a seasoned employee of the company and has the highest of standards. He or she makes sure you are getting everything out of this internship and are learning everything from composing the perfect workplace email to managing your time.
2. The Non-Supervisor Supervisor
This is the manager who forgets you are even there. They may send you a memo once a week if you’re lucky. If not, it is likely you are doomed to work on the same project for three months. This manager may adhere to the “sink or swim” mentality, but as an intern – you certainly learn to be a self-starter and make your own way.
3. The Surrogate Mom Cubicle Neighbor
This person will usually have children around your age so they adopt you during your internship. They also like to play the game of “how uncomfortable can I make this 21-year old?” You know all of their kid’s names and their kid’s significant other’s names. You may even know the intimate details of their love lives and financial decisions. This person regularly distracts you from your work to show you pictures and share recipes. Word to the wise: welcome these distractions with open arms. This co-worker will look out for you and guide you through your first work experience.
4. The Know-It-All Intern
This is the fellow intern who definitely knows more than you. It doesn’t matter that you are in different departments of the company or studying different things in school. He or she knows more than you ever will. About anything. Ever. Note: be ready to hold your tongue because this person will test your professionalism and your patience.
5. The BFF Intern
And, lastly this is the fellow intern who gets you through nine to five. This is the person who is just as tired as you are. And, overwhelmed. They don’t judge your fully stocked snack drawer and they are always down for a mid-day, 15-minute trip to Starbucks. Because after all, you are allowed two 15-minute breaks a day in addition to your 30-minute lunch break. You and this person hang out outside of work and even carpool to the office some days.
This cast of characters makes your work day more colorful and certainly more interesting. It is also what makes an internship so important. It’s not just the actual hands-on work that you’re doing that makes an internship valuable. It’s meeting and working day in and day out with different people that hones your communication skills, matures you and ultimately might get you that dream job after college. Thank you fellow co-workers!
