Internship SOS — Difficult Supervisors🚩🚩🚩

Hey everyone! Let's discuss handling challenging internship supervisors. My current supervisor is real nice, but I've had a tough supervisor in the past who set high expectations and micromanaged my work, making it a frustrating experience. I left earlier than planned, and my only regret is not standing up for myself. Here are some tips for dealing with such situations.

𝟏. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬

Back then, my internship was graded and I was worried about getting a poor grading. I was trying really hard to pull up my gpa, and the last thing i wanted was my internship to bring it down. It didnt really helped how my supervisor kept bringing up the fact that she failed interns in the past🚩🚩🚩. So, I kept quiet and didn't speak up for myself, and I regretted it big time. Don't let the fear of getting bad grades control you. It's essential to know when to stand up for yourself, even if it means against your supervisor's unreasonable demands.

𝟐. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐕𝐒 𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠

Know how to differentiate between a supervisor who have a firm but fair mentorship and one who's just plain mean or a bully. Giving Constructive feedback is one thing, but if they're targeting you for no reason or being downright nasty, that's a red flag you shouldn't ignore.

𝟑. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬—𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐈𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥

When you're caught in a tense situation with your supervisor, do keep your cool. Stay professional and avoid getting emotional or confrontational. Do not take matters into your own hands! Seek help from your school professors/lecturers. Even if your supervisor is unreasonable, responding with anger or aggression becomes your responsibility.

𝟒.𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫

It’s important to observe how your colleagues deal and get along with your supervisor! Let's say that a colleague XXX has a good working relationship with your supervisor and consistently receives positive feedback. You then notice that XXX provides regular updates on the progress even for small tasks, and provides great input into projects. By observing and adopting these strategies from your colleague, you can better understand your supervisor’s working style and potentially adapt to receive more support.

𝟓. 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮

Rather than focusing on the attempt to gain flattery, praises or the liking they have for you, seek constructive feedback from them. Demonstrate your appreciation for their insights and your dedication to personal and professional growth rather than focusing on getting praised. He/she will be able see how genuine you are.

𝟔. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐲

Open up those lines of communication!! Ask them about their expectations and clear up any misunderstandings. Being proactive and keeping those conversations going can make a huge difference.

Remember—It's Just a Chapter!

Here's the thing – your internship is a relatively short chapter in your life! As time goes on, these experiences become valuable learning memories. There will always be difficult people wherever you go, but how you handle these situations can have a massive impact on your personal and professional growth. So, chin up and keep moving forward! 😉🚀🌟

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