<p>Im currently and intern for a small Web design company/ Social marketing firm I have just completed my first week at the company and I have to complete more than 120 hours to get credit from my college. The problem is that Im not really learning anything and I feel more like a secretary than an intern my program is Business management but I have not done anything this week that has given me experience to learn how a business is run. The owner of this business recently went on vacation to Cancun so we only communicate by email. Whiles hes on vacation he want me to run errands to other business to pick up credit card information. Like I have said Im more like his personal secretary than an intern. Also he wants me to keep him updated each day on the progress in the office I guess he wants me to keep an eye on everyone while hes gone. Its too late in the summer for me to find a new internship and I need to have this internship completed by 8/9/2011 to graduate on time with my degree any advice on what I should do? By the way this is an unpaid internship and he requires me to put in at least 30 hours a week at his company. The problem is that I work full time second shift for my real job so I intern in the morning and work in the afternoon Im exhausted. Should I continue with this internship or try and find a new internship? Im in Michigan.</p>
<p>Welcome to the world of summer internships; your experience is not unusual…</p>
<p>Stay and try to learn something…I know you are exhausted, but especially if you need this to graduate, stay…You could try to find something new, but, honestly, not sure if you would be able to and what makes you think it would be any better??</p>
<p>You know, this really irks me. I see a lot of kids on this site that want to quit their internships because they feel like they’re not learning something, or because its boring. This shows the lack of work ethic. I have been through a number of internships in my life, and whether or not it was relevant to my major, I learned something. You have to want to learn. Besides this is basically entry level work. The majority of entry level work is menial. Just stick it out.</p>
<p>You have to prove yourself capable on the small things before you will be trusted with bigger things…</p>
<p>there are already people in the office doing the jobs that need to be done…that’s why they are full-time employees. Your taking over some of the “small stuff” lets them do their jobs better.</p>
<p>Perhaps you could volunteer to help other employees with their projects? For example, volunteer to proof read things before they go out…you will learn from that. Offer to track down information that another employee needs for a report or project…it will save that person time and effort, and you will learn from that. Ask to sit in on meetings (and ask questions during breaks or after the meeting, not during, until you have more solid knowledge), and you will learn from that.</p>
<p>If you have certain solid skills, and see that the office has an immediate need where they might be helpful, volunteer. For example, if you have mad skills with Excell or Power Point, and you see where you could efficiently help with an office/client project, volunteer…while at the same time maintaining full engagement in the tasks you have already been assigned, even if you consider them menial, boring, and beneath you…because that is what you have been asked to do, and because you want to be seen as a team player.</p>
<p>Right now, don’t worry about feeling like a secretary…a good secretary holds the keys to the kingdom and generally knows everything going on in the office. It’s a great vantage point to learn from.</p>
<p>Give yourself permission to exceed your boss’s expectations. You may find you will learn more about the business by being the assistant/secretary to the boss.
One summer my DD had one internship, and 2 jobs-worked 6 or even 7 days a week-You will survive, I promise!
Hang in there!
~APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>stop complaining, getting an internship alone is a blessing and alot of kids graduate without that sort of experience. It will look good on your resume, and if all goes well your boss will be a good reference so stick it out.</p>