Naturally, finally landing a great internship should be the end of your worries but it’s never always the end. As much as we hate to do this, it’s important that you know that the end of your search for an internship placement is the beginning of a new set of problems.
However, this shouldn’t leave you panicking. We got you. We do. Whether you have landed that internship job, about to or preparing to apply, this will be helpful to you. We have found some of the internship problems and their solutions to help you get through it all.
Internship problems hit very hard especially when you have high expectations and are unaware that there will be problems. You become frustrated when your expectations are cut short or some other challenges arose. It will be your first time in such environment and you are yet to become familiar with the new lifestyle and work ethics.
However, not every intern faces these challenges. A few numbers could be lucky enough to have a smooth run but this is usually rare. Even so, it is safer to be aware of these internship problems to help you out if they ever occur to you or someone you know.
We have made a list of common internship problems as well as their solutions.
13 Notable Internship Problems and their Solutions
Internship Problem 1:
Not Being Assigned Enough Work
As surprising as it may sound to some people, this could pose as one of the top internship problems. You expect you’d be given loads of work to do and then you don’t get enough. You become bored, unproductive and underutilized and you begin to feel low.
Solution:
The easiest way to solving this internship problem is by talking to your senior employees. Although this could be embarrassing sometimes especially when you have to do this talk over and over again and nothing is being done.
But anyway, talk! Help with their projects if you can. Ask them questions about your field – after all, it is what you are there to do; to learn! Try to find where you could fit in. Who knows, they might get you onboard on their longterm projects. Additionally, you get to build a connection with them.
Internship Problem 2:
Too Much Work
Well, this could be an internship problem too. You find that you are being given more work than required and this happens when your workplace decides to take advantage of you as an intern.
You get tired and exhausted at the end of every day and this gradually turns your internship experience.
Solution:
This is not the time to complain. What you can do is to calm yourself and think of this as an extra way to learn and get prepared for your career. Have your long-term career goals clearly in mind. This can ease of the frustration and exhaustion.
Internship Problem 3:
Unnoticed Work
This internship problem can be heartbreaking. We can all almost completely admit that people do well in their fields of work and other places to be recognized. The motivation to do well dies when the recognition doesn’t come. This is the same in internships too.
As an intern, you might be doing great but feel less appreciated and this can be greatly discouraging.
Solution:
This internship problem can be solved by the intern understanding and keeping in mind that hard work doesn’t go neglected for a long time. It is to believe that someone is watching and perseverance can do a lot for you.
If you are in this position right now, take it from us that you won’t continue to be overlooked if you persevere and continue on your good work.
Internship Problem 4:
Having Competitive Co-interns
Most times, it’s not that your co-interns are competitive and trying to outdo you. It is just them being hardworking and high-spirited. This can get you intimidated sometimes especially when you didn’t expect that your internship will be a competitive one.
Solution:
This might be difficult for you to accept but by the end of your internship, you will find that competitive co-interns make your internship experience better.
When you feel the pressure to work, you’ll find that you learn more than you would have without the competition. We recommend you take part in the competition and work towards doing great works everyday. You’d be surprised how this will enrich your internship experience.
Internship Problem 5:
Having Issues with Time Management / Self-Management
It’s your first experience at a job and you’re yet to adapt to the new changes in your lifestyle and the work conditions and environments. This is unlike college where your lateness to classes and assignment submissions were tolerated.
This makes you frustrated. You feel you are not good enough or not trying enough. Time management is being difficult for you. Not to worry, we have a solution to this.
Solution:
Even though we have a solution this, it is not something you can learn easily – forming a new habit. Self and time management can be achieved only through forming new habits and consciously adopting a better organized life. Make conscious efforts to work on this problem and watch it form into a new habit.
Internship Problem 6:
Having Supervisors Who Forget That You’re New to the Field
This can be quite challenging. You have a supervisor who completely forgets you are new and always require that things be explained to you. They assign projects to you and leave you without detailed explanations.
Solution
Ask! You never go wrong by asking. Ask your supervisor when you don’t understand a thing. Just ask! For the many times it happens, just ask!
Internship Problem 7:
You Receive Inadequate Compensation
You accept an internship having read the outline of the compensation that will come with a certain amount of compensation. Maybe you find that you are doing much work than you are being compensated for and this internship problem usually hurts.
Solution:
The first thing you need to understand is that you are intern and interns receive lesser pays than fulltime employees. This is because of their short-term contract and the learning experiences you gain.
However, if you the compensation is too low and doesn’t meet your day to day expenses, you can reach out the HR to make your complaints. This situation can be corrected.
Most times, interns are usually afraid to ask such questions but what they don’t know is that their employers are always happy to rectify issues like this. This is especially employers who value good working relationships with their workers.
Internship Problem 8:
You are Hesitant to Ask Questions
This is usually one of the biggest internship problems. You get a good internship only to find that it is strictly professional. And as a result, asking questions become difficult for you because you fear being judged or thought dependent and self-insufficient.
Solution:
Don’t be afraid of being judged. Your employees know you are an intern and will probably have loads of questions to ask. They almost always wait in expectancy.
Don’t assume something is wrong or right. Just ask questions. It is always better to write your questions down and then ask.
Internship Problem 9:
You Receive Little or No Feedback From Your Supervisor
This is one of the most discouraging internship problems. You never really get to know how great or not you are doing at your job and you are not sure what ways to go anymore.
Solution:
It is important to let your supervisor know what you hope to learn while learning under him and how much you appreciate feedbacks. Let your supervisor understand how feedbacks can help you improve your performance at work.
Internship Problem 10:
Having an Uncooperative Supervisor
The amount of knowledge you gain from your internship depends primarily on your supervisor. If your supervisor takes you seriously and commits him/herself to helping you, you will learn as much as you can. If not, well, your guess is as good as ours.
It is the reason having an uncooperative supervisor is the top discouraging internship problems interns have.
Solution:
Don’t worry too much if your supervisor is uncooperative. All you can do here is to help them to help you. You can do this by always making lists of questions and doubts and conditions and ask them. This can help for most of the time.
However, when this method doesn’t help, reach out to the concerned authorities and ask for a new supervisor while stating your reasons.
Problem 11:
When Your Work Is Not Used
Your employer or supervisor assigns you a project you put all your efforts, time and dedication to do and by the end of the day, it ended up not being used or published – either from a communications or that it automatically became unnecessary.
There can be only a few things more frustrating than this. It kills your drive for the job and the motivation for future works and projects.
Not to worry, we have a solution to make you feel better.
Solution:
Don’t feel so frustrated. Don’t focus on the time you have wasted. Rather, think this as an accomplishment, a boost to your resume and then find a way to publish your work (written) online instead.
Problem 12:
You are Overwhelmed With Work
You think that the company you are interning with hired lesser interns than required and as a result, it put the workload too much on the few interns hired.
It frustrates and exhausts you to be assigned so much work when you are not even familiar with them yet. We have a solution to this. It is very simple and requires patience.
Solution:
Most times, this comes as a result of a new lifestyle. It’s your first internship experience and you’ve never had to do much work. It might be the exact amount of work you are required to do but you won’t know this because you are yet to get familiar with it.
We will recommend you wait it out for a week or two more and see if you can readjust and adapt to this new life.
If after these times you still feel that there’s so much work than required and as a result, it is affecting your performance and personal health, reach out to a senior employer or supervisor and lay your complaints.
Internship Problem 13:
Adapting to a New Lifestyle
Learning to adapt to. anew lifestyle can be quite scary and uneasy. You get to do away with some habits as well as adopting and forming new ones. Now you may need to wake up earlier normal, prepare breakfast or starve and then head to work.
You may be letting go of your third minutes lazy stretches on bed after you wake up by 10 am. Your favourite TV shows by afternoon and the constant hang out with friends every evening.
Well, this is not as scary and tormenting as it reads.
Solution:
While adopting this new lifestyle is a beautiful thing, don’t be tempted to make it worse.
Don’t rush home to eat, how and rest after work every day. Stay back yo socialize with your co-interns. Make out time to hang out with them on some weekends or workdays – after work.
You might come up with the excuse of taking care of yourself. But excuse me? Taking care of yourself doesn’t only involve heading home even before tome, eating, showing and sleeping only to eat up the next day to repeat the cycle for the rest of your days at your internship.
Conclusion
Above are some common internship problems most interns face every day. However, as an intern, you may need to understand that adapting to a new place is often difficult, however, if you are patient enough, you can survive through every challenge.
Meanwhile, we hope our list helps you get through some of these internship problems. We hope you have the best time at your internship and we will really love to hear that we helped made it easy for you.
All the best.
