In many training courses, the internship represents an essential step to complete a year or obtain a diploma. However, it can be a source of disappointment or insurmountable difficulties for students. However, there are solutions to manage an internship that goes badly. The trainers also strive to make this first experience in the business world safe and informative.
What can explain why an internship goes badly?
A internship going badly can be explained by a wide variety of factors. This could be a role that is incompatible with your studies, missions that are unsuitable for your skills, or a poor working environment. In these different cases, the student internship risks being detrimental to your learning, your career, or even your mental health or your safety.
However, you need to clearly define the problem before reporting it to your educational advisor and your establishment. In this way, the different actors concerned will be able to assess the relevance of the reasons given. They will then be able to improve your situation, replace your host company or initiate legal procedures if necessary.
Work not consistent with the training and the objective of the internship
There internship agreement is supposed to present the missions assigned to the student. It is therefore advisable to check the elements indicated before signing the document. This will help you avoid your work not meeting your expectations or your studies. After signing the agreement, the company must also comply with the agreed tasks. However, this agreement may not be respected.
In the event of non-compliance, you must quickly contact your internship supervisor to identify and resolve the problem. You can also alert the teaching team at your establishment if the situation does not change. The trainers ensure that the students’ internships run smoothly. As a result, they are willing to find a solution or offer another reception structure, in the event of a problem.
Missions unsuitable for your profile
For some students, the internship may go poorly due to a lack or overload of work. Both scenarios are, however, problematic for the educational program. Concretely, you will learn nothing if your tasks are uninteresting or non-existent. Conversely, you may face abuse when the work is too important or too demanding. An intern is actually less expensive than a new recruit.
THE internship tutor will be your first contact if you consider that your missions are unsuitable for your level. That said, it may simply be a lack of confidence in your talents. You will then have to be proactive and dynamic to reassure the company’s employees. Between photocopies and coffees, you can, for example, offer your help to team members or ask for other missions. This will help you gain their trust.
Bad working atmosphere
The working environment is a crucial parameter for achieving a successful internship. Even as an intern, you need to evolve in good conditions to surpass yourself and flourish. However, a tense atmosphere is not conducive to productivity and well-being at work. The same goes for teams that sideline you because of your age or your trainee status.
In the worst case scenario, you may also be a victim of harassment. You will then need to explain the situation to your guardian and possibly to your employer. You can nevertheless ignore this second interlocutor, if it is the author of said harassment. Your establishment will then take appropriate measures depending on the seriousness of the facts reported.
What to do in this case ?
Faced with a internship going badly, students must immediately turn to their first educational advisors. This role can be fulfilled by masters or internship tutors, depending on the educational establishment. The individual in question will then give instructions on how to manage the surmountable difficulties. From a certain point, he will contact the teachers to remedy the problem.
As a last resort, you may consider termination of internship agreement. However, you are required to justify the approach to each party concerned. You will need to inform your establishment, your educational advisor and your host company. The teaching staff may also decide to interrupt the agreement, in the event of significant discrepancies between the initial agreement and reality.
What are the implications for the rest of your studies?
A internship going badly should have no impact on the rest of your studies. The school will find a solution, if you justify your request to terminate the internship agreement. You will, for example, be referred to another company, in the event of problems with the chosen structure. You can also be reassigned, if the problem only concerns your missions within the organization.
Unfounded complaints, on the other hand, risk affecting the evaluation of your internship and obtaining your diploma. In fact, the teaching team generally checks whether the missions match your studies and skills before authorizing an internship. Unless there is proven fault on the part of the company or colleagues, teachers will note your inability to join a team and overcome difficulties.
