The dreaded, most sought-after, but in my experience, most overrated summer job.
Friend: “Hey, what are you doing this summer?”
You: “Oh, I’m an X intern for X company.”
Friend: “Oh wow, that’s so cool.”
No, no it’s not. It may sound cool. It may look great on that beloved résumé which holds the key to your future. I may be out of the house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day wearing cute clothes, but my “internship” is not cool.
You: “Eh, it sounds cooler than it really is, ha ha.”
In reality, I do nothing. I come to work and try to find ways to entertain myself. Let me tell you, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn get boring. Blasphemy I know, but it’s true. In fact, I am sitting at my desk at my actual internship right now writing this article.
Friend: “Well at least you're gaining experience.”
Oh yeah, totally! So much experience! Like learning how to sit behind a desk for extended periods of time pretending to be busy. Yup, this will definitely come in handy during the school year.
While not all internships are as pointless as mine, I have a feeling I am not alone. I come home and talk to all of my friends who also “intern” in the city. We all share similar daily schedules.
Step 1: Get to work.
Step 2: Get situated and take a much longer time than necessary just because it wastes time.
Step 3: Check all social networks that were neglected while sleeping and running late to work.
Step 4: Send funny articles/gifs to friends.
Step 5: Pretend to work a little, because someone came into the office.
Step 6: Return to social media. Two hours later, guilt sinks in. Oh well, guilt will have to wait, because now it’s almost lunchtime.
Step 7: Take a lunch break because a break is necessary from all your hard work. It will "give you some time to take a break and reflect about what your working on."
Step 8: Brace yourself to return from that crucial lunch break.
Step 9: Now it’s awkward because no work has been done and the day is half over.
Step 10: Commence “work." Yes “work,” because it really is not work. It is a workload that can probably be done in one day, but is strategically spread out over the course of a week in order to keep up appearances of working.
Step 11: Check social media updates (look at that one Insta that has been posted since you last viewed it 10 minutes ago).
Step 12: Snapchat all your friends of you dying at work.
Oh wow, the day is over.
Step 13: Go home and nap because your day was so exhausting. You deserve it.
By this point in the summer, you may begin to ask yourself why. Why do it? Why waste your time and other people’s money? Is your résumé worth it?
Internships can feel pointless. It is a way for companies to get wide-eyed college kids to do all the bitch work they do not want to do themselves. At least some are paid, and you do not feel like you are totally wasting your time and life. (Don’t even talk about unpaid internships. For everyone who has one of those, bless your soul; you really are troopers.)
Truth be told, I could be making a lot more money and having a lot more fun doing another job. I could be waitressing or bartending or be a spin instructor. I could be doing something I love and not even realize I am working. Like the saying goes, “Do something you love and you will never work a day in your life."
While I would love to have a fun job where I am always moving and interacting with people, that is not reality. Those are what one calls “summer jobs.” They are not sustainable careers. As much as I love to throw practicality to the wind, that does not really work in all aspects of life. Sometimes you need that internship because it will lead you to a better internship. Eventually you will realize it appears (at least to the outside world/future companies) that you have experience, and it could lead to some amazing opportunities.
This internship now may not be the highlight of the summer, but it could be worse.
You have an internship. You are being paid (hopefully). It could really help you in the long run. So be grateful, put it on your résumé, and get back to Instagram.
