Monday, July 21, 2014

Overcoming Obstacles

One thing that I have trouble with at my internship is feeling like I am not doing enough. I feel as though I am constantly asking for more to do- to the point that it might be annoying to them! Sometimes, when I am given a task and complete it too quickly I have to sit idly before there is something else to be done. This is really frustrating for me because I like to be busy whenever possible. However, I do think it has been a good learning experience and I have realized that I don't need to constantly be doing little tasks to be helpful. Wanting to be proactive is obviously a good thing but this experience has shown me that sometimes I can't be in control of every situation. My internship has been a bit different than what I expected but I have also been exposed to so many great people and programs within the nonprofit. After the first few weeks of being frustrated and antsy when things did not go as I wanted them too, I am now feeling more content with what I have been able to accomplish and I realize that even if it is not exactly what I expected, I am definitely growing from the experience. With time, I have also learned that if I am really feeling useless, I can always go right to the director and see if he needs anything done. As I have gotten more comfortable with coworkers, my feelings of idleness have started to subside as they begin to trust me with more tasks. Overall, I think patience went a long way with my internship and learning that I don't need to constantly be working to be overall productive.

3 comments:

  1. I definitely see where you are coming from! I too sometimes worry that I am annoying my managers when I ask if there is anything else I can help with. Although your internship wasn't exactly what you expected it is great that you were still able to get as much out of it as possible!

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  2. I also felt that way my first couple of weeks! As time goes on, your mentor will give you more responsibility once she gets to know you better! Hang in there!

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  3. I had the same problem at the beginning of my internship. When I would look around the office, all of the regular employees seemed really busy, and I felt like I wasn't doing enough. The work eventually picked up a little, but one days when I felt like I really was not doing anything I would ask the other employees if they needed anything done, and being as busy as they were, they usually said yes and were super appreciative.

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