By sdemetry
Hello!
I am currently getting ready for an extensive European road-trip the same one mentioned in my last blog post- and my internship has been temporarily put on hiatus for the next few weeks. My boss was nice enough to grant me a vacation period, though I am still checking in via Email to make sure nothing pressing comes up during my extended break.
However, things have not been so smoothly sailing as of late. I got my first lesson in "office politics" last week, when a miscommunication between my boss and her colleague was funneled down the chain of command, and the intern (me) received the blame in the situation. After a scathing email was sent my way accusing me of things I was certain had not happened, I responded in shock and attempted to explain my innocence in the situation by giving the only proof I had- an email that had saved in my outbox. My boss begrudgingly admitted that possibly something else had gone wrong, but was quite rude to me for the following week, until her colleague came clean and apologized to me for causing the misunderstanding a few days later.
This challenge taught me a lot about office politics, a phrase I wasn't totally familiar with before, and how issues in the workplace tend to work themselves out. It was a very disconcerting feeling to be blamed for something that I was clearly not responsible for, and after everything was worked out, instead of an apology, all I received was a flippant remark about "office politics." The workplace works exactly like a food chain; those at the top are in control, while the little guys at the bottom struggle for survival. Because fault lay in the hands of someone higher up than I, it was easy for them to blame the intern, who has no real stake in the game. I am not at risk of anything other than getting a bad recommendation in the future, whereas the big fish in the office could have their careers on the line when it comes to of work-related errors.
I was totally freaked out by the thought of being blamed for something I had not done, and I had no way to express it without disrespecting authority, so my decision was just to profusely apologize and accept defeat. Luckily this time, I came out on top, when the bigger fish decided to take a noble course of action, but in many other situations, I can see things staying as they were. Next time, I'm not sure if I should stay quiet and accept the blame for something I know I am not guilty of. It's a very tricky situation, and when you're at the bottom of the chain of command, it is even more intimidating to speak up for yourself. I didn't know how to handle it correctly, and I am still unsure of whether or not I took the right course of action. But, that's what I'm getting experience in- handling myself in a work environment, learning which battles are worth picking, and learning how to deal with those who have more authority than myself in a respectful way without belittling myself.
There are many lessons that I'll be taking away from this internship, and I think this may be one of the most important ones.
Other than that, things have been the same in terms of my workload and types of tasks. I am excited for a break, but I know I'll be doing a few things throughout the vacation via Email. The amount of work I've done from home for my internship most likely outweighs the amount that I have done in the office. That being said, I'm sure they will think of something that needs to be completed within the next 3 weeks.
Until then, I will leave you with nothing more than a small token of advice- don't let the small stuff get you down. I fretted for days after my boss sent me the initial accusation email, but it was all for nothing. Even if I hadn't been let off the hook in the end, there was still not much that I could do about it. It is best to accept the small things, and work that much harder in your next task, than to focus on things that you cannot change about your past work. It's the same with every experience in life! I never thought I would be applying that wisdom to the workplace, but it is definitely fitting in light of my recent experiences.
Check back next month for more updates!
Until next time,
SD