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eggleg · Newbie Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 3 Career Advice: +0/-0

Ok, so I know its not quite a job in the sense that it's unpaid, but I currently am at an internship that is vile. I'm going to school for graphic design and I need to fulfill one internship to graduate. Thing is, I already have another lined up as my "official internship", and that starts in the fall when I return to school. I look forward to it since the company is affiliated with my school and full of alumni. They're also willing to teach me a lot of things, particularly with the web/interactive aspect of design. ( I like both print and web). I am not one you would call a quitter either. I work hard at my paying jobs, and have never had complaints, and I get very good grades in school. I tend to stick things out despite how crappy they get, although I think this internship is too much.

So this internship that I picked up for the summer started about three weeks ago. I came across it through a creative firm listing site and found out that they were looking for graphic design interns. I have to drive about 45 mins to it, which, despite gas prices, is not the reason why I want to leave. It's unpaid too, which I know is also typical.

I want to leave because I feel alienated, along with not feeling like I am gaining any valuable experience or work. They have little for me to do, and I have asked multiple times a day ( I go in twice a day for 7-8 hrs twice a week) what I need to do for the day just to be told "I'll be there in a second", which turns into three hour or more intervals. I have only been given 1 big project and 2 small tasks to do in these 3 weeks. I attempt to talk to people before work or during lunch, but am virtually ignored. Other interns, who are non-graphic design seem to have networked their way in with these people. The company is small, and in my opinion, somewhat disorganized. I was never told company policies such as dress code or conduct (although I suppose some of that can be viewed as common sense), nor was I told who was to be my supervisor. There really is no dress code from what it seems, people are wearing jeans and flip flops and the f-bomb is rampantly dropped. One of the guys spends more time calling up his friends on his cellphone to talk about the night before or use instant messenger to chat. Is it wrong for me to feel that they're wrong in expecting me to figure things out on my own? I don't want to do anything against company policy.

I get up dreading to go to the place and I leave feeling alienated and crapped upon. I know internships are not meant to be anywhere near glamorous. Yesterday stood out and was somewhat a final blow. The designers were discussing something I found offensive. They said: "Don't put a picture of a black person on the cover of the magazine, (insert company president's name here) said he doesnt' want us to put it on, ok?" Now I am not black, but that doesn't matter. I found the statement to be racist and offensive. If thats the way the company works, then I do not want to espouse to their beliefs. I'm thinking about giving a one week notice to the woman who hired me (the vp) and leaving. There was never any documentation of me being there. I honestly feel like I'm wasting time and could be spending it on earning more money at my summer job and building up my design portfolio on the side. I am sick of feeling alienated, lost, frustrated, offended, and unchallenged. I have the fall internship that I look forward to that I will not quit. What are your thoughts?

Pauloz · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 5:49 am Post subject:

egglegg

Indications are that you've found some of the global over-supply of wankers who seem to insist on infesting most media.

A few questions for yourself:

1. What is the product of this internship? Is there a piece of paper, statement of attainment from an accredited source leading to tertiary credits somewhere?

2. Does the company have any big name contracts, or anything which makes its name worth mentioning in terms of graphic art qualifications?

3. You've got something lined up, an "official internship" for your graduation.
Do these guys contribute in any way to that?

If there's no documentation, officially, you aren't there. That may explain the staggeringly unprofessional behavior.

My guess would be that having an intern program qualifies them for something, like funding from somewhere.

Suggest get your summer job.

Back out of this clown school without creating any incidents, just say "Other business has come up, can't continue," or something, and vanish. No need to even show up, just give them a ring. You'll save on gas, anyway.

eggleg · Newbie Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 3 Career Advice: +0/-0

Thanks Pauloz for responding, I appreciate it very much. Smile

In terms of a product of the internship, there is no official documentation at the company nor at my school stating that I am to be getting any credit- contributive or academic altogether.

The company's regular clientele are big names in the region, such as a few colleges and a few area hospitals. I think there might be an insurance company in there too somewhere. They also do stuff for little unknown apparel names too, which are out in other parts of the country. But they don't really seem to do regular stuff for nationally or globally known names. From what I've seen, they've only done one time projects with Intel and Timberland, who were only one time clients as well.

The company hasn't had me do anything or contribute to any of these big names, they've only had me layout a brochure for a local non-profit theatre, which isn't really much of a big deal, and honestly I think that my portfolio is stellar enough without it. These guys aren't contributing in any way to my official internship that I have in the fall. In fact, the people who I arranged the fall internship with sought after me at a school job fair and their internship was arranged long before I found these guys. I will be graduating next spring.

I've spoken to a few others about this and they say quit as well. I think I'm going to give the company a call tomorrow saying I'm finished. Hopefully they won't inquire too much, since it already seems they're disinterested in my presence there.

Pauloz · Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:19 am Post subject:

Glad to hear it, eggleg. Good luck!

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