summer internship season is upon us by Alison Green on July 29, 2024 With summer internship season in full swing, your workplace may be experiencing an influx of young people who don’t quite know how work works yet. This is often delightful! Interns can bring new ideas, fresh energy, and an ability to explain what brat summer is. But part of hosting interns is accepting that they often […] Read the full article →
the new alphabetization scheme, the identical twin caper, and other stories of summer internships by Alison Green on July 1, 2024 Last week we talked about summer interns, and these are 12 of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The bookshelves Best ever intern was at a publishing company. She re-alphabetized multiple bookshelves (hundreds of books) by AUTHOR FIRST NAME. Every time I looked at it I started laughing. 2. The identical twins Years ago, I […] Read the full article →
let’s hear your weird summer intern stories by Alison Green on June 27, 2024 Over the years, we’ve heard about an an intern who gave another intern a tattoo in the office conference room; an intern who set up a cot for himself in a large open work space, complete with pillow shams; an intern who was blown away by an electric stapler; an intern who desperately wanted to work […] Read the full article →
I think our intern prank-called us by Alison Green on April 29, 2024 A reader writes: I’ve found myself in an odd situation and would love some thoughts on what to do. I work in fundraising at a nonprofit and today, following a donor event, I got back to my desk and saw that I had five missed calls from the same number. The first four had no […] Read the full article →
my intern thinks he’s great at things he’s terrible at by Alison Green on November 1, 2023 A reader writes: I have an intern who is book smart and a very hard worker. But there’s one big problem: he’s bad at things he thinks he’s a superstar with. A few examples: – He thinks he’s an amazing writer, but his writing is awful. He misspells words, leaves out words, has no organization, […] Read the full article →
my intern asked if my pregnancy was planned by Alison Green on September 27, 2023 A reader writes: I’m pregnant with my first child. I’m just finishing my first trimester and have been sharing the news with colleagues. I’m wondering what, if anything, I should do in response to my intern’s reaction. Like everyone else I manage, I told her one-on-one behind closed doors. Her response was really odd — […] Read the full article →
can I turn down business lunches as an intern? by Alison Green on September 18, 2023 A reader writes: I’m in the last semester of my junior year at college and just started an internship this month that I’m really enjoying. For context, I applied for a different internship that was not customer-facing, and after my Zoom call with HR was asked to interview for an internship on the team who […] Read the full article →
I saw a private text about my intern having sex on her desk by Alison Green on September 12, 2023 A reader writes: I have a question about something that happened to me earlier in my career and what I should have done. I worked in a very small office: the executive director, myself, and an intern (who I managed). Often people would be in the office alone if others were out at meetings or […] Read the full article →
should I give feedback to our interns who come across as TOO peppy and enthusiastic? by Alison Green on August 1, 2023 A reader writes: Each year my workplace takes on summer legal interns. Most have finished one year of law school This is often their first exposure to a legal department, and sometimes their first job. I occasionally give them projects and am asked for my feedback by their supervisor, but have never have any direct […] Read the full article →
my intern is way too passive by Alison Green on March 22, 2023 A reader writes: I am currently supervising an intern, Lauren, who is completing a postgrad professional degree in my field. The placement with my organization is a mandatory part of her course, and she is here to learn high-level skills with an emphasis on critical thinking and creativity. My field is one that most people […] Read the full article →