Comments on: My Very Worst Internship http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/ Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:45:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Tanek http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-833 Tanek Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:36:27 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-833 Maybe I should post MVYJ where I spent an entire teaching assistantship copying worksheets for hours on end for days on end for weeks on end. But I was a student and it needed to be done, and I did it with a smile on my face because I was getting credit. I wish I had gotten credit for taking lint out of carpets in college, I would have signed up every semester. OP probably did show up late after he started hating the job. Maybe I should post MVYJ where I spent an entire teaching assistantship copying worksheets for hours on end for days on end for weeks on end. But I was a student and it needed to be done, and I did it with a smile on my face because I was getting credit.

I wish I had gotten credit for taking lint out of carpets in college, I would have signed up every semester.

OP probably did show up late after he started hating the job.

]]> By: KellyK http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-809 KellyK Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:03:14 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-809 I don't think the poster is being unreasonable at all. The purpose of an internship is to gain work-related experience, not to give the supervising organization free labor. Using an unpaid or paid-below-minimum-wage intern for free menial labor is actually illegal, as best I can tell. (The sources below seem to make it pretty clear-cut, but I still say "as best as I can tell" since I'm not a lawyer or even a law student.) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03intern.html http://blog.nwjobs.com/careercenter/hiring_interns_for_free_labor_is_a_no-no.html http://wislawjournal.com/article.cfm?recID=76753 As an *employee,* it's reasonable to do occasional scut work that isn't in your job description, because it needs to be done and because you're getting paid. As an intern, not so much, unless you're really looking to put "Cleaned lint off carpet. Provided receptionist with coffee." on your resume. I don’t think the poster is being unreasonable at all. The purpose of an internship is to gain work-related experience, not to give the supervising organization free labor. Using an unpaid or paid-below-minimum-wage intern for free menial labor is actually illegal, as best I can tell. (The sources below seem to make it pretty clear-cut, but I still say “as best as I can tell” since I’m not a lawyer or even a law student.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03intern.html
http://blog.nwjobs.com/careercenter/hiring_interns_for_free_labor_is_a_no-no.html
http://wislawjournal.com/article.cfm?recID=76753

As an *employee,* it’s reasonable to do occasional scut work that isn’t in your job description, because it needs to be done and because you’re getting paid. As an intern, not so much, unless you’re really looking to put “Cleaned lint off carpet. Provided receptionist with coffee.” on your resume.

]]> By: Louwii http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-767 Louwii Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:32:31 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-767 @Hedy & MysteryGuest Who will do it? The janitor! Not a university student! He pays enough to get his education, he should be learning the skills needed for his future career, not go back to 16 years old's summer jobs... @Hedy & MysteryGuest

Who will do it? The janitor! Not a university student! He pays enough to get his education, he should be learning the skills needed for his future career, not go back to 16 years old’s summer jobs…

]]> By: MysteryGuest http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-753 MysteryGuest Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:59:57 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-753 I have to agree with Hedy here. I've had too many interns who felt they were above this or that. But this or that still needed to be done. This is why I'm reluctant to bother with them these days because after reserving all the exciting professional work for the intern, I end up working late with the link picking. I have to agree with Hedy here. I’ve had too many interns who felt they were above this or that. But this or that still needed to be done. This is why I’m reluctant to bother with them these days because after reserving all the exciting professional work for the intern, I end up working late with the link picking.

]]> By: Hedy http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-741 Hedy Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:06:44 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-741 I've ended up doing much for for internships, and I have in fact asked interns working for me to do things others felt were illogical, but still had to be done - like using tape to get lint off curtains, straightening rugs and spending hour after hour shredding. These things still need to be done. Who do you expect would be the one to pick the lint off the purple carpet, if it were not the intern? When expecting the big boss to come in town, you want EVERYTHING to be perfect. I still think this person is being overly whiny. I’ve ended up doing much for for internships, and I have in fact asked interns working for me to do things others felt were illogical, but still had to be done – like using tape to get lint off curtains, straightening rugs and spending hour after hour shredding. These things still need to be done. Who do you expect would be the one to pick the lint off the purple carpet, if it were not the intern? When expecting the big boss to come in town, you want EVERYTHING to be perfect. I still think this person is being overly whiny.

]]> By: Jade Lynn http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-737 Jade Lynn Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:30:43 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-737 Yeah, there's grunt internship work and than there's, "Oh! free slave labor work!" like picking lint off the carpet and than dealing with a pompous ass who gives you a bad review for the sake of giving you a bad review Yeah, there’s grunt internship work and than there’s, “Oh! free slave labor work!” like picking lint off the carpet and than dealing with a pompous ass who gives you a bad review for the sake of giving you a bad review

]]> By: TMS http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-735 TMS Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:57:31 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-735 There's shit work and then there's worse than shit work. Running a few errands I can see, but like others have pointed out, having to pull the lint out of the carpet with tape wrapped around your hand falls into the "worse than shit work" category. There’s shit work and then there’s worse than shit work. Running a few errands I can see, but like others have pointed out, having to pull the lint out of the carpet with tape wrapped around your hand falls into the “worse than shit work” category.

]]> By: Panda http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-732 Panda Thu, 22 Jul 2010 06:11:31 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-732 If you're told going in that your internship is going to consist of you going to concerts to interview bands, and are led to believe it'll mainly be a writing internship, it's going to feel a lot worse when you're told to pick lint out of the carpet than if you knew going in that it was going to involve a lot of grunt work. If you’re told going in that your internship is going to consist of you going to concerts to interview bands, and are led to believe it’ll mainly be a writing internship, it’s going to feel a lot worse when you’re told to pick lint out of the carpet than if you knew going in that it was going to involve a lot of grunt work.

]]> By: Frau Blucher http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-731 Frau Blucher Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:40:35 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-731 paying your dues should not include carpet cleaning. paying your dues should not include carpet cleaning.

]]> By: Surreal http://myveryworstjob.com/2010/07/21/my-very-worst-internship/comment-page-1/#comment-730 Surreal Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:12:59 +0000 http://myveryworstjob.com/?p=540#comment-730 That's sounds crappy, even for an internship. Mainly the going on hand and knees with tape, and the bimbo refusing to sign off your hours. Ridiculous. That’s sounds crappy, even for an internship. Mainly the going on hand and knees with tape, and the bimbo refusing to sign off your hours. Ridiculous.

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