Co-op is supposed to be a learning experience that will help you build skills, professional relationships and knowledge in your field. It’s a great opportunity for college students to get a step ahead in the working world. Although I learned a lot from my co-op, I don’t think I learned what the Steinbright Career Development Center intended me to.
My first co-op experience did not go well at all. I struggled with a constantly changing work schedule, unprofessional supervisors and coworkers, being taken advantage of, and a lot of unnecessary drama. Although some good did come out of my co-op, for the most part I felt that my terrible experience overshadowed anything good I could have learned from the position. These are the things I now know going forward when I’m looking for co-ops or employment after college.
1. Watch for red flags before you even start working
Before I even started my co-op, my employer switched around my schedule several times. I wish I knew that this was foreshadowing what was to come. At my job, my schedule and hours were constantly being altered to the point that I couldn’t plan anything more than a night in advance because I was not sure whether I would be working.
There are numerous examples of red flags you could encounter before starting any job — watch out for them. Be wary if something doesn’t seem right, whether it’s your employer being unprepared, unorganized or something else. What you experience with an employer before you even start could be a taste of what’s to come while working under them.
2. Stand up for yourself from the beginning
When you’re being taken advantage of, it can creep up on you slowly. At first, it’s just one errand you have to run on your own time, just one day that you have to work extra, or just one time you supervisor trash-talked another supervisor.
Eventually, the excessive demands and gossiping can become bigger and bigger problems for you. If you think that you’re going to be put in this position, learn to stand up for yourself. Decide what you are and are not willing to put up with in your internship, and draw clear boundaries from the very beginning before it’s too late.
3. Know than an unhealthy environment can be damaging
Gossiping, tension, miscommunication, arguments and unprofessional behavior can all be extremely damaging to a company. Chances are, if any of these things are present in a great amount, the work environment is going to be very stressful. Doing any of these things might cause your coworkers to not take you seriously and if you experience them yourself, you’ll probably have a bad time at your job.
4. Know who your support system is (and reach out to them when there’s a problem).
By support system, I mean both socially and professionally. When I had to deal with a frustrating day, I knew I could reach out to my family and friends for support. Venting and commiserating with them helped me greatly because they assured me I wasn’t overreacting and also gave me some advice.
Also, know that Steinbright is always willing to listen to your problems and help you. If something is not sitting well with you at your job, reach out to your co-op coordinator for advice. Even if they’re unable to remedy the situation, they can help you create a plan of action moving forward in a professional environment. If things get really bad, they can intervene with your employer on your behalf and potentially pull you from the co-op. They want you to have a successful experience and will do what they can to make sure your co-op goes smoothly. But, they can’t help you unless you let them know what’s going on.
5. Give it your all anyway
You might not want to work hard for an employer who you feel is taking advantage of you, but in the long run, it’s better to give it your all anyway. You will be able to maintain professional relationships, remain in good standing with Steinbright, and be able to tell future employers how you handled yourself in a professional manner in a bad situation. Plus, it will allow you to handle things more diplomatically with your employer. If you talk back, fail to do your work, or partake in other unprofessional behaviors, your employer might not take you as seriously as they would if you were a stellar employee. You can still be a great employee by standing up when you feel you are being wronged.
However, always remember to take care of yourself first. If your co-op is doing serious damage to your mental health and sense of well-being, it is okay to walk away. No employer wants an employee that’s too miserable to do good work, and it’s not worth it for you to harm yourself while trying to be a good employee. Reach out to your co-op coordinator if things are going really bad so that you can get help.
It’s not easy being stuck in an internship that’s not going the way you hoped it would. However, I was able to grow and learn from my own experience. Now that my co-op is over, I’m able to reflect on the things I should have done at the time, and I’ll be able to better navigate tricky work situations in the future. Comment and let us know what you’ve learned from any bad internships, jobs or co-ops that you had!