You walk in the front door of the office, take a seat at your, desk, and say hi to your supervisor. She comes over and you chat for a bit, before she mentions that she got a great new job, and Friday will be her last day. What? Yes, you heard her right, she’s leaving. What does this mean for you? Well, a lot actually. This recently happened to me, so keep reading and we’ll navigate this tricky situation together with a few easy steps.
Step 1: Congratulate her. Even though you may be surprised, she’s surely excited about her new position and is probably expecting some sort of congratulations. Be genuinely interested, ask her about the new job. Having this conversation will help avoid any awkwardness about her leaving, and just think, her leaving means you have a connection at another publication!
Step 2: After you’ve done the polite thing and inquired about her job, don’t be afraid to ask her about the implications. Ask her who you’ll be reporting to and if someone else will be hired. This is information that you need to know.
Step 3: Reach out to the new person you report to. You’ve already built a rapport with your old supervisor, but you need to do that again with the new supervisor. Put yourself out there, and even try to have lunch with your new supervisor. Talk to her about what you’ve been doing and what she will be expecting from you.
Step 4: Expect to move backwards. Unfortunately, you may feel like you’re going backwards in your work. Your old supervisor may have asked you to write headlines and pitch ideas, while your new supervisor wants you to mail things, transcribe or, even worse, doesn’t give you anything to do. Be patient. Supervising an intern is not what she had anticipated, and it may take her some time to get used to giving you work, and trusting in your ability. But don’t wait too long. If you feel that you’ve given your new supervisor enough time to get adjusted, and you’re still not happy about the work you’re doing, speak up! Meet with your supervisor and explain politely to her what you’d like to be doing, and ask what you can do to increase your responsibility.
Chances are, your supervisor leaving won’t have a horribly negative impact on your internship. It will just be a small bump in the road, so hang in there. Change is hard, but if you handle it right, you’ll come out on top.