I recently got an internship for the US branch of an international organization based in Europe. I feel obligated to share my experience because it may be the one small thing that makes someone realize they’re worth more than their employer tells them.
To provide background, I am a current undergraduate student who had moderate experience (for an undergrad) in event planning, and I received a position for an event planning internship.
The internship is part time (they ask that you work 10-15 hours a week), paying $300 a week before taxes (so 20 to 30 an hour depending on how much you work, and so far I’ve been encouraged to work on the lower end of the hour range). They only ask you to come into the office physically once a week (and even then, it truly is only a preference, as they allow people to work from home for a full week if needed), leaving it up to the employees whether or not going into the office works for them.
What’s more is that, compared to what I’ve seen in other positions, this job offers a real vacation. What I mean by that is that you won’t be required to be on your email constantly should you have time off, and it’s understood in the office that someone on vacation is only to be contacted for emergencies.
Basically, as long as you’re getting your work done effectively, they don’t get on your ass for how you do it. Managers have been understanding and patient when new employees are unfamiliar with certain aspects of the job, and consistently show appreciation for hard work.
Maybe it’s because it’s a nonprofit or because it’s an international organization or maybe I just got lucky, but healthy work environments that respect boundaries DO exist – don’t let your current employer make you believe they’re the best that’s out there if they’re treating you like garbage. It may be hard to find one, but they’re out there.
Would love to hear other stories about good employers in the comments 🙂