Its almost been a year since this and its made me think a lot. this was a paid internship just fyi
So I am a designer and I earned my BFA last year in May 2021. I decided to get an internship Feb-March of that year. It was for an athletic company in the corporate office. They also had a few stores around the state I was in. (Also sorry im going to be vague on purpose just so I don't out them)
Interview went great. The person I was working under was an alumni of the school I was about to graduate from. I let them know that I was still in school but id graduate in May. They said great and that I can come in and work a couple times a week to help out the main designer and pitch ideas.
the first few weeks were okay. I designed some things for them that were used and they seemed to like my stuff a lot. I was also very fast to giving them ideas and finishing projects I was given. I wasn't given a lot of work to do, but I made the most out of the things I was assigned. I would tend to overcompensate and give them more than what they asked since I had the time.
a month went by, and I truly felt like I was being ignored or forgotten about. I had my own office space, my own email, my own everything pretty much. I would check in on my “supervisor” and ask about the week. she would let me know what was going on, but wouldn't exactly give me things to do. Everything seemed to be stressful for her. Like I couldn't do anything she was assigned or at least take some off her plate. Also, every time she “needed” me were during the days I had class. I would let them all know to email me what they need even if I had class days.
It got to a point where I felt like I was pulling teeth being there. I would show up and do things they would ask me that just didn't end up being used. I would design things for them that they wanted day 1, and brush it off like I was ridiculous for working on such a thing. I truly dreaded going to this place but hey it was my first job that I got that was in my field other than freelance.
A few weeks before my graduation, and my boss calls me in and says that today would be my last day because of the “lag” of communication that gets to me. I didn't seem to understand how she meant since I was able to be emailed whenever. I wish I stuck up for myself that day, but I just held back tears because I felt like I failed and left. However, she did say that she would contact me after I graduated since I'd have more free time and I would come back.
two weeks goes by, I graduate, and I email them. Nothing. I don't even know what I could have done wrong. I have thought about this for so long and wonder if I did something or I didn't show enough eagerness. Has anyone gone though something like this or does this seem familiar to someone else?
Thanks for reading if anyone does!