This summer I completed my first internship in New York. I was looking to do anything to be noticed in this new environment in a positive light. I got there early, stayed late, and did any job they threw at me. So, one evening I am walking out the office door and Cynthia, the designer’s personal assistant, lets out a huge sigh of frustration behind me. So, I turn around and ask if there is anything I could do to help her, and she quickly accepted the offer. She was preparing inspiration images for the designer to take on the plane to Italy the next day to begin working on designs for the new collection. She had about 50 images to scan, resize or touch up in Photoshop, and print. So, we each took 25 images and began working.
It was now 9:00, and Victoria, the designer, came into the studio looking for her inspiration pack. We had just sent everything to the printer, so the work was not finished. Victoria was livid and started to yell. I was completely mortified, and I turned around to look at Cynthia and realized that she had snuck out and left me there alone in the room to take the blame. Victoria yelled at me for about five minutes about responsibility and pride in your work and I promised that I would get the work done as soon as possible and get it to her at her home. So, she left the office, and Cynthia and I continued to work.
We finally left at 10:30 and Cynthia got into a taxi without even thanking me for staying to help her with her job, which I got blamed for being incomplete. She also left me to take the subway to Victoria’s apartment to drop off the work. I was so angry and frustrated with the situation. But, I quickly learned to watch out for myself early on in my internship. I never did anything to resolve this problem because it would have looked poorly on me to complain about another employee. But, both Cynthia and I know what happened and I came out knowing I was the bigger person and have no regrets about the experience.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I can't say that I blame you. And by proving yourself throughout the internship, it shows that that is not the way that you do business.
Did Cynthia ever bring up the situation again? Or ask you for help?
I think that was very big of you not to complain about the situation and how Cynthia left you out there to hang but anywho. At least you learned a valuable experience and realized early on that you had to worry about yourself. I don’t know if I could have let that fly so easily. I think I would have had to tell Cynthia about herself. And for her not to tell you thanks for helping her. That was just rude. I want to know how your relationship was after that whole situation happened.
It must have been really hard not to say anything about that. I agree though that it wouldn't have solved anything if you had, it just probably would have made you look whiny to the other employees, even though you were perfectly justified in being livid.
Post a Comment