You may encounter problems reaching some of your goals during the internship. Typical issues include not feeling you are learning as much as you expected, feeling lost, or feeling like a burden. Such problems can be discussed with the supervisor, with the professor, and with classmates. Classmates and professors are an outstanding resource and can be used as an information tool for self-monitoring and reflection during the internship and may help you find ways to make the experience more satisfying. Often, people use role-playing scenarios in the classroom to help deal with a problem concerning one’s supervisor or a given staff worker. The goal of a good “working alliance” with your supervisor is to create an atmosphere where both of you feel free to talk to one another honestly.

Sometimes students find themselves feeling like they are not getting the type of experience they expected. For instance, it may be their priorities or goals have been pushed aside or their work at the agency has become routine. These situations arise for several reasons, most of which are not the students’ fault. For example, it could be the agency’s busy season is at another time of the year or the funding streams have changed in ways that make original agreements impossible. It is important to continue to advocate for your learning, even if the situation has changed. Many students found themselves in this predicament when the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way services were provided. The most successful outcomes involved the student and supervisor working together to adapt to the changing environment. Some of these examples are listed later in the chapter.

In general, the agency’s priorities come first, so the intern needs to adjust, not the other way around. The professor and your peers can help you adjust your goals or find new ways of meeting them during the remainder of the internship. Brainstorming ideas may help you know how to approach the supervisor, find other alternatives to meet your goals, and restructure your goals.

Challenges can arise when your goals do not match the work you are being assigned. Jane was interning at a crisis center and had the goal of working face-to-face with clients in crisis. Unfortunately, since starting her internship, she had been unable to sit in on an intake session for various reasons not of her making. Instead, Jane’s work was focused on organizing paperwork and making copies for her supervisor. While Jane understood the importance of the work she was doing, she feared she would go through the entire internship missing out on other valuable experiences. Jane discussed her concerns in the classroom, and classmates encouraged her to have a discussion with her supervisor. Jane then made some suggestions to the supervisor about how to include more client contact into her routine without dumping all the paperwork on someone else. The supervisor tweaked the suggestions a bit and together they found a strategy that met Jane’s goal of increasing her clinical skills with clients in crisis while still meeting the clerical needs of the agency. It is important to come with options to solve the issue, rather than just a complaint. This shows you are invested in achieving your goals and not just waiting for someone else to take charge.

Sometimes interns reach the point where they feel they have met the goals that were set down in the original educational agreement and have time to do more. Of course, it is wise to make sure you have met those goals before discussing the situation with your supervisor. Take a moment to make sure all expectations have been met and then try creating a goal or set of them you think would help you grow while also offering something of value to the agency. Next, approach the supervisor with a tentative plan. If the supervisor feels you are ready, and if there is no longer a need for you to continue to perform your current duties, you may be able to take the next step in your professional development.

6.4.2 Handling Feedback and Constructive Criticism

A good supervisor will regularly assess your ability to take on new tasks. However, it is important for interns to evaluate themselves from time to time as well. Most interns will want to review their objectives periodically and conduct reflective self-assessments. This process can be done informally, or through keeping a journal, a file on a computer or phone, and so on. Near the end of the internship, the instructor often requests the supervisor do a final report, evaluation, or summary of the student and their performance at the site.

Of course, you are likely to have a general feel about how things are going based on the supervisor’s reactions or meetings regarding your work performance. So, if the internship does not seem to be allowing your goals to be met, requesting time for a meeting before the semester is over can prevent problems. Regardless of how challenging the tasks may be, always do your best work. If you take pride in your work, coworkers and supervisors will notice. Remember, these people are now in your network. When it comes to future jobs, they could be potential references.

No two interns will progress at the same rate. Sometimes interns feel they are not given the freedom to develop more fully. Other times they may feel they were asked to do too much. You may look at the situation and feel discouraged or lose confidence in your abilities. If this happens, discuss this reaction with your supervisor and ask for suggestions for improvement.

Learning how to accept constructive criticism is a crucial component of this process, especially if you are a beginner. Try your best to listen, but also realize the supervisor is looking at the bigger agency picture that you cannot see. In situations where it seems that the supervisor and staff are talking about you in a way that does not feel good, be sure not to jump to any conclusions. It may be tempting to overgeneralize, personalize, and surrender to emotional reasoning (refer to figures 6.5 and 6.6). After all, they may be discussing progress as well as the lack of it and your potential rather than your limitations. Here are some common patterns we use to jump to conclusions, and ways to resist this habit.

Figure 6.5 This table provides common responses to constructive criticism.

If you feel that the discussions are taking place in a negative way, or if it seems that the problem is a personality conflict you are having with the supervisor or their style, it is advisable to talk with your instructor about it. After all, the instructor is the individual who oversees your internship and who has the responsibility to make sure it is progressing properly. It is also likely the instructor is more interested in your professional development than anything else.

Figure 6.6 It is important to be open to feedback without jumping to irrational thoughts.

6.4.3 Asking for What You Need

As this chapter shows, the value of supervision relies on lots of factors, including the agency, the work, and the goals and personality of both the student and the supervisor. Due to these factors, there could be a mismatch between the experience you were expecting, and the experience you are having. You may think others are aware of the problem and just ignoring it, but many times your supervisor and instructor are not as aware of the issue as you are. This means being comfortable asking for what you need in your placement and in supervision. There are several ways to go about this.

Remember your college or university instructor is there to be a resource for you. They can help you talk through issues and problems, and help you come up with solutions. Do not assume they will step in and “fix” it for you. If the issue is urgent or beyond the scope of your internship, the instructor may contact a supervisor directly to resolve the issue. Most of the time, instructors will support you in your efforts rather than take over.

When things are busy for everyone at the site, it may seem as though the supervisor or the staff does not care about what happens to the intern because they are a lower priority. Hannah, for example, was interning with Child Protective Services while the pandemic was still active. As a result, each supervisor was only in the office one day a week. Hannah found she was rarely in the office with her official supervisor. She called me as her field instructor, very frustrated and ready to switch sites. I encouraged her to be more creative and proactive in finding ways to become involved. Hannah began approaching whatever caseworkers were in the office each day, asking how she could help. The caseworkers were extremely appreciative of her help, and she was asked to apply for an open position when her internship was ending.

Sometimes you have to take some responsibility for making the internship a good training experience as well. So instead of showing up and simply following someone around, you may need to be flexible and even creative. For example, if you spot something that needs to be addressed and feel doing so is within your range of abilities, you might volunteer to take on the project. In addition to filling in hours that otherwise might go unused or be less than educational, you will also show you have initiative and the willingness to help where you can.

It is also very helpful to have a concrete idea of what it is you need and a few possible paths to reach that goal. If you feel you are not getting enough client contact, for instance, brainstorm ways you can increase contact, maybe by shadowing other workers or providing support via phone or video. If you feel you are mostly doing office work or paperwork, have a list of other activities you would like to try.

Lastly, remember your supervisor may not be as aware of the problem as you think. Busy supervisors will often assume everything is going fine unless they hear differently.