What happens when your internship does not quite live up to your expectations . . . how to make it work instead of quitting?

Thousands of students are competing to land coveted PR internship as they know that the days of landing your dream communications job without a set of industry internships or relevant job experience is super rare.

Below are ways to turn the frown upside down, and maximize the potential of this opportunity instead of calling it quits:

•   NOT ENOUGH WORK

It can be extremely frustrating when you are not getting the valuable experience needed – especially if you are not being paid! Interns are often faced with the problem of not having enough work, or being given “busy work” that does not really add value to the company.

The solution is To Be Proactive: If you find that you are finishing projects before lunchtime, do not spend the rest of your day on Facebook – speak up! There are most likely projects that you could be doing, and your employer might be grateful for the help. 

• Feeling Invisible

Getting no love from the big boss can be discouraging, but do not just slack off because it appears as if no one is watching. Distancing yourself from your colleagues and shutting down is the worst way to end the cycle of poor communication.

Instead, take initiative. Build relationships with other interns and entry-level folks who do have more time in their schedule to explain things to you.  Although getting ignored by the one person you want to learn from is tough, using your skill set to help out assistants and other interns may benefit you down the line. Finally, if there is no intern program, offer to build one out .

•  NOT ENOUGH FEEDBACK

Having no direction can seem daunting when you are being assigned huge tasks. But, don’t quit!

It’s time to self-educate! Get your hands on the boundless information available online that help you figure out what the heck goes into a “media kit.” 

Shoot your school’s PR professors an email and ask them those overwhelming questions your boss cannot answer. Seek out informational interviews with professionals in your industry through LinkedIn. This industry moves so quickly that your undergraduate education simply cannot keep up. Smart communicators take their education into their own hands.

These were just some of the problems that may pop up during an internship. If you are facing any issue regarding your internship, do share how you are dealing with it. Your experience and solutions may prevent someone from disappointment!