A Guide to Burning Bridges in Your Internship Without Getting Scorched

By Elise Nelson on July 20, 2017

So you’ve been working at your internship for some time now, and things aren’t going as well as you had hoped. You keep butting heads with one of your coworkers. Your supervisor isn’t very nice or isn’t an effective leader. Or, the position just isn’t what you need it to be for your career.

You want to get out as soon as possible, burn all your bridges, and never look back, but just wait. Before you light the match, stop and think about the following.

Why should you be cautious when you want to burn a bridge?

You’re going to need references. The internship isn’t going to last forever. One day you’re going to be filling out job applications, and former employers will be your go-to references. You’ll want them to say only positive things about you, so be careful not to give them a reason to say something negative.

According to Jessica Kleiman of Forbes, you should “conduct yourself in a professional manner, stay focused until your last day, and leave on good terms.”

This way, even if an issue arises, you may still be able to save your chance at getting a recommendation.

A good reputation is crucial. When you’re just starting out in the business world, you have a reputation to build and protect. That reputation may begin with your internship.

Potential future employers will ask your supervisors what kind of employee you are, so you want them to hear a good review. Ending on a bad note might prompt your former employer to spill all the negative details. If employers think you aren’t reliable, you run the risk of not being hired.

Image via Pixabay.com

You will probably run into your boss later. It’s a small world, especially in business. LinkedIn and Facebook make it easy to stumble upon old colleagues. People make their way to the top by building connections, and you never know who your old boss is connected to. Maybe a future employer has worked closely with them in the past. Or maybe your employers happen to be long-time family friends. You might even just run into your old boss on the street one day.

You should always be careful to leave a company on good terms because you never know when you might need to cross that bridge again. According to Jeremy Biberdorf of Modest Money, it’s common for people to return to old jobs.

“It can make the job search a lot less stressful. You don’t feel that same apprehension when going to meet with someone that you’ve already worked for,” he said.

Always be civil, just in case.

What can you do to fix the relationship before burning the bridge?

Learn to apologize and forgive. Before your anger takes over and you decide to quit on the spot, try to mend the situation first. Make an effort to approach your colleague and talk things out. First, if you made a mistake, admit it. Be responsible for your actions and say you’re sorry — it will likely prompt your colleague to do the same.

Then, listen to their apology and forgive. Think about the problem from their perspective. When each side of the story is heard, you can both decide how to be better in the future.

Image via Pixabay.com

Leave other people out of it. Gossip is going to come back to bite you. No matter how annoyed you are, don’t spread rumors or complain about one colleague to other colleagues. They’re going to spread the complaints even more, and the story will inevitably be twisted. This will make fixing the relationship much harder.

“Your apology will not appear sincere and the whole relationship will come crumbling down around you,” said Heather Huhman of Business Insider.

Take the situation to your internship supervisor. If you’re having issues with a coworker and you don’t know what else to do, bring the problem to your company’s internship supervisor. They may be able to mediate a conversation between you and your coworker. If the issues are because of your internship supervisor, bring the situation to your school’s career counselors and they’ll help guide you to a resolution.

Either way, by working with a manager, you can identify possible solutions that will yield improvements to your internship experience. After all, you are there to practice for your career, and you can only do so in a positive environment.

How do you quit without burning the bridge?

Stay mature and professional. If you still aren’t happy after exhausting all possible solutions, you might consider quitting your internship early. As frustrating as the job may be, don’t make a dramatic scene. Approach your boss with a level head and explain that you would like to quit.

Put your best effort into your work until the very end, even if your mind isn’t feeling it anymore. Your professionalism will no doubt be acknowledged.

Image via Pixabay.com

Keep your decision to quit under wraps. It will be tempting to shout to the world that you’re leaving a negative place, but resist the urge. Don’t post on social media or tell your friends or brag to your colleagues. You might be able to leave, but your colleagues still work there. You don’t want news of your departure to end up in the wrong hands.

You should only tell your employer that you will be quitting, and do it well in advance so that they have time to plan for the loss.

According to Rebecca Knight of the Harvard Business Review, “Decisions surrounding the nature and timing of your departure are best left up to your supervisor.”

Be flexible about how long you can stay; it will probably be a lot less awkward when you leave.

Plan other internship or job options ahead of time. You don’t want to be stuck without a paycheck (or experience, if the internship is unpaid). The search for a new position might take several weeks, so don’t leave without lining up some options first. Plus, you’ll have better luck in your search if employers see that you currently hold a position.

Whether you find a new internship before you quit your current one or not, be honest with your supervisor about it. Let them know what you want to do with your future. They will appreciate the honesty, and they might be able to help you.

Image via Pixabay.com

Every decision matters in business, especially when you’re in college and just starting out. Think carefully before you burn bridges even if you think you’re working in the worst place imaginable. You’ll look back on the job one day and see that you did the right thing.

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