My internship was supposed to be an opportunity for growth and learning for me. But instead, it became a never-ending loop of errand runs, cleaning and learning nothing the whole day.
I was bursting with excitement on my first day of Industrial Training. I already played different scenarios in my head of things I could possibly do and learn in this new environment.
According to my dad, the company specialises on computer networking, a field that perfectly aligned with my interest in Internet Security and Networking as a major. Being a computer science student, I was thrilled at the idea of interning in a company that matched my desired major. In my mind, this was the perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience.
I was so excited to start my internship the next day, that I ironed my clothes and prepared my bag, and even filled my water flask the night before.
My first day finally came, and with my phone's "map" app open, I boarded a bus that would take me to the company, a 30 minutes journey if all went smoothly, i.e no traffic.
I arrived at the company and took a moment to compose myself before entering. As I approached the entrance, I was stopped by a lady with a mop in her hands. She asked why I was there, and I told her that I was an IT student, starting my internship that day.
After pointing me to the right direction, I made my way to the office of the Managing Director.
I was greeted by a man with shiny bald head, thick rectangular glasses, short stature and with big rounded belly.
Okay...., that wasn't the image I had in mind. But, it spoils nothing.
The M.D's voice was stern and direct "your starting time is 8am, and we don't tolerate lateness here. We are in charge of cleaning the office environment ourselves, we don't pay anyone to do them for us, cleaning the office is everyone's responsibility. Whenever it's raining, we close the windows, and bring in the signboards. You'd be needed mostly on the ground floor, so stay there except instructed otherwise. You can ask the lady you saw outside, where to keep your bag and also the password to the company's WiFi. You can leave"
As I processed his words, confusion and disappointment began to creep in. He didn't mention anything about the job expectations, no mention of what I'd be learning, or whether it was a paid internship.
Instead, I was left with the impression that I would be spending the next six months as a cleaner, expected to clean, close windows and wait downstairs until someone deemed me worthy of their attention.
While lending a hand with the cleaning didn't bother me, the thought of spending six months learning nothing during my IT did. But I thought maybe I was overthinking it, and I would actually learn a lot at the company.
The lady I met earlier walked me to a small office where I would be staying, and I had the password to the company's WiFi, so I spent my time of doing nothing, scrolling through Instagram. The entire day passed in a blur of social media distractions and when it was finally 6pm, I was told I could go home.
Despite my disappointment at accomplishing nothing that day, I reassured myself that it was only the first day, and things would improve
On the second day, I arrived there with a renewed optimism, but it's past 2pm, and still, I had been assigned no task, been taught no new skills, I sat there, frustration building with each passing minute, hoping that this isn't the way the remaining 5 months and 29 days would be.
Earlier that day, a man with the tag "engineer lucky" came downstairs. I approached him and inquired if there was anything I could do to assist. His response? A single word: No. And with that, he turned and left.
Finally by 4pm, I was summoned by the assistant MD, who was also happened to be the MD's wife. I was quick to go upstairs, thinking that I was finally going be assigned a task.
Yes, I was assigned something. I was assigned to go outside the company's gate, across the road, and get her boiled egg, which I did.
By 6pm I headed home, again another wasted day. I complained to my dad, because it was his idea for me to do my IT at that company, and he assured me that it was only because I just started, but I was starting to doubt that.
On the third day, I was sweeping the down floor where I was assigned to wait till whenever I'm needed, and where the office I was assigned was located, when the MD came downstairs. Perhaps today would be different, I had thought.
He has never spoken to me after the first day, but that day, he spoke to me, he said "your cleaning shouldn't just be restricted to the down floor, there are also lots of office in the middle and first floor that needs cleaning also. Most I tell you first?"
Janitor? Was that my job description now? I thought I was there to learn, to grow my skills. But this? This isn't what I signed up for. Rage bubbled up within me.
Later that day, I was summoned by the MD. But alas, my hopes were dashed once more as he merely asked me to fetch him bread from a restaurant called "spices"
As the day drew to a close, I summoned the courage and knock on the MD's office, determined to voice my concern.
"Sir, I haven't learned anything nor been assigned any work relating to my field" I said, my voice laced with frustration "how am I supposed to fill my Log book or complete my internship report?"
And his response was a dismissive wave of the hand "don't worry you'll do something. Whenever you get to something, you can share it and then write it in the blank spaces in your log book". Emphasis on "whenever"
On the fourth day, I found myself in the same position all day, doing nothing aside using their WiFi to continue an online course I was taking.
As I jotted down notes in my notebook, the assistant MD appeared before me, her expression stern. "I'm allergic to perfumes and strong scents" she said "so, you're not to wear any scented lotions or perfumes to work from now on"
It seemed my internship was becoming more restrictive by the day.
It wasn't the first time I'd been scolded by her for seemingly harmless reason. Only days before, she scolded me for drinking cold water on a chilly day, when she saw me taking cold water from the water dispenser, proclaiming in a firm tone that such action was forbidden in the office.
They are many of us that still enjoys cold water on a cold day, right?
Another time, I was on the phone with a close friend, since all I do is sit idly all day. I was laughing at what he said, when she came up to me to inform me that phones were prohibited during work hours, going as far as to threaten to confiscate my phone if she ever caught me with it again.
Mustering up my courage once more, I knocked on the MD's door on the fifth day, and pleaded with him to give me an actual task, something, anything, to occupy my time. Looking up at me from the rims of his glasses, he responded with a single command "mop my office". And just like that, he vacated the space, leaving me alone to clean his office.
It was the last straw. I called my dad, fuming with a pent-up rage that had been building since day one. "I'm done" I declared, cutting him off before he could offer another excuse "I refuse to waste another minute in this place. They need a cleaner, not an intern. And don't get me started on the fact that I'm not getting paid for all this".
I'd had enough.
I complained to the MD again about the lack of meaningful work experience "I have nothing to write in my report book" but his response was the same tired refrain "don't worry" he said dismissively "I'll get someone to help you write your report".
My time there was worthless.
But I did go there again on the sixth day, knowing fully well that that was my last day there. The MD, oblivious to my discontent, sent me on yet another errand, this time to fetch him an eyedrop from a eye clinic. And I did.
By 6pm as I packed my bag, counting down the seconds until I can finally escape this thing called internship at this company, their sleazy son walked up to me. He'd been flinging cheesy pickup lines at me since my arrival, but on that day, my final day, he got the courage to request my phone number, but I totally ignored him and walked away. Knowing that none of them will ever see me there again
I'll leave it to my dad to inform the MD that I would no longer be interning at his company.
And that, guys, was how I wasted one week at the company. My parents keep insisting that I should have waited a bit longer and not be in a hurry to leave, but I don't think so. Or should I have?
My dad claimed they specialise on computer networking but I saw nothing of the sort there
first image was generated using META AI. Remaining images are mine