I need your help with professional advice please 🙏
Hi guys,
I hope you are all doing well. I have been recently doubting about a matter that I think a lot of people that begin their careers might find valuable to share. I have been working at a huge company for 5 months as an intern, where I gave my absolutely best, resulting in ending up with two different roles in the same organization as well as bigger responsibilities, but staying in the same intern position with the same wage conditions. I think that hard work bring great benefits if you give your very best to improve every day, but I recently have heard for some colleagues that it is not worth it to work that hard, that scaling up in a big firm is really hard, and it only or mostly depends of the number of years you have been working there. Another colleague of mine has told me that she has been 20 years and they haven't promoted her in the last 7 years (maybe due to the fact the she didn't claim it because she doesn't know how to sell herself as she told actually told me), and I mean, everyone has their own story, but I think that by hearing these tales and seeing how I am doing more a more work without being compensated in any possible way (economically or a higher position) I am a bit hopeless about keeping this position even though the firm has a huge reputation. I have always believed in meritocracy, and I have seen here that no matter how hard you work you'll just have the same conditions. Maybe it's because I was here for just 5 months but I don't know guys, what do you think I should do? Or, what do you do if you are more experienced than myself?
I don't like complaints but sometimes I think they are necessary to being capable of defending yourself against people that just want the best outcome with the least possible reward. Fortunately for myself, I don't need the money for now because I still live with my parents, but I am a bit discouraged about all this and that is why I think about just quitting and trying something different or even go into a venture alone as I think I have bigger chances to get a great outcome, or at least, feel like my work is paying off!
I appreciate your time for reading this and I hope that someone can give me some feedback in what to do.
Stay safe,
Feli
I think I would need more insight about the type of industry your are in and your country’s view on work/Interning.
However, I would like to tell you to follow your gut and intuition. If you truly feel that you are not be valued and compensated enough, you have to either have that talk with your supervisor or leave. If you do decide to talk to them, have a hard number in mind that you will not budge from. Have your reasoning and analysis completed beforehand. Another option before the “talk” is to apply to other positions now. Once you get an offer somewhere that is more than what you currently have, use that to bargain with them. They will either see your value and attempt to keep you or not.
Lastly, you can leave. I would suggest to make sure to learn all the valuable skills and techniques that you can prior to leaving.
All in all, trust yourself 100%. If you feel devalued, chances are they are probably devaluing you. You do not owe them anything. Their main purpose is profits. They did not give you an internship to be nice. You earned the internship by either being qualified enough with the right skills, having strong personal connections, or luck (which is also a skill.)