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Not that long ago something happened at my internship that shook my faith in interning which as you can imagine is very hard to do.  In all of the internships I have done I have been faced with a range of obstacles from being given tasks I didn't think I could handle to even just restlessness, but one thing I hadn't come across yet (to my knowledge) was being literally hated by someone in the office.

I came into this internship excited and anxious to work, but never thought that this enthusiasm would rub someone the complete wrong way.  While I was bouncing around doing what I was told to do, little did I know that inside of one of my coworkers was a little ball of negativity towards me that was growing bigger and bigger each day.

My boss, who also happened to be my mentor and a former teacher with an extremely busy schedule, would occasionally have me meet for lunch to discuss new assignments and answer my questions.  What I didn't know at the time was back at the office my lunch meetings weren't sitting well with my coworker who had a jealous eye.  Since this was a learn-as-you-go type of internship I did my best to be self-sufficient and figure things out for myself, but inevitably questions came up.  When I did ask a question I was met with an unhelpful brick wall from the coworker who had somewhat of an obligation to help train me.  The worst was when my boss gave me a task that specifically required me to talk to her because it was impossible to get any help or direction.

I have pretty thick skin, but when my boss told me that my coworker was telling him that I wasn't doing my job or didn't deserve a holiday bonus I was flustered and realized my professional reputation was at stake.

After I found out about that I started avoiding contact at all cost.  I even started walking around the office in a way that let me avoid her desk.  There were a few very friendly people in the office who would be happy to try to help me so I started going to them for help and guidance.  I was lucky that the situation eventually worked itself out on its own with a change of staff, but I will never forget being "the hated intern".

Getting it through that tough situation taught me a few things about dealing with tension with coworkers.

• If a situation with a coworker is hindering your ability to do your job go to your supervisor sooner rather than later.  It shouldn't be a fight just to fulfill your basic responsibilities.
• The less drama the better.  An emotional blow-out is the last thing you want which is why you have to carefully decide whether or not a confrontation is the right choice.
• Don't gossip about it.  Talking about the issue with other coworkers is only going to make the situation worse and will just drag it on and make it harder to ignore.
• Find people you can rely on.  Chances are there are other people in the office that would be happy to help you with what you need.  Make an effort to find these people and utilize them instead of dwelling on your unhelpful coworker.

Let me share with you one of the most important lessons I have learned through my experience interning- get in good with your coworkers.

I'm not just talking about the other interns, I'm talking about the boss' secretary, the IT guy- basically everyone in the office who will talk to you (without being creepy).



Don't go over-the-top
Nobody likes a suck-up.  Period.

Make an effort to get to know everyone and their individual personalities
Once you get a feel for what each person is like, you can decide who to joke around with, who to ask about their kids, etc.  Simply observing is one of the best communication moves you can make.

Ask questions
People love to talk about themselves, so even just asking questions and listening to their responses can put you in their favor.  Use this technique when you are at a loss for something to talk about with someone, especially during the first few weeks of your internship.

Be sincere and professional
These people have most likely been around longer than you and are closer with your boss, so don't cross any lines that might jeopardize your internship.  This means no telling dirty jokes or describing in vivid detail your most recent night at the bar.

Make getting to know your coworkers a part of your job description
If you consider getting to know your coworkers a vital part of your job, you will feel pressure to actually follow through.  A lot of times, by keeping in touch with the people you meet, you could get helpful career advice or letters of recommendations which will help you out in the long-run.

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Sounds simple enough, right?  Let me tell you a story.  

At one of my internships, I ended up having problems with one of the new hires who, coincidentally, was best friends with my boss.  Could there be a worse scenario?

I'm a pretty easy-going person and I don't like to cause trouble so needless to say, I was majorly distressed by this.  I didn't want to be visibly upset and put my good-standing with my boss at risk, but I was always stressed by this person and I worried it was going to hurt my job-performance.

I ended up speaking with the office manager whom I felt I could trust (and later became a close friend), and she kept an eye out for me from then on, even calling out certain behaviors exhibited by my coworker which weren't appropriate without putting me in the spotlight. 

Although I was scared I would look like a drama-queen, I'm glad I told someone in private.
If you are experiencing problems in your internship, go to someone; whether it be your internship supervisor or someone in the office who you can trust.  Internships are a learning experience, and it's definitely not worth being miserable the whole time.

If the problem is minor, try dealing with it yourself by focusing on other things, or by casually avoiding run-ins with the person.  Sure, lots of people have annoying hang-ups that will get under you skin from time-to-time, but that just comes with the territory of working in an office.

Just remember, that the relationships you form during an internship can last much longer than the duration of your time there, and that every positive relationship you form may be an asset to yourself and your future.