An internship helps a student to be independent at an early age. It comes in paid and unpaid versions, but both include experience. You get an internship on your performance basis. An internship could last more than a month and then end naturally, but you have an option to quit an internship.
To quit, the intern must provide a valid reason for leaving before completing the period. Then a former notice or letter of resignation must be forwarded to the boss. Finally, the intern must secure a letter of recommendation for the positive experience while working with the organization. Express your gratitude to your mentor for providing you the opportunity to work. We will dive into the details required below.
Here Are Some Steps to Quit Your Internship
- Plan when you are going to quit: Before deciding to talk to your mentor make sure you have the proper date to quit your internship. Just simply quitting by declaring it to your seniors make a point of your leaving. Have a decent plan along with an appropriate reason to quit the internship.
- Tell your mentor in person: Rather than using technological means like send an email, tell your mentor personally. This will show your humbleness towards them and will keep you in contact. Proper face-to-face communication would have a greater impact on your mentors.
- Give a reason: Things never happen without any reason, same way tell your reason for quitting the internship. This will lead to clear the picture of you leaving the organization to your mentors.
- Complete your task: Before quitting make sure you have your hands empty. Complete every task assign to you and inform your mentors about your work. This will ensure that your work reputation remains intact while you leave the organization. Completing your pending work would leave a positive mark on your mentors and will be helpful in the future.
- Ask for feedback: Some internship has existed evaluation but if that is not the case ask your mentors about your performance, the way you worked, your strengths and weakness. Ask their suggestions for your areas of improvement. This could help you to work on your problems while working in the future. Be it positive or negative feedback is essential.
- Get a letter of recommendation: While leaving you gain some experience through your work. Ask your mentors for a letter of recommendation which would help you get a job in reputed companies in the future. This letter will ensure your work with better organizations in the future making it an important document along with your certificate.
What does an Internship mean?
An internship is a short-term experience for fresher’s who wish to be financially independent. The period of the internship varies depending upon the field of work. It is more of a learning experience than work. An intern gets knowledge about fieldwork through an internship. This period is crucial for any person since they discover an actual line of work. Be it part-time work or full-time. Then, the person enters the stage of execution to put up their bookish knowledge physically. Typically summer internships are over 10 to 12 weeks. Winter and fall ships vary and are mostly part-time.
There are two types of Internship:
- Paid Internship
- Unpaid Internship
The data about hiring an intern without pay is a blur, but both have their perks.
- Paid Internship: When an intern is allowed with incentives, it is referred to as paid internship. In this kind, the employer has the right to provide work without a limit as the intern is rewarded for it.
- Unpaid Internship: In an unpaid internship, the intern is appreciated for the work rather than rewarded with incentives. In this kind, the intern is solely selected based on his performance. The employer cannot burden the intern with unlimited work since nothing is provided in return other than experience. Therefore, there are high chances that the intern wishes to quit such kind of internship. Since unpaid internships could be a burden without the support of reward, a person could feel trap in such a type of internship, and their priority might be quitting.
How to Quit Unpaid Internship?
Quitting an unpaid internship must be handled the same way you handle a paid one, with professionalism and class. The steps that must be followed while quitting an unpaid internship are explained in detail below:
- Set a meeting with your boss: In the professional world conducting meetings and conferences is consider has major steps. There is a meeting held before any important decision. So while leaving a job there is a requirement of meeting with your boss.
- Provide a prior notice: Every organization demands a prior week notice from their employee who wishes to quit their job. The process of approval takes time so it’s better to write a descriptive letter including the reason to your boss.
- Keep tabs: The notice period might take a while so keep communicating with your mentors. Keep tabs on your resignation letter.
When to quit an internship?
Time is of the essence, as it is said that phrase could be used to determine the appropriate time and way to quit an internship. Human nature tends to make rational decisions, but there must be no rush when it comes to professionalism. It must not be taken in the heat of the moment. The individual must consider all aspects, pros, and cons before quitting.
Here are some reasons that can be considered for quitting the internship:
- When you feel threatened or unsafe: A person must always feel comfortable and safe while working in an organization. If you feel unsafe and unsure then that must be a good reason to quit your internship. If you are threatened by your mentors or any colleague then you must leave the organization.
- When you feel exploited or disrespected: If you are not respected or being exploited by any of your mentors then you have no obligation to work in that place anymore. That might be the time to quit your work. Where work has no value where your words have not valued that organization is better off without you.
- When the employee’s personal values are compromised: The part where you have been told to do work which you don’t agree on is the time to know that your values are compromised. When you are made to do things against your will, would lead to the big reason to quit your internship. When you are made to compromised then there is no meaning for working in that organization.
- When the company is involved in some illegal or unethical behavior: When you find out that the company you work in is not the fan follower of rules or is practicing things which are wrong in the eyes of law that is the moment you know that your expectations of working in a decent organization are broken it’s better to say goodbye to that organization.
Conclusion
An internship is the core of a person’s career, and it must be securely searched. Furthermore, the learning experience during the internship period is essential, which must be preserved by them only. To do so, they must be willing to make hard decisions like quitting an internship. Yes, it is possible to quit a paid or unpaid internship by following certain steps which are given above.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can we quit the internship early? A person can quit an internship before their period by giving notice to their mentors before the scheduled period. Be it a paid or unpaid work. There is a period, say 3-4 months. After that, the intern has to work. But you can quit before your period by informing your mentors and giving them notice of your resignation.
- Is it bad to quit an internship? Internship is a learning experience where a person but be comfortable to learn. So if you are not sure about the internship, it is appropriate to quit it. There is nothing bad in quitting an internship that doesn’t suit you. It would be best to figure out the problem soon, if there any and quit the organization as early as possible.
- What should be put as the reason to quit the internship? The reason must be the ultimate truth behind your quitting. There can be many reasons but what you disliked about your work must be the only thing for you leaving it. It could be the work, environment, your mentor, or any other thing. But your reason but be valid which must satisfy yourself.
- What to say while quitting an internship? Make sure to thank your mentors for providing you the opportunity. Show your gratitude to the people who had helped you with your work or had been your support system. Thank the organization for your kind words and share your thought about working in the organization.
