I just started my summer internship at an Internet firm and I’m concerned already that I’m going to be given only menial tasks to do. That’s not what I came here for. How can I approach my employer and let him know how I feel without sounding like an annoying whiner?
You can’t. It seems to be in your DNA, you youngsters — all you little Zuckerbergs think you should be given VC funding to reinvent the Internet before you’ve paid any dues. Which is great if you’ve got that kind of unique vision, ambition and intelligence. But if you’re a mere mortal like the rest of us you should start out making the copies and fetching the skim lattes. If you want more responsibility, the way you’ll get it is to be masterful at what you’re told to do and do it with a great attitude.
By the way, if any of you VC folks out there happen to be reading, what do you think of “Facebloke,” just for regular guy’s guys? Can I start planning my early retirement and picking out a beachfront mansion in the Hamptons?
A new boss was brought into the firm where I work last month, and he’s already started making changes. The first two people he let go are long-standing employees who are in their 50s. I am also in my 50s and I’m worried that I’m going to be next. Do you think raising age discrimination as a concern with our human resources department will protect me?
I’ve been in this line of work for a long time, and unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of people lose their jobs for a lot of different reasons. But rarely are people fired for an unlawful reason.
The fact is that whether you are 24 or 64, every employee has got to justify his or her existence by adding value and helping the company achieve its objectives. You can express your concerns to HR but you stand a better chance of protecting yourself by going out of your way to demonstrate to the company that you’re worth keeping. Good luck.