Questions about Jobbridge

catk123

I’m currently on a jobbridge internship but I’m not liking it i was wondering if anyone could help me out by answering a few questions please??
I’m doing 4 days a week in an accounts office and hate going in there everyday I feel sick to my stomach going in there, I wish I hadn’t accept it in the first place. I want to know if anyone has had a similar experience and how they dealt with it. As i’m quite a shy unconfrontational person I’m afraid to bring us the issue with my mentor or the dole office. I’m afraid that if i leave i will get cut off the dole. I just don’t feel like I fit in there. and it's not what I thought it was going to be, they are all high powered driven types and I'm so afraid I’ll make a mistake and screw the whole place up lol. I have to keep asking her questions and don't feel like I am taking in anything she tells me. I think I'm more of a hindrance than a help.
Please someone help me?


Hoping for some replies
Thanks

Prop Joe

In a similar position,Sure how can you fit in,These are Pro's and you are effectively a student on work experience (Thats how i feel anyway)..

Next week is my 14th week of a 9 month internship and Monday morning im gonna quit...Just so unhappy there

catk123

Prop Joe wrote: »

In a similar position,Sure how can you fit in,These are Pro's and you are effectively a student on work experience (Thats how i feel anyway)..

Next week is my 14th week of a 9 month internship and Monday morning im gonna quit...Just so unhappy there

Yeah joe i know exactly how you feel. What are we gonna do lol

Elessar

Just quit. You owe them nothing and seeing as it's voluntary AFAIK it won't affect your dole, you will just lose the extra 50 a week you get. Best to double check though.

catk123

I would love to just quit I haven't got the guts though lol I think i will have to go to the dole and find out for definite if my dole will be affected thanks for the replies guys much appreciated

Mrs OBumble

OP, if this is what it's like when you're in a workplace as effectively an unpaid volunteer, then what exactly do you think it will be like when you're there as an employee?

They hired you 'cos they think you are able for being trained into being a useful team member.

Why not tell us exactly why you dislike it, and maybe we can make some suggestions to help you make something of the opportunity you've been given.

catk123

Hey Mary,
Thanks for your comment. I know any job in this climate is a great opportunity,but I just
don't feel like i fit in there, and maybe it's not for me. I just feel really unhappy every day when i wake up and i realize oh god I have to go in there again today . I just don't think it's the place for me if that makes sense lol

Mr. Loverman

I don't think you should quit. It will set a precedence in your life where you run away from difficult situations.

Couple of points:

They want you to be there. (Repeat this to yourself!) They don't want you to quit.
You are a trainee so you are supposed to ask questions.
You are a trainee so you are expected to make some mistakes.
Shyness is a state of mind. People have told me I am very confident but I am actually quite shy. So I have interpreted this as my interior and exterior being out of sync. In other words, people don't realise I am shy! Only I think it. I now interpret shyness as being a load of bollox which holds us back for no reason. So my advice to you is to stop beating yourself up for being shy, accept that your opinion of yourself and other people's opinion of you are probably totally different, and believe that the people around you are (in general) no better or worse than you. People forget this but everyone wants the same things in life: happiness, security, love, health. So you and the "high powered driven types" really aren't that different. And I would bet one million dollars that the "high powered driven types" have all sorts of insecurities but just hide them well or rather you just can't see them.

So my advice to you is to not quit and to use this experience to grow as a person.

Slydice

There is a citizens information page on Jobsbridge:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/unemployment_and_redundancy/employment_support_schemes/national_internship_scheme.html

It links to a Frequently asked questions document:
http://www.jobbridge.ie/toolkit/faqintern.pdf

What if the Internship is not working out as I expected?
Workplace issues should be resolved with the host organisation.
If the internship is not working out as expected you should discuss this with the person that is supervising/mentoring your internship. If this does not resolve the issue you can contact us by sending an email to jobbridge@fas.ie providing the following: Your name, contact details, the host organisation name, internship title and brief outline of the issue.
An internship can finish early with one weeks notice on either side. In this event, the Host Organisation must log on and notify JobBridge immediately of the new completion date. The intern must notify DSP immediately.

You can leave.

You give a weeks notice.

You are entitled to dole afterwards but not the €50 extra that JobBridge was getting you.

They recommend you discuss any problems with your employer but you don't have to.

You should talk to your CWO about it as soon as you can.

December2012

Op I would take this as an opportunity to develop some work place skills.

Why don't you like the fact that the others are more ambitious than you? Ambition is not a dirty word. Everybody wants to make money; they are just making more than you right now. If you quit all you are doing is giving in to your insecurities.

I took on interns and expected to treat them as interns, ie answering their questions, giving them training, helping them learn.

Are you being the best intern you could be?

Your nerves could be getting to you, how about practising some confidence techniques?

If you tell me what exactly is wrong then I could help you.

Redtop

Please excuse my Direct approach here, but there's no point dancing around the subject. Work is generally a tough environment for most people. We've all had to put up with tough bosses and stressfull work environments. Getting paid compensates for the hassle to some extent. If you give up now, you'll never get back into a real work situation. I suggest sucking it up and sticking it out until the contract expires. Count your blessings that you have been given this opportunity. Don't let it slip through your fingers because you feel shy or uncomfortable. Have you tried assertiveness training ? Have you someone to confide in to help boost your confidence ? Stick with it - for your own sake !