I'm currently a software development intern, and I've been in this company for almost 2 years. I really enjoy the office atmosphere here. My supervisor gives me a lot of space and freedom in terms of making implementation decisions, and I really appreciate this freedom he gives me because it helps me grow tremendously.
However due to some upper project management issue, quite often new projects that are in the middle of development get interrupted and put on hold by the project management team. Since most projects my supervisor assigns me are these new projects, my work is often interrupted and I'm left with nothing to do at the moment. My supervisor understands my struggles, but he couldn't do much about it since he's not part of the project management team.
When this happens, I usually go to my supervisor directly and ask for other tasks to work on. However, lately it's become a problem for him because he couldn't seem to find more tasks for me to do. And on the other hand, I do not want to bother my supervisor too much since he's really busy with his own work.
I've asked around my family and friends for suggestions, and they all say I should just not worry about it. Personally I feel really "guilty" to just come in and sit there with nothing to do.
So my question boils down to this:
How do I deal with the situation when you are out of tasks for a period of time?
If I'm not phrasing my question correctly or it needs more clarification, please let me know. I appreciate your help and input. Thanks!