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I have been plotted on an assignment that I do not wish to do owing to its complex nature and the fact that my superior takes too long to review and complete it.

Even after communicating my unwillingness by giving another reason to my manager, it failed to bring any change. So, right now I am stuck on the same.

I tried to cheer myself up and do the task at hand. However, nothing seems to help. I feel very frustrated and feel that I am being used as a "Back-up Resource". I am always transferred to other assignments and never allowed to complete one till the very end. Once the main chunk of work and a review of the same is completed, I get shifted to another assignments. I am not liking it and feel used. I feel I should communicate the same to my superior - in a clear manner.

However, since I am only an Intern I am not sure if I should oppose so much and express my discontent. I don't wish to come across as someone who is demanding too much, being at the lower rung of the organization. Neither do I want to accommodate every time.I am still very unwilling to do this and not enjoying the work.

How can I effectively communicate this?

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    How long is your internship and how far into it are you? I also clarified your question slightly to make it more on topic here. If this changes your intent feel free to edit to make it more clear, thanks!
    – enderland
    May 7, 2015 at 16:06
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    With this kind of attitude, you will be a Falling Star soon. "I don't want to do this work because it is too complex." "My superior takes too long to review." "I communicated to my manager but it did not change anything." Why do you seem to have this notion that you are entitled to do only easy jobs, have your superior put aside all his other work so that your review completes fast, and that your manager must accept all your demands?
    – Masked Man
    May 7, 2015 at 16:22
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    When you are on the lower rung, you don't get much choice. Everyone starts at the bottom and is assigned the less glamourous jobs. How you avoid these in the future is by doing excellent work on these so you climb the rungs more quickly than your peers.
    – Laconic Droid
    May 7, 2015 at 16:32
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    The fact is at work everyone should get the work done. People are paid for getting their work done. And the worst thing for you - easy work could be done by anyone. The harder job - the more skilled specialist is recruited for this. Even seniors are forced to solve something they don't like. If you don't like the job, but it's part of your contract - employers will just find someone with right attitude.
    – Amberta
    May 7, 2015 at 18:50
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    "I feel very frustrated and feel that I am being used as a "Back-up Resource"." Welcome to being an intern! That's what they do.
    – Jane S
    May 7, 2015 at 21:07

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Why would you give yourself the nickname here Rising Star and then whine about doing things that were too complex. That doesn't sound like a rising star's attitude.

I get interns like you all the time. They know how to do "something" so they think they are a genius. They want me to hand pick their time so they can do that "something". Well maybe I don't trust that person with the "something", maybe we don't need to do "something", or maybe that "something" is being handled just fine by someone else.

As an intern you are at the bottom of the food chain. If you present an attitude during your internship you are breaking the unwritten code. I am supposed to mentor you and teach you how things work and you will do some grunt work that is probably beneath you. I lose time by teaching and I gain time getting grunt work done.

I have had some very very talented interns. Even the most talented ones needed a lot of hand holding. The first month they get very basic tasks, then maybe a small part of a project, and then only maybe 20-30% ever move to the point where I would give them something substantial.

You say that your manager is moving you everywhere. This could be for a lot of reasons. The one that happens most to us is that the intern is annoying people in a project so we move them somewhere else. It could also be that the manager has no idea what to do with you since you are complaining so much so they are putting you places and see what sticks.

My advice? Quit thinking you earned something or that you are better than others. Also you have got to quit the whining and telling your bosses what you will or won't do. You are frustrated? Who cares. You will be really frustrated in a couple years if you keep acting like this and have a job flipping burgers. You are less than the "Backup Resource" as an intern. Not only do you not know the job but per it being an internship you are gone pretty soon without a trace.

You feel used? Every job uses its worker, to work. As workers we use jobs for pay. As an intern you should be proud that you are "being used". I suggest sitting down with your manager and apologizing to them about your attitude and just asking what the team needs you to do.

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    kids these days amirite?
    – easymoden00b
    May 7, 2015 at 18:17
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    @easymoden00b - I know I come off as grumpy old man, but I am not. I love getting the interns with attitudes. Thinking you are the best in the world is fine to me, telling me you aren't doing something... whoa.
    – blankip
    May 7, 2015 at 18:19
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    no, i'm just foolin'. You're totally right in the need for this individual to "know his place". Especially at an internship of all places, you should be thankful they're not asking him to fetch coffee. Overall, well said.. gramps.
    – easymoden00b
    May 7, 2015 at 19:12
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    Fired three people just like this... :l being something special in school means nothing at work. Before you can be considered something special at work you have to repeatedly demonstrate you're something special. First on small isolated tasks that will lead to larger ones. No one of any intelligence hands of a major project to the new kid. (less they're trying to sabotage either the new kid and / or the project)
    – Eric J Fisher
    May 8, 2015 at 17:20
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    @RualStorge - Hmmm... I might have taken care of a few (large) projects that weren't worth even me spending two minutes on them by handing them to a "star" intern. What is funny is how excited the team is, how the "star" produces what he knows right away, what he has produced is often not scalable and often makes integration near impossible, then watch as people quit with the idea of the project thinking it is impossible since the "star" couldn't do it.
    – blankip
    May 8, 2015 at 19:12
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State your desire to complete the project as a preference. Don't try to pull ultimatums because as an intern, you're most likely quite expendable.

The manager has you do chunks of work - not necessarily a bad thing. Unless you prefer to work and complete a project that takes 10 years to finish. In which case, it's possible that no one cares what you finished and ten years of your life go down the drain.

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  • The only edit I could suggest here is removing the word "probably" from the second sentence.
    – NotMe
    May 8, 2015 at 22:38

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