I�m not actually going to send this, but this is something that I really wish I could get off my chest to the boss. Sometimes it just helps to say things to yourself, even if the person you think needs to hear it just can�t. As the summer comes to a close, I�m reminded of exactly how much time I have spent here. I started here when I was 18, fresh out of my first year of college. Now, I�m 21 and I�m entering my last year of college and soon I will be in the working world, no longer a learning student, but more of a seasoned apprentice.
I have to wonder after all of this time if I�m going to be given a job offer for my loyalty and abilities. I have certainly learned many important things about the engineering world and the work force in general from you, but I�m not sure that will be enough.
I know that when you first hired me, I wasn�t what you were looking for. You were looking for someone with more experience: someone like who I am now. I persevered though, and produced some extraordinary work for you. Obviously, you valued me then, because you invited me back along with a team of other interns.
Unfortunately, my abilities seemed to plateau after that first year and I don�t believe that is due to me. I have only gained in my knowledge through the years; I haven�t lost anything. I couldn�t possibly have lost my �fresh face� so early before even taking any true engineering classes.
I feel that my problems in achievement are not due to my abilities, but more due to you holding me back. I am a �smart girl� as you put it, and I truly believe that myself. However, if anyone were to see the summation of my work for this past summer, they would not be impressed. This is in part due to your poor managerial skills and in part by my blindness.
It seems that you have very little respect for the people who work for you or even other people in the office who may disagree with you. AC, AD, and I are not lazy�we just have no direction. We are not entry level engineers who are seasoned on their problem solving abilities; we still need someone to tell us what to do. I know that I have gained a bit of independence in this area, as have the others, but we are not ready to come up with the answers all on our own, especially when we are not kept informed.
When I started here that first summer, you kept me very informed on your whereabouts and on the status of the project. Now, we hardly know if you�re in the office or what project we�re even working on. If we question you, you simply ignore us. We don�t have any idea why we are doing things, which is essential if problems come up. We could easily display our competence if you would simply explain what it is you are looking for. If there are problems, then, we can think of a way to fix them without having to run back to you or redo our work.
You are also very rude and disrespectful to us as office employees. We are not children, nor do we act like children. Therefore, there is no reason to treat us as if we were children. When you call a meeting to check up on our status, you should attend it. It is not our responsibility to page you to remind you of your own meeting.
You need to learn how to control your frustrations. When you tell us exactly how to run a test and the data does not come back as you wish, it is not our fault. There is no reason to yell at us or belittle us for an anomaly in the data. If we have to repeat the test, we will, but there is no reason to berate.
You should also not openly yell at someone in an office setting. Engineers of today are trained to work in teams. That means that if someone disagrees with you, you have no right to yell at him or tell him they are wrong without listening. I understand that you have a natural communication barrier with English being your second or third language, but you have to adapt. This is the way the work force works. Respect is key.
You should not tell one of us something and not tell the others. The interns are a team and if you want the most efficient work crew, you need to keep everyone informed. This means that if you choose to delegate AC as testing manager, you should also tell AD and I about your plans for testing. What would happen if AC were not able to come in to work? You would waste company time explaining to us what you already explained to her.
You most certainly have no right to call anyone �stupid� or �incompetent� in front of everyone if he or she does not know the correct procedure or how to do something. Part of being a mentor is to teach: it is your responsibility to make sure that we know how to do something before we do it and to work with us if we do not. We would like to be efficient and good employees, but we do not come onto this job with all the previous knowledge to do certain things.
I am sure you are aware of some of your own problems, but sometimes things just need to be said. I have spent an entire summer stressing myself out and bending over backwards for even the whiff of a job offer. You have not spoken to me about my future, nor do you even seem to care. Shame on you.
I am tired of trying my hardest to land a job that in the end, I may not even want. I will tell you this: if I am offered a job by someone higher up and it involved working for or with you, I will not accept it. I will not work with someone who has a tantrum when things do not go his or her way. You need to grow and open your communication skills before I would even consider employment near you.
I hope you understand that this is not some kind of vengeful personal attack. I just believe that your professional life needs a makeover.
Best of luck in the future.
J
