Career Prep 2009 Summer Blog

When you are thinking about switching groups, talking to a mentor is paramount- to get some insight into whether it even makes sense to switch and the possible implications. Mentors at your company especially are relevant here as they know the culture and the organizational do's and dont's- and so can guide you appropriately. They may tell you asking for a switch isn't a good idea in that environment- and it is important to hear that! Adia Matthews at Harvard and Lisa Cuesta at Penn stress on talking to your mentors- Lisa even adds it might be good to talk to informal mentors you have at the company. Because these are relationships that you have cultivated because you were drwan to the person- outside of the formal mentoring relationship- and so it is likely there is a good rapport built here. Once you have concretized your thoughts around the issue, and have a clearer sense that you do want to ask about a switch and also of why you want to- Adia and Lisa suggest you should approach HR/the internship coordinator at your company to talk to them about it. It is critical to go prepared for that conversation- but have an open mind about the ensuing discussion. So it is about how you express yourself/how you ask. And being aware that your request may not always be granted. Keep in mind this is a tricky process- because you don't want to offend your current manager!

So as Chi-Chi at Penn says maybe the request should really be a last resort attempt!! You need to weigh the desire to switch against your longer term goals vis-a-vis the company- and whether it makes sense for you to stick it out and get through the summer? And whatever you do, Mario Ruiz at Baruch College says never burn any bridges- even if the process is warranted and you are successful in moving, leave your previous group on a positive note and stay in touch!