Ways to handle coffee-fetching internships

So, you're interning at a company in your desired field, and all they've assigned to you so far are monotonous tasks such as fetching coffee and sorting papers. Probably not what you were expecting. Many of us have been there, and there are a variety of ways to handle it, some undoubtedly better than others. Read on to learn how to make the most of your internship opportunity.

What is an internship?

An internship is a short-term role that allows individuals (often students or recent college graduates) to gain practical skills and insights in a specific field. Typically lasting a few months, internships provide hands-on exposure to the professional environment, enabling interns to apply their academic knowledge, build networks, and enhance their resumes. They can be paid or unpaid and may lead to full-time job opportunities or valuable references.

Ways to make the most out of your internship

Here are some tips for handling internships where you're not doing valuable work or learning relevant lessons:

Communicate your expectations upfront

Communicating well and establishing what you hope to gain from the internship can help hiring managers and supervisors better allocate tasks. Having clear expectations for all parties from the start can help you avoid the coffee-fetching altogether — or at least ensure you're given additional responsibilities that are more aligned with your goals. This can also help you when it comes to applying and interviewing for these internships, as you can quickly find out whether the opportunity aligns with what you hope to learn and your ultimate career goals.

Find a way to brag about it on your resume

There are ways to word something on your resume to make it look good without lying. In an internship where you do nonrelevant tasks, such as answering phones or running errands for the boss, you can still include it on your resume by relating the tasks to a specific position you apply for in the future.

Brigham Young University gives an example of this on its website by showing how someone could make a teaching assistant position on their resume look compelling for a sales role. In this scenario, BYU suggests putting the following on a resume: “Tailored information and resources to the needs of 15 independent students.” Tailoring information is what salespeople do, so it's relevant while also being accurate.

Fetching coffee may be difficult to brag about, but it does show your willingness to do any task your boss asks of you. Sorting papers shows your organizational skills. Answering the phone displays your interpersonal skills. There are ways to market this to your advantage without exaggerating or lying.

"While interning can sometimes lead to unfulfilling tasks such as fetching coffee or sorting papers, there are effective strategies to make the most of the experience."

Ask for more responsibilities

It may sound nerve-wracking, but asking for more relevant responsibilities can work. This might be as simple as asking where you can help the team or making a formal request to your supervisor for more duties. Be sure to do this as respectfully as possible, reiterating how much you appreciate the company's work and your opportunity to intern there.

If this is an unpaid internship, then legally the company can't merely have you fetching coffee. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are six criteria that must be met to determine a legal unpaid internship, summarized below:

The internship should be similar to the kind of training found in an educational environment.
The internship is for the benefit of the intern.
The intern doesn't replace employees but works under their supervision.
The employer “derives no immediate advantages from the activities of the intern; and on occasion, its operations may actually be impeded.”
The intern is not necessarily guaranteed a job after the internship ends.
Both you and your employer understand the internship is not paid.

If the company where you're interning for free doesn't meet those criteria, then it's not meeting the legal requirements of an unpaid internship. Of course, this only applies to for-profit companies and unpaid internships. If you're paid or interning at a nonprofit organization, you can't take the legal approach with your boss when asking for more relevant work tasks.

Do your best and then find another internship

If things aren't panning out with your internship, should you quit and try to find another? Unless you're being harassed or mistreated in some way, you should finish up an internship you've already started, whether it's paid, unpaid, relevant, or irrelevant. And finish it up well. But after it's over, look for another more meaningful internship.

Lauren Berger, founder of Intern Queen, completed 15 internships during college. Most college students won't get near this number, so don't allow your only college internship to be one where you don't gain anything — whether it's money or valuable work experience. Don't let one bad internship solidify your entire internship experience. Try to land at least one more during college but only after giving your current internship your best shot.

While interning can sometimes lead to unfulfilling tasks such as fetching coffee or sorting papers, there are effective strategies to make the most of the experience. By communicating your expectations upfront, creatively framing tasks on your resume, and proactively seeking more relevant responsibilities, you can still gain valuable skills and insights. Ultimately, internships are vital for career development, and perseverance can lead to rewarding outcomes. After completing your internship, be sure to upload your resume to job boards — such as CareerBuilder — so you can start finding your next role.