I love that the article mentions that “an internship is an extended interview. [An intern] should be evaluating [the company she is interning at] as much as its executives are evaluating [them].” This is something that even I forget to do. Because you feel inherently grateful for the opportunity to work in a company you want to work for in the future, you forget that it is up to you to analyze them as well and see if they are a good fit for you full time.
I agree that it is incredibly difficult for an intern to speak up, especially to their manager, and especially when going against their manager’s orders. As an intern you barely get room to have or voice your opinions anyway. Dissenting, rejecting, or refusing an instruction from your manager means compromising your ethics. Since ethics are personal and value based, this may come off as you not being willing to do what it takes for the company to thrive, and they may cut you off.
To lessen the social threat that comes with speaking up, I like the framework given in the article. At the end of the day you need to get stuff done, so find a way to do it. Find a faster way to accomplish the task without compromising your ethics. If asked how you managed it, present the alternative method you chose that aligns with your values.
Lastly, make a plan on what values are non negotiables for you. Use that framework to guide what you can withstand and what you can walk away from. That way, as an intern, you don’t have to spend time negotiating with yourself, family, and friends about what is ethical because you can check against your value list and make a decision more quickly.
