**Dear Tamara,** **Last week, I read the article "Has This Ever Happened to You?":http://www.universitychic.com/node/106 posted on University Chic. This awkward situation _did_ happen to me during my summer internship. As an intern, how should I handle the drama of a full-time employee misunderstanding my desire to help?** This is a situation that an intern needs to shake off. I know that is easier said than done, but stewing about it will not help maintain good relationships in the workplace. If you know that your motives were pure - to help her, support the team, and challenge yourself - and if other people in the office usually respond positively to your help, you can be pretty sure that the interaction you had with your co-worker was not about you. There are a variety of reasons that could explain her behavior. Maybe she was having a bad day. Maybe she is having some real life problems like a sick parent or kid. Maybe there are some weird politics in the office unknown to you that make her feel as if her job is legitimately threatened by potential office cuts. Maybe she has low self-esteem and thought that you were implying that she could not handle her own work. Maybe she is just a mean and grumpy person or maybe she thinks that she is the only one who can do the work correctly. In any of these cases, she misinterpreted your offer for assistance and used her own 'issues' to come out with a snide response. You cannot do much about that since you do not want to perpetuate the drama or make yourself feel bad. Now that you know how she feels, you can still be pleasant to her and give her the space she wants. You were on the right track by asking to help your co-worker: making work for yourself, seeking out challenges, and being a team player are great ways to distinguish yourself in the workplace. Hopefully, there are other people in the office who are more willing to delegate their work, accept your offer of assistance, and even mentor you a little. As an intern or short-term employee, you need to keep your 'eye on the ball' by focusing on what you want out of your summer experience. Make a list of what you hope to achieve by the time you leave that workplace. It sounds nerdy, but it really helps. The list could include such goals as: * *gaining skills or content knowledge specific to that industry* * *building relationships with key people for networking purposes* * *positioning yourself for an offer of employment from the company by the end of your internship* * *exploring that career or field to see if you like it* You will be putting this experience on your resume, so think about what kinds of projects and skills you would like to feature there and then go after those goals. You are only there for a short time, so get what you can out of your experience and leave your co-worker to sort out her own issues. *Good luck!* Tamara Read More