Hustle Files: The Hidden Struggle of Intern Life – Stress, Endless Hours, and Anxiety

In a hope to shape their career, young minds or freshers join a firm as interns, but what they land into is often different from what they expected. Instead of an opportunity to learn, it often becomes a hustle to survive even the probation period. In one such incident, an intern used Reddit, a social media platform, to vent about their experience at work and how six months into the internship made them reflect on the future. "Is this what I'm gonna have to deal with my whole life?" asked the Redditor."I haven't posted anything on Reddit till now but what has happened has brought a lot of anger in me and has made me question my life choices. I have just entered the corporate life. I joined a big media and communications agency 6 months back

as an intern. And it's been hell for me," read the Reddit post.

Is this what I'm gonna have to deal with my whole life? byu/Little_Raccoon2751 inIndianWorkplace

The post described how the company often made the Redditor work 12 hours straight, impacting their health. In one instance, the intern was not available for an office call, which led to a dramatic reaction. The anonymous user felt that the company relied on interns as if they were permanent employees.Also Read: 'Sick': Women's Paintings 'Sexualised' in Gwalior, Defaced Around Private Parts; VIDEO"This impacted on my health and I was sick for 15 days on bed rest. I've worked weekends and I've seen that they are so much dependent on the interns I felt like I am working for a startup and not a MNC. Just last Sunday, my manager called on my personal number 4 times; when I didn't pick up the call, they created a group on Teams with their higher-ups. I told them I was out and wouldn't be able to work. I was told to ping them back whenever I reach home even if I get home late at night. The thing is, being from a protective family and a comparatively easier degree, I'm not used to hustle.""Is this normal? Am I overreacting? Am I to deal with this for the next 40 years of my life? I'm so done atp I cry almost all the time thinking about this. Also, my manager gave an example of another intern who worked even when they were sick. Is this how all companies work? Am I going to give all my days, time, basically all my life for them to control?" the post added.Also Read: 'Kill Us First': Delhi Man Feeds Dhatura Laddoos to Family, Strangles Them to Death While UnconsciousJob Stress in Interns is High: StudyJob stress is a negative experience that can lead individuals to leave jobs or decline offers in their chosen fields, according to the National Library of Medicine, USA. Research indicates that interns, particularly in higher education settings, experience high levels of stress largely due to work demands. Key stress factors include insufficient knowledge and skills, lack of remuneration, monotonous tasks, transport difficulties, multiple supervisors, and long working hours.Most studies have focused on health students, with limited research on interns from other disciplines. Job stress can negatively affect job involvement and learning experiences. Although stress among university students has been widely studied the specific link between job stress and interns’ engagement in higher education settings remains underexplored.