[jamie37]

I just started my new job as a staff accountant at a top 20 mid size firm. Everyone seems very nice but I just can’t help feeling nervous because of my previous internship experience at a top 10 firm. I interned during busy season in audit and had a horrible senior who made my life a misery. It was a disaster: a complicated first year client, he had just been hired, I was basically the ‘associate’ as it was just me and him working on the audit (w/ manager occasionally dropping by). I’m sure that I did some things wrong but at the end of the internship my senior gave me a bad review and I did not get an offer. He was the only senior that I had as the engagement was 2.5 months.

Does anyone have advice for if this kind of situation happens to me again? Or how to work/communicate more effectively with seniors/supervisors? I want to learn from my internship and make sure I succeed at my new firm.

[MaLoTu]

It sounds like it was a bad situation to have been put in. I think the best thing to do is try to incorporate things that would have helped you perform better into the work you are doing now with your new firm. I can’t imagine that all the comments made by the senior were totally off base. For the truly valid criticisms try to learn from it. The garbage criticism try not to let it bother you.
Remember that you get a fresh start. It is a benefit coming in with a little experience. Use it to your advantage and don’t let the past haunt you.

[Anonymous]

You are going to be working with many different personalities and leadership types. Some people will be more assertive some will be more empathetic others will be straight up rude and assholes. It's all part of the learning experience and the way to deal with it is to focus on yourself. Focus on your own professional development and how to take criticism from others. Eventually you will get noticed and won't be the new person anymore and you will get to lead and help others the way you want to do it.

[TGI Consultants]

That sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation to have been in. Do your best to leave the past behind and focus on moving forward and doing the best that you can. Ask for feedback regularly, so there are no surprises when you get “formal” reviews. When you do get criticism (because everyone does), learn from it and actively apply what they are telling you. The most important things I looked for in my new staff is that they had a positive attitude and did not make the same mistakes over and over again. Good luck!

[mrap]

Agree with everyone else – try to learn from the mistakes. Think how You would tackle that situation then (asking more frequent feedback, etc to timely correct flaws). It will not always work though….I worked at public with people just like your senior, went to private and got even a worse case of a manager and the principles that I used in public with seniors and managers (when I was a senior my managers were the same people that were seniors when I just had started) and that used to work on most occasions. My manager at the private company is a nightmare (used to be a manager in public too) and it doesnt work- tried all possible methods to try to have better communication with him, more frequent feedback or status updates. Nothing. Thats a point where unfortunately you may want to think about exit strategies as I am now, just 5 months into this job.

[Author]

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