Movies show you that interns get treated like garbage a lot of times. Well, movies aren’t too far off the mark. Interns are kind of like the new kids on the block that need to prove their worth in order for their bosses to actually think they’re capable of doing the job. In reality however most interns are able to find help not just from their colleagues but from their bosses as well. A good boss wants an intern to succeed. They want to be able to hire that person later on and know that they’ve done their best to give them the tools they need to fulfill their role. In the movies being hard on the interns is kind of like a rite of passage. In real life it’s kind of the same, but with less vitriolic comments and behavior.
Here are a few interns that you might recall from some of your favorite films.
5. Chris Gardner – The Pursuit of Happyness
Based on the true story of Chris Gardner, Will Smith and his son Jaden turn in a performance that is top shelf and shows just how hard life can really be. Evicted from their home, forced to live out of hotel and then a shelter, Chris and his son struggle to make life work when his wife leaves them and he can’t make enough to cover food and rent at the same time. Upon entering an internship he continues to struggle as he seeks a way to provide for his son and himself in a world that cares little about them and won’t stop to pick them up when they fall.
4. Ben – The Intern
You don’t normally see interns this old. Of course there’s nothing to say that the experience of an older person can’t do wonders for a young and dynamic company. Ben proves that you don’t need to be young and inexperienced to be an intern as he becomes sort a father figure for his boss and his fellow workers. Some folks don’t see retirement as a means of relaxation when they get older and feel the need to stick around for as long as possible.
3. Billy McMahon and Nick Campbell – The Internship
Old school salesmen are still worth listening to. They had to go face to face with some of the toughest customers to sell to and walk away with what amounted to a new client and a successful outing if they wanted to eat. Computers have taken over a good part of our daily lives but the time you spend with people is still vital to the overall life experience that interns need. If you can’t connect with the people you’re helping then you’re only doing half the job.
2. Andrea Sachs – The Devil Wears Prada
Technically Andrea isn’t an intern, but she might as well be considering that she’s working for someone that doesn’t seem to appreciate her and is expecting to move on when she’s paid her dues and done her time. This is one of the hardest parts of being an intern that a person could possibly imagine. You’re on call all the time, you’re expected to do and not speak unless you’re given leave to do so, and you’re always supposed to help out whenever and wherever you can. You basically kill yourself for a chance at a better life. Ironic isn’t it?
1. Guy – Swimming with Sharks
Sadly there are cases in real life that are like this. Guy is the intern that wants to believe that good things are coming. He wants to see the silver lining, but it’s hard to do so when the thunderclouds just keep rolling in. However he takes a direction that isn’t really recommended when he threatens his boss. It might feel good and it might be a fantasy of many underappreciated employees and interns, but in today’s world and back then it would mean a visit from the cops and a lengthy stay in jail.
Interns do what it takes to get the job, no matter if they nearly kill themselves in the process. In real life this means sacrificing a great deal to insure that they reach their goal. In the movies, well, anything goes really.
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