Learning to work with difficult colleagues or boss

You started working at a nice place, everyone seems nice and your initial tasks are going well. In the beginning, everything is exciting, new, and fresh, but like most new things the honeymoon phase wears off. With time you understand what activities actually bring you joy and which you would describe at best as a chore. In some scenarios, you might have to work with someone that you initially got along well with, but with time noticed that they might not actually have very good people skills. What should you do when working with difficult colleagues.
Be it unrealistic timelines, excess work, boring activities, or negative feedback there are many reasons why you may not enjoy working with an individual at a company. The most important tip that you can take to heart is that you should pick your battles wisely. Especially as an intern or young employee, when you have a small difference in opinion with another colleague, the company will usually side with the employee they deem more valuable. In most cases, when a subjective difference is discussed, the employee with a longer tenure, or seniority usually will have the last word. However, at this point, it is important to note that there are some issues, such as harassment or fraudulent behavior that you must report, regardless if it is your first day. Companies and authorize often take such complaints seriously and it is important that those issues are voiced.
For other differences, if you notice that none of your points are being accepted, it is sometimes smart to simply do it the way that they suggested, but explain why you did it the way you did. This way the company, and the colleague can see your thought process, but also see that you are willing to do it the way they expected it. Sometimes people don’t like change and your new approach might seem alien to them, however, if you explain why you did it in the first place, but also show initiative that you are willing to change your approach, often reflects well on your work ethic. Over time, the other colleague might warm up to your approach.
It is also important not to overwork yourself. Learning to say no to new exciting projects is important! If you find yourself working after hours to catch up on work, it sets the expectation for other colleagues that you are able to do all of this work with no issue. Learning to decline certain opportunities to focus on those that you can manage always reflects well on you. It usually is better to finish all five tasks in time than have 10 tasks that are all late or incomplete.
With these tips, you should be able to work with the most difficult colleagues, supervisors, or managers. If you do run into more issues, talk to your internship supervisor at the UvA. They can tell you from experience if this is normal and how best to act in your experience. As an intern or young employee you still bring a lot of value to a company, don’t let yourself be discouraged by other colleagues. Do your best, learn something new and have fun!