This is the second in a series on Horrible Bosses:

Two years ago, I interned for a company. My favorite adjectives for the internship were “brain-draining” and “soul-sucking.” This had a lot to do with how much time it required on top of my schoolwork, but also how poorly I was trained.

On my first day of work, my boss told me to access a file and just said, “Do it.”

Okay, Nike.

I opened the file, read everything, and had no idea how to do it, or even what “it” was or what “doing” entailed. Surely, I told myself, I’m missing something; my boss would not just give me an assignment and expect me to know how to do it out of the blue.

But no, she had.

An hour and a half passed before I had the courage to ask her if she could walk me through “just one” example.

Boss: “Certainly!”

Of course the task made sense after that. But why did I have to ask to be trained?

A few months go by. I dream of running away to Portugal.

One day a coworker – who obviously is higher in the food chain than me since she’s not an intern – asks me if I know my boss is leaving.

Me: “Where is she going? Is she pregnant? She has been going to a lot of doctor’s appointments lately.”

The coworker shrugs. “But I’m going to be your new supervisor once she departs.”

Two days later, my boss emails me: “Hi, Cazey, I meant to tell you earlier, but this is my last day. It’s been wonderful working with you. Best wishes in life!”

Me: This is your last day? You’re just telling me now? How low do I rank on your totem pole?

I start composing an email to say how nice it had been working with her, too, and how I would miss her. Except then the email bounces back. Because she has signed off. For good. Like, she is gone.

My boss told me she was leaving an hour before she signed off forever.

A couple of months later, she added me on LinkedIn. One of her skills is “intern management.” I did not endorse her.

Also, apparently those doctor’s appointments had been job interviews.