Expert Answer
Anonymous
During my Data Analyst internship at Infolabs, I participated in a project where I collaborated with a team of five to develop machine learning prototypes and conduct large-scale data analyses. At the end of the project, each intern received an evaluation from our direct supervisor. I was surprised to find that my performance rating was lower than I expected, given the contributions I felt I had made.
Task:
I wanted to understand the basis for the rating and felt it was important to clarify any discrepancies between my self-assessment and the supervisor’s perception. My goal was to maintain a positive relationship while advocating for the work I had done.
Action:
I requested a brief, one-on-one meeting with my supervisor. In that meeting, I calmly listened to their feedback to understand their perspective fully. Then, I shared specific examples of my contributions:
- How I had taken the lead on cleaning and preprocessing a particularly challenging dataset.
- My involvement in training a machine learning model that boosted predictive accuracy by 57%.
- The additional responsibilities I took on when another team member became unavailable.
I also provided the documentation and metrics I’d been tracking to illustrate the impact of my work. By centering the conversation on factual evidence and outcomes, I was able to highlight aspects of my contribution that might have been overlooked initially.
Result:
After reviewing these points, my supervisor acknowledged that some of my behind-the-scenes work wasn’t fully visible to them. They updated my performance file to reflect my efforts more accurately, and we agreed to have more frequent check-ins going forward. This experience taught me the value of proactive communication and documentation, ensuring that both my manager and I have a clear view of my responsibilities and achievements.
