- An intern lost a full-time job opportunity after trusting a new colleague at a tech firm
- The intern confided workplace frustrations to the colleague, believing him to be a friend
- Following the conversation, the intern's team lead changed behavior and warmth disappeared
An intern at an Indian tech company shared how trusting a colleague cost him the full-time job he had worked three months to earn. His story, posted on Reddit's Indian Workplace forum under the title "A lesson I learned the hard way about workplace trust," went viral and has sparked debate about office friendships and trusting co-workers.
The intern, who has not been publicly named, said he had been "giving everything" at a software firm, aiming to convert the internship into a permanent role. He believed he was on track.
Around the same time, a new intern joined the team. The newcomer "rapidly grew close to the HR staff," the Redditor wrote, but he didn't think much of it initially.
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He told the colleague he felt his team lead had taken credit for his work and shared other workplace frustrations.
"Made the mistake of venting to him one day. Told him how my team lead had taken credit for work that was mine. Thought he was a friend. Trusted him," the intern posted.
He further noted that after that conversation, his team lead's entire behaviour changed, and the "friendliness" and the "warmth" had just gone.
"Like a switch flipped," he wrote.
The team then told him that he needed to extend his internship, despite being good at the job.
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See the post here:
A lesson I learned the hard way about workplace trust.
by u/Hungry_Sport_8196 in IndianWorkplace
Looking back, the intern said there was an early warning sign. The same colleague had once casually recounted how he threw away a class topper's revision notebook before exams in school.
"He told me that story like it was a funny memory. No guilt, nothing," the intern wrote. "People tell you exactly who they are. We just don't pay attention."
"I left without the conversation. And the thing that hurts the most, my mother has migraines and BP issues. I had planned that the moment I get converted, the first thing I do is get her a proper checkup. That was my goal. The actual reason I was pushing so hard," he wrote.
"That got delayed because of someone else's insecurity."
Social Media Reaction
The post resonated with many on the platform, with users commenting on the post, sharing their point of view. "Good that you have learnt your lesson, although via a hard route. All the best for the future," one user wrote.
"Bhai, there are no friends in office space + HR kisi ke saga nahi hote, they can't offer you a safe space. I learned it the hard way, too," another wrote.
"Okay, I can't help you much, but I would suggest that you really read some books. Not to take advantage but to be aware. The first would be Machiavelli," a third user added.
