In the midst of a global pandemic, many college students all over the world are losing their internships. For some lucky students, their internships were converted to a remote internship. If you were one of the lucky ones, congratulations! When you have a remote internship, how can you make most of the opportunity given the circumstances? Here are five suggestions to help!
1. Avoid distractions.
When you're working from home, you don't have any supervision, it's a blessing and a curse! It's so easy to open Twitter read Chrissy Teigen's tweets or spend an hour watching the latest dance trends on Tik Tok. Just like any normal internship, you would put your phone away and avoid surfing the web for non-work purposes. Set up a workspace that will allow you to completely focus on work. Turn off the Netflix and set aside the phone! It's going to be hard but so worth it!
2. Dress to impress!
Ever since college classes have been online, I think it's safe to say that students know how easy it is to roll out of bed, grab a laptop, attend class, and go back to sleep. Though this might be working for classes, it wouldn't work with an internship! There's a famous saying: Look good, feel good! Girls, when you wake up in the morning, try doing your hair. For guys, maybe shaving that quarantine beard would be a good idea! Throw on that nice button-up or blouse instead of a KAM'S shirt. You never know when your boss will ask to video chat. And yes, you DO have to wear pants during a work video meeting.
3. Get organized and stick to a schedule.
You should treat your remote internship the same as an in-person internship. Try going to bed at decent enough time to be ready to work in the morning! Emulate a typical workday and take a lunch break, then finish the day's work around 3 p.m. If you're anything like me, the days are starting to feel mushed together. I don't even know what day it is most of the time. Don't be like me and buy a planner or keep a digital task list on your computer to get organized! Write down what you need to accomplish for the day, then check them off as you go along!
4. Go the extra mile to communicate.
Communicating is vital! You're already at a disadvantage since you're not physically at a workspace where you can communicate with coworkers or your supervisor. Chat with your boss about how they'd like to stay in touch. Consider emailing a weekly recap with updates on projects or any questions you may have! A weekly video chat is a great option too! Establishing constant communication builds a great connection!
5. Stay optimistic!
Let's face it, remote internships don't give you the exact same traditional internship experience. I know you probably looked forward to traveling or having your official desk at work but it's important to stay focused and optimistic! The biggest thing to remember is that you're still able to have an incredible and unique learning experience! This experience will display your flexibility. All employers admire a flexible employee. Who knows? Maybe this one will land you your dream job!
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