5 Ways to Maximize your Remote Internship
Remote internships have become increasingly popular amidst the current global pandemic. For so many college students, internships are the first experience in the corporate world, so it is essential to maximize your experience. Here are 5 ways you can make the most out of your internship.
1. ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
With internship work transitioning to being more project based, it starts to feel a lot like homework. You begin finding yourself squeezing in time here and there. Although hours and location are flexible, it becomes increasingly difficult to produce quality work. The hardest part of working from home is maintaining focus, since we are not accustomed to the environment. I blocked off time in my personal planner and kept my cell phone on silent to ensure that I remain dedicated and focused. This ensured that my deadlines were met and that my other commitments were balanced. I found this extremely helpful, as it minimized multitasking, and enabled me to take initiative when speaking to my supervisor. Routines like this are perfect for boosting productivity.
2. DEFINE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Creating a simple to-do list can increase productivity and success. Defining what needs to be done is the first step to progressing towards your goals and visualizing the progress. Similar to the routine, it continues to establish work and home boundaries and brings you closer to the completion of your work. I utilize google calendar to block off my meetings and organize time in which I can complete each assignment
3. OVER COMMUNICATE
Since we are not in a traditional work setting, it is important to feel connected to your colleagues. You don’t get the same everyday face-time which can make it difficult to develop relationships. This is why it becomes important to over communicate your responsibilities, so your supervisor does not feel like they are left in the dark when it comes to deadlines and clarifying questions. This can help establish a working relationship where you can both learn from each other. A good way to do this is to establish a channel that your supervisor prefers. I focused on emails and weekly check ins to recap what I’ve accomplished, any questions I have, and projects I’ve progressed on.
4. ASK FOR FEEDBACK
It is important to leverage this real life experience to help define your future path and career goals, by defining your skill-set. Feedback is essential for growth to truly get the most out of your experience. This could simply translate to emailing edits, or reviewing progress on past projects to see where you can improve. These lessons will follow you into your future, so it is important to solicit feedback whenever possible, and implement the changes.
5. INCREASE YOUR NETWORK
Connect with other colleagues that you have encountered while completing your remote internship, whether fellow interns or your supervisor. This can help you get a better picture of how to complete remote work and what opportunities are available. It is also helpful to connect with other students performing remote internships in related fields to see what companies are out there to leverage your future goals. These connections will add to your professional and academic networks and can serve as assets in your future. You can leverage platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook groups, and even Handshake to find online events to connect with such individuals.