Remote internships can be an amazing way to get the experience you need without relocating to another city—especially if you’re trying to have an internship while taking classes. Despite the advantages, there can be a lot of downfalls in remote internships—from slower communication to barely knowing who your boss is. However, there are ways you can make sure you’re getting the full internship experience even when remote!
1. Schedule yourself well.
With remote internships, it’s so easy to get behind on work because you aren’t committed to an office setting. However, schedule yourself blocks of time during the week when you must only do work for your internship—that way it can mimic the timing of an actual in-person job.
2. Do not work at home.
This goes hand-in-hand with scheduling yourself. When you’re on your couch in your pajamas it’s easy to feel like you’re not at work, making it easier to procrastinate. But if you commit to going to the library or the Starbucks down the street, you’ll likely be more productive.
3. Be good at answering emails.
This is SO important because email is likely your primary form of communication with your boss. And they will notice if you take three days to answer their email. Even if you’re not someone who is tied to technology, you really have to be keen on checking your email during business hours if you want any hope at impressing your boss.
4. Video/ conference call if you can.
It may be more up to your boss, but it’s helpful to have video or phone chats every once and awhile. It allows you to get to know your co-workers, and information can be relayed a lot quicker and easier. If your internship doesn’t have scheduled conference calls, ask your boss if you can talk on the phone roughly once a month for an update on your progress.
5. Speaking of… ask your boss for updates on your progress!
Remote or not, it always looks good to ask your boss how you’re doing. This helps you improve your work and know what you’re doing well. It also shows your boss that you care. In a remote setting this is especially helpful because without face-to-face communication, it may be harder to realize you aren’t doing something correctly.
6. Ask for extra work if needed.
Usually this isn’t a problem, but sometimes you may complete a task in two hours your boss thought that would take five. Instead of taking the day off, first ask your boss if there’s anything else they’d like you to complete. It looks good because they’ll see that you’re efficient and are offering to go above and beyond.
7. Reach out to your other co-workers.
Don’t miss out on networking just because the internship is remote! If you know you have a co-worker in the field you want to get into, ask if you can chat with them about it. Or if you work with other interns, create a group message where you can get to know each other.
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