The pandemic has brought on a lot of lifestyle change: social, economic, and financial. With mask mandates and businesses still in the process of reopening, many internships have chosen to remain online. It’s nothing new, but many graduating college students haven’t been able to experience an in-person internship before they enter the real world. There are pros and cons to this change, but during my experience with a virtual internship, nothing beats the real thing. Going in blind is never a smart move, so here are five things you should know before applying to virtual internships.
be prepared to make your own hours
Although this may seem like a win-win situation, remember that you aren’t in the office. In the past two virtual internships I’ve held, I was given the responsibility to manage my own hours. Remember, this might not be the case for every virtual internship. As someone who craves structure and loves a good schedule, this was detrimental to my experience. Accomplishing my required tasks wouldn’t take me nearly as long as was intended, so I ended up sitting around a lot. On the up side, it was nice to pick the hours of the day to clock in and out.
There is a serious learning curve
Since you won’t be physically working in an office, the process of onboarding will be online. Onboarding is simply learning the skills and practices of the employees in a certain workplace in order to be an effective worker. Even though some in-person internships are learning towards permanently implementing virtual onboarding, starting a new job on the computer can be tough. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions and be open to receiving criticism and help. It can be intimidating to reach out to experienced members of a company to ask for help, but the best pieces of advices come from those who came before you.
Zoom, zoom zoom
If you thought you officially escaped Zoom meetings, think again. As high school or college students at the beginning of the pandemic, Zoom meetings were difficult and hard to adjust to. Since then, collectively we have done a fairly good job adjusting to this platform, so don’t fret about taking it to the corporate world. Almost every corporate business will be using Zoom or a similar alternative (Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout, etc.). Unfortunately, you might have to turn your camera on this time around, ladies, but it gives you a chance to reach out and recognize some faces around the company. The best part is that you can dress business casual on top and rock your favorite sweats on the bottom.
Check your email
The most efficient mode of communication in this virtual environment is through email. You will likely receive upwards of ten emails per day, from different people, asking different questions. It’s really important to pay attention to due dates and be weary of response times to these emails. Unlike high school and college, the professionals need world done and done well. Late work is not tolerated. Have your email readily accessible and available to be checked, even when you’re off the clock.
have fun
Even though you aren’t getting to experience what a. real job would look like, it is still an amazing learning opportunity. Take notes and talk to the people above you to make connections. Networking is important to help you come graduation time. Don’t be afraid to speak up and speak your mind. It’s all about getting out what you put in. Go get it, girl boss.
Hopefully down the line, internships will return to being fully in the office, but for now, collegiettes, we will take what we can get!