With colleges shutting down campuses, companies laying off employees, and the global uncertainty of what Covid-19 would bring, one question was at the top of many college student’s minds. What’s going to happen with my summer internship?
A lot of schools require that students complete an internship before graduation. It’s an amazing way to put the knowledge learned in the classroom to use in the “real world”. However, as restrictions were put into place for coronavirus, some intern programs began shortening or even rescinding offers.
From having to move home to completing my first year of college online, I was fortunate enough to keep my summer internship. Like others, the internship got moved to a remote setting. While I was not able to be in the corporate office and have a “normal” internship experience, here are a few things that I’ve learned in the first few weeks.
Ask a lot of questions & over-communicate
Especially in the beginning, ask as many questions as you need/can. Your manager cannot pick up physical clues that you may be confused about something. They can’t tell if you might not have a complete understanding of what to do. It’s up to you to communicate when you’re not sure. It’s not like in an office where you can just get up and walk to ask your manager a question. Trust me, they want to help you, but the only way they can is if you communicate.
As meetings are virtual, this presents additional challenges. A few of the most common questions that I’ve heard in meetings are “can you see my shared screen?” or “Is anyone talking? I can’t hear anything.” There’s nothing worse than talking over a PowerPoint deck for 5 minutes, only to realize that everyone else was staring at a black screen. It’s better to be that annoying person at the beginning asking if everyone can see/hear than be the reason why the meeting ran long because you had to repeat everything.
Imposters syndrome is a real thing
It’s easy to feel like you don’t belong in the role. After all, there are thousands of people who know more than you do and might be able to do better than you. However, remember the company hired you for a specific reason and they believe you are the best fit for the internship. They see potential in you and believe that you will contribute positively to the organization. You aren’t supposed to know how to do everything, you’re there to learn.
Put effort into meeting new people
A huge downside of working remotely is not getting the chance to have coffee chats or informal meetings with colleagues, bosses, and mentors. Even when there is the opportunity to have a one-on-one session, the digital barrier is not ideal. It might seem awkward to just email a potential mentor or manager to ask if they have time to talk. However, you’d be surprised at how eager people are to talk about the company and what they do.
One of the best ways to make that connection is to reach out through email and just introduce yourself. Be proactive about setting up a time to talk. For many company email systems, there’s a way to view colleague’s availability, so sending a meeting maker is very effective. Something like “Hi, I’m Francisca and I’m interning in the Tech department this summer. I saw you have an opening on your schedule at 1 pm on Wednesday and I’d love to schedule a 15-minute meeting. I wanted to chat about what it’s like to work in your position full time at this company.” is a great way to break the ice. Their time is valuable and they’re spending it speaking with you, so use it wisely. Have a loose guideline of the topics you want to cover and questions you want to ask.
Have a routine and take breaks
It’s easy to sit down for work at 9am, and realize at 5pm that you’ve been sitting the entire day. It’s even easier to realize that you haven’t moved from your bed since you woke up. I mean, no one would ever know that you were working from the comfort of your pajamas. Staying active and healthy is an important part of having a work-life balance, so finding a way to do so is imperative. Wake up a little earlier to make breakfast, change out of your pajamas, stand up and walk around for a couple of minutes each hour are easy things to do that’ll make a difference.
Starting an internship is normally difficult. But during the pandemic, it offers a whole set of new problems for students to overcome. There are a lot of new experiences and the skills that can be taken away are incredibly valuable in the workforce.
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
Francisca Li (born 9/15/2001) is a student at the University of Texas at Dallas studying Business with a concentration in IT and Finance. She is a freelance graphic designer and branding expert as well as a co-founder of Orenda Change.
