Your efforts have paid off. Finally employed as a virtual intern after passing the tasks and/or interviews. You are naturally eager for your internship to start since you are aware of the many benefits of working remotely. However, there are some challenging elements of working remotely that you should be aware of. Given that this may be your first internship as a virtual intern, the following advice will guide you in getting the most out of it:
- The first week is really important:
- Establish effective communication with your mentor; address any questions you have about the stipend, the anticipated workday, or the daily agenda.
- Give your mentor advance notice of your test dates, semester breaks, any campus events you’ll be attending, etc. so they can create a thorough work plan.
- Learn how to use the technologies you will be utilising the most throughout your internship, such as Dropbox, Google Docs, and Skype.
- You must master the skill of excellent email writing since it will be your main form of communication. For some useful advice on drafting emails, check this post. You may also enrol in certain long-term benefiting online courses like Coursera or Udemy.
- Request ongoing feedback: In a virtual internship, you will only get a limited amount of advice and mentorship; nevertheless, don’t allow this prevent you from developing professionally throughout the internship. Email your mentor daily updates, and solicit her opinion often. You must exercise patience as well; given her likely busy schedule, your mentor may not be able to provide the comments right immediately.
- Participate actively in team-building exercises: Since virtual internships are often completed outside of the office, there aren’t many chances to learn about the culture of the employer. Therefore, be sure to fully engage in any team activities, whether they are real or virtual, and leave a lasting impact on everyone. In this manner, you may expand your network and cultivate your interpersonal interactions.
- Take initiative: There is only so much you can learn if you just follow instructions and wait for your mentor’s guidance on every new task. To make a lasting impression, take the initiative and go the additional mile. For instance, if you are hired to write blog posts for the business, you might also learn how to use Illustrator to make customised cover graphics or recommend pertinent Social Media campaigns. Similar to this, you might offer to your mentor any characteristics you see on a website that your firm should have.
- Be aware of deadlines: Working in a virtual environment without a frequent check-in partner makes it more difficult to meet deadlines. You must have motivation and self-control. Maintain a daily task list and note significant events and tasks in your personal calendar. Your objective should be to differentiate yourself as much as you can, even if it’s a virtual internship.
A virtual internship may significantly advance your career with enough preparation and work. If you do well, you could even be able to turn it into in-office employment for the remainder of the school year or beyond graduation.
If you are still looking for more career advice, click here.
