18 Aug How to Boss Your Remote Internship and Get an Extension Offer
A Remote Internship can be intimidating to begin with, and you may be thinking…
- How will I get to know my colleagues?
- What will I learn from this experience?
- How will I know if I’m doing a good job?
But by the end of your experience you could be like Javier Benavides from Tecnológico de Monterrey! Javier has just finished his 6 week remote business development internship with Acceler8 Clinical Research. They are a contract research organisation that provides clinical support to biotechnological, pharmaceutical, and medical companies all around the world. Having thoroughly enjoyed the experience and his host company, Javier has accepted an offer to extend his contract and continue interning alongside his studies. This article will give you our top tips for working remotely to increase your chance of receiving an offer at the end of your internship!
1. Set some boundaries
The most important first step to your remote journey is to set boundaries with yourself and people you live with. It can be tempting to keep working through lunch and much later than you’re supposed to. If you do this every day, you will burn out! Having a daily routine of when you start and finish can be very helpful in making sure you take enough down time. Let your family or housemates know that you will be working and you’ll need some peace and quiet! Set up your own designated working area away from your “social” areas so that your brain can differentiate.
Remember, although it may feel unusual to start with, remote working (just like every other skill) develops over time! It’s ok to feel overwhelmed. Share your struggles with your colleagues, I’m sure they will be able to relate!
2. Communicate, communicate and communicate some more
Fostering relationships will be extremely important to succeed in a remote internship.
When working remotely, it is much harder to have those informal water fountain chats or coffee breaks. It can be as simple as texting your new colleagues to ask them about their weekends.
This will help to build a more personal relationship and it will help you feel more like part of the team! Communication with your manager will also be essential to make sure you’re staying focused on your tasks and learning at your desired rate. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, everyone wants the best for you!
3. Write to do lists and track your progress
You are going to learn SO much during your remote internship! It’s so important to be able to remember all of the skills you develop so you can talk about them on your CV or in interviews. Making a weekly entry into a progress tracker can be a great way to ensure you’re developing every week and also help you remember everything!
To do lists are another great way to stay on top of your workload. These can be equally useful for short term and long term. Writing a quick to do list every morning outlining your focuses for the day is equally as beneficial as writing a to do list for your whole internship. Before you start your new job, try to think of skills you want to master during your time with the company and make a list of these. It is very satisfying when you are able to tick one off 😉
4. Javier’s top tip for your Remote Internship
“I chose to intern remotely mainly because of COVID-19 restrictions. However, when I started, I realized this modality offers flexibility and a wide range of self-managing skills that may not be obtained when interning in person. My top tip is to consider that a remote internship requires compromise, self-management, and flexibility. This can be achieved by establishing a schedule for each day and prioritizing activities.“
– Javier Benavides
What is Javier doing next after his Remote Internship?
Since completing his 6-week business development remote internship in Singapore, Javier was offered to continue his internship for 6 months, with reduced hours, alongside his studies. This extension will allow Javier to acquire more knowledge and connections that will help boost his network in the future!
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