For an employer, a virtual intern will help him cut costs more than a traditional one. This is because there won’t be a need to provide an extra office space or computer for them. It is especially useful for small companies and the fact that the present generation is getting more computer savvy these days, it appeals to the employers to just stick to remote training and evaluation. This decision may come with mixed feelings for those looking to intern who would have hoped for a more physical experience in an office environment. They also feel that being in the office could get them a more detailed evaluation and appraisal. Well, perhaps you should read through these tips which can help you get exactly what you are looking for virtually.
1. Create the ideal work environment at home
Part of your concerns is not being in an office environment. Well, why don’t you create one at home? It will be beneficial to replicate a typical office environment at home by looking for some quiet space and doing some rearranging and restructuring to create a different aura of being away from home. Your dressing here too matters as you would be collaborating mostly on video calls and need to be professionally dressed. Distraction at home is real and if you don’t set a serious work environment and follow it strictly, you will be lacking the basic experience that should be helping you get the most out of your virtual internship program. Creating an ideal workspace at home helps you have a feeling of being away from home. It will help you concentrate on your internship like you were actually at the office.
2. Link up frequently with your coworkers and supervisors for help
To get your work done effectively, you will have to learn as much as you can from everyone possible. During your onboarding, you can take note of the departments in which you will want to be more involved and those at the helm of affairs. You can signify your intent to the departments and have people from there mentor you directly. The office may have its own communicative app for everyone to keep in touch. Use that medium to reach out to the veterans in the company who you want to learn from. This move could get you enrolled in different projects and have aspects of them dedicated to you. You can also ask any of your colleagues for help if you have any issues with carrying out your job. For example, if you want to send a mail to someone that requires sending large files and you do not know how to go about it, you can ask anyone on the communication app for guidance.
When you regularly connect with your team, it will create a positive relationship with them and they will always be willing to help you with anything. Getting a job there in the future could also be easier.
3. All the office tools you need should be available to you
There is nothing as bad as not delivering on an assignment or getting the best from training just because you didn’t have the necessary tools. What you will be needing to effectively carry out your duties as an intern would have been revealed to you during the onboarding process. Some would be provided by your office while others, you may have to get on your own in some cases. You need to make sure you have all these equipment or items within reach since you would be by yourself and not at the office where you can easily find an alternative.
During your job as an intern, you might need different tools, among them a VPN connection to establish a secure connection between you and the internet. You can ask for help from your colleagues to know what VPN they use within the company, or together you can go through a list of best VPNs and choose the one that fits you best.
You will need a stable internet, computer system, a piece of simultaneous translation equipment (if you would be communicating with people whose first languages are different from yours), and other items recommended. When all you need to work is available to you, it gives you a mindset of being prepared to carry out all your duties without hitches. This is necessary for you to have a rewarding virtual internship.
4. Accept Criticisms
This is one difficult aspect of working in an office whether remotely or physically. It is usually difficult to accept criticisms whether as a new staff member or an intern. You need to understand that you are learning in a new environment and are bound to make mistakes. So, you don’t have to be too upset if your actions didn’t go well with your superior at work. Your progress would depend on how well you can accept things like this and use them to realign your path in the right direction. You can do a video call to know exactly how the person calling you out feels about the situation. Criticisms are part of the learning process as an intern and it is necessary to put you in check, so you don’t feel too comfortable and take things for granted.
5. Attend series of training and workshops
For you to get a hang of things in your office and be properly equipped with the know-how of the company’s business, you will need to attend a series of training and workshops. You can talk with your manager to help you select which ones will be relevant to the departments you are attached to. These training and workshops will better equip you with the tools you need and the processes required for handling your job properly. Since you are on a virtual internship, it is only certain that these training sessions would be held virtually. Your mindset towards the workshops would determine how much knowledge you get. It will be practically impossible to grasp everything from possibly an hour or more of training so it would be good to take down notes which you can refer to at a later time. Training and workshops help you become more confident about handling your office duties. They can even help you learn email and phone etiquettes as well as how to behave yourself professionally in an office environment.
Final word
Having a virtual internship may not be what you had hoped for but it could be worth the while if you are able to follow these steps and any other ones your supervisor lays down for you. It is possible not to have criticisms at all but if it ever comes, make sure it doesn’t deter you. Remain focused and you would have a rewarding virtual internship.
