5 Helpful Ways To Handle Your Remote Internship This Fall

By Francine Fluetsch on July 27, 2015

There are many different kinds of internships, some of which allow you to work online from remote locations. This is actually how I work for Uloop.

This can come with upsides as well as challenges, so here are 5 helpful ways to handle your virtual remote internship this fall.

Image by Alejandro Escamilla via Unsplash

1) Write down deadlines.

When you are working in your pjs in your bed, you may sometimes forget that you have actual deadlines. No one is going to be watching over you in an office, they will just expect that you get things done.

Your boss may email your assignments or call you once a week to let you know what they would like you to do. I would advise you to get a planner where you can write down all your responsibilities, and when you will have to submit things.

2) Be self-motivated.

If you are a procrastinator like me, you are going to have to work really hard to be self-motivated. You definitely don’t want to save big assignments until the last minute. You may think that your boss won’t know that you only worked a total of 2 hours on your assignment since they can’t physically track your progress, but just like professors, they will still be able to judge the amount of effort you put in.

Just because it’s remote and online does not mean you can slack off or that it has any less value than an internship where you go in and work in person. Working remotely means your boss puts more trust in you to get the job done and do it correctly, so make sure you reach those standards.

You need to budget out your time and figure out how long you will need on each assignment, and how much you are going to work on it on any given day. Since most people have to fit this work around school, I usually start with one school assignment, write a bit for Uloop, and then work more on homework. This provides a break from homework so you don’t get bored and is an effective way of getting all your work done.

3) Be Internet savvy.

Working remotely means relying on some sort of communication through the Internet to receive and send your assignments. If you know you get information from your boss through email, you should make it a habit to check it a few times a day. I downloaded my mailbox onto my phone, so whenever I check Facebook or post a picture to Instagram, I also swing by my mailbox to make sure I haven’t missed a new assignment.

Saying “sorry, I didn’t check my email for a few days” is probably not the best idea. If your boss needs to Skype you once a week, make sure you plan that into your schedule and be somewhere where you have a good Internet connection for the call.

4) Communication is key.

Just like with any other internship, you aren’t expected to know everything right off the bat. Asking your boss questions about your assignment is vital if you have any, so don’t feel like you have to figure everything out yourself just because you work on your own. Your boss will be happy to help you out, just make sure you ask the question before the assignment is due.

If, for whatever reason, your assignment is going to be late, make sure you at least let your boss know with a quick email. Yes, being late with something is probably not a good thing, but with some warning time you’ll be in much better shape than if you just don’t let them know and don’t turn it in.

Things can happen, like if your computer is malfunctioning, your cat just deleted your file by jumping on your keyboard, etc., but it is important to let your boss know if there will be delays. On this note, try not to make a habit of this. As said in step 2, you need to budget out your time, and if you are constantly doing this, you shouldn’t have to submit things late all the time.

Image by Thom via Unsplash

5) Watch out for time zones.

I work for Uloop from the west coast, while my boss lives on the east coast. This means that when an article is due at midnight on a certain day, I need to submit it by 9 p.m. my time to get it in on time. Since you are working remotely, time zones may more than likely be playing into effect, so just keep that in mind.

If you have to do interviews with people, make sure you ask in your email or over the phone when you are setting up the meeting about which time zone they are in. This will clear up a lot of confusion if you already know this information up front. It takes a bit of getting used to, but before you know it, you’ll know exactly when you have to call people or turn things in to make sure that they are on time.

These are just a few things to keep in mind when working for your virtual, remote internship. Take it seriously, meet your deadlines, and enjoy doing your work in your bed while wearing your comfy pjs as I am now. Good luck!

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