How to Make the Most of your Virtual Internship
7 Top Tips from 3 Berkeley SkyDeck Interns
The coronavirus may have cut short our time in the SkyDeck penthouse, meeting face-to-face with startup founders and fellow SkyDeck interns, but it has not diminished our experience interning for one of the top startup accelerators. In this trying time, we have come to realize how dynamic and adaptable both companies and interns must be. Along the way, we’ve picked up a few helpful tricks that may guide future interns in navigating a virtual internship.
- Take Initiative!
With any internship, what you put into is what you’ll get out of it, and this is still the case when working remotely! You may find that your hours are less structured working from home, but this can be a great opportunity to put more time and effort into projects and execute beyond expectation. Your supervisor may not see you around the office, but that doesn’t mean you cannot show them that they can count on you to take on a lot.
2. Check in with your project managers — more often than you think you should!
We’ve found that checking in is always a good thing. In the beginning of our shifts, we email our project leads. It is up to you to let them know that you’re present and ready to get started. Should any questions arise during your shift, always communicate them with your higher-up.
3. Keep a living document that tracks your projects and progress
It’s easy for things to get lost when you have dozens of tabs open and countless virtual projects. We’ve found that keeping an organized doc that lists our tasks for each shift makes tracking progress simple and accessible for our project managers and teammates. This way, you always have an agenda to return to.
4. Stay active on email!
It may seem simple, but you never know when you might be needed for a project, a check-in, or extra assistance. Refreshing your inbox will keep you up-to-date and in the know of anything that might come your way.
5. Lighten the load: collaborate with your fellow interns!
Moving everything online seemed daunting at first, but this transition has gifted us with the opportunity of collaborating with other SkyInterns. With so many virtual communication platforms available, it became easy — almost instinctual — to sync with our teammates. Communication is key, so make use of what’s out there!
6. Make use of your newfound flexibility — don’t be afraid to ask for accommodations
We’ve found that our supervisors are open to adjusting our schedules, given the fluidity of the situation. It never hurts to ask to adjust your hours if you are in a different time zone or have new commitments that come up in your new work environment. It is important to make sure you are still able to be fully committed even though you are not in the office, and if that means you need to adjust your work hours, it never hurts to ask! Your supervisor will likely be more accommodating than you think.
7. Stay optimistic!
It is easy to lose motivation and optimism when not working with your team in person. We have found that by maintaining close connections with our fellow interns, we have been able better contextualize how our individual work impacts the bigger picture. This has helped us stay motivated and optimistic about the impact of our work. Additionally, with virtual work environments likely becoming more common in the future, our virtual internship experience is teaching a useful new set of skills on how to communicate and collaborate effectively in a virtual workspace.
Parting thoughts:
With this pandemic provoking an immediate virtual transformation, it was initially hard for us to fathom a meaningful online internship when we had grown so accustomed to the fast-paced, inspirational environment at SkyDeck. What we’ve found, however, is that in staying open, adaptable, and driven we are able to find purpose in these unstable times. These simple guidelines have enabled us to cultivate new skill sets and maintain productivity. We encourage any current or future virtual interns to stay positive; this is a unique experience that has the potential to be deeply enriching!
For folks interested in interning this summer with an innovative SkyDeck startup, we are hosting a Virtual Summer Internship Recruiting Fair on Friday, April 24th from 11am-1pm. Please join us and make the most out of your summer!
Blog post by UC Berkeley students Camryn Bush, Anna Miller, & Serafina Keltner-McNeil
