The Pros and The Cons: Making the Best of Virtual Internships
About the author: Frances Schroeder ’22 is a Young Global Professional Intern at the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative. She is currently a rising senior studying Symbolic Systems and International Relations at Stanford University.
As I reach the end of another virtual internship during the COVID-19 pandemic, I am reflecting back on the unique challenges and benefits of working from home. Although virtual positions are not ideal, they make experiences available that would not have been so otherwise and pose unique pros and cons. As remote work is likely to continue for the foreseeable future for many, here are some tips for how to make the most of a virtual internship. These reflections result from my personal experience at multiple virtual internships since March 2020 and from conversations with fellow interns and friends.
CON: Lack of “water cooler” conversations
Without being in the office, many interns find it difficult to connect with their teams and often feel that their experience lacks many of the opportunities that they would have had in person. When you are not meeting people in the office, you lack the ability to network both formally and informally. Additionally, most internships are relatively short, around ten weeks, which makes it difficult to feel connected to your organization from afar.
PRO: More people are willing to have virtual conversations
Throughout the past year and a half of remote work and school, I have found that many professionals and academics have been incredibly willing to schedule Zoom calls with interns and students. Perhaps due to an abundance of time on their hands or due to the ease of making a quick video call from their home office, it seems that more potential mentors or employers are willing to have online conversations with students. Additionally, many employers have boosted their efforts to connect interns to experts in an effort to make up for lost in-person communications.
TIP: Take the initiative to network with experts in your field by requesting virtual informational interviews
While networking virtually is more difficult, I recommend being proactive and reaching out to individuals in your organization to set up virtual conversations. In addition to your immediate team and supervisors, search through the staff directory and look for individuals with experience that aligns with your academic and career interests. If you are not comfortable emailing someone you do not know, consider talking to your supervisor about your desire to be introduced to that person and ask for assistance in making the connection. They will likely offer that initial introduction, or they will provide you advice on how to proceed. As always, with informational conversations, do your research and come prepared for these conversations.
Have thoughtful questions prepared for the call, find a quiet place with a background that is not distracting, and engage fully in the conversation. Remember to always send a follow-up email thanking the person for their time and input.
CON: Staying motivated and energized is more difficult when all work is virtual
As compared to in-person internships, many virtual interns find that motivation to complete tasks is not as easy to find. A virtual internship simply may not be as engaging for students after attending school online from the same space at home for over a year. Also, at times, some virtual interns may wish they had more substantive work to complete given that employers are also still working at home and juggling many virtual interns across multiple time zones.
PRO: Virtual work can allow for more flexibility
While I regretted that my internships were not in the office, I took advantage of the flexibility that online work gave me to move around and live in different cities. Unless your employer has a residency requirement, it is possible to travel and live in different places while completing your internship as long as you have the ability to complete your work and attend meetings. Flexible work hours are also helpful in congregate living situations.
TIP: Be proactive to hold yourself accountable
Since it can be difficult to stay motivated during long periods of online work, hold yourself accountable by setting concrete goals. I recommend setting up a detailed concrete weekly or monthly calendar with deadlines to keep track of multiple projects. At the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, we use the platform Asana to keep track of projects and tasks. Other platforms such as Trello provide similar functionality. If it is feasible, schedule regular meetings with your supervisor, with team members on specific projects, and with your fellow interns. It is important to communicate regularly with your supervisor in a virtual internship.
Other tips to make the best of a virtual internship:
● Meet with coworkers and other interns in person as COVID safety allows. Take the initiative to plan events with other interns.
● Reach out to previous interns about their experience. Make connections with them and gain valuable insight about your organization.
● Make plans to meet your team after the pandemic is over. Even if you are just a visitor to the office, plan to go by and say hello as travel schedules allow.
● If possible, change up your work environment. Get out of your room. I love working in coffee shops or outdoors as the weather permits. If these are options for you, take advantage of the flexibility.
While, of course, I wish my internships had been in person, I am very grateful to my employers for providing the option to work virtually so that I could gain valuable experience while keeping myself and my co-workers safe from the pandemic.
