Advice from a Salesforce Intern: How to Succeed on a Team Where Everyone is Remote
By Tyrell Chilton
Hi, my name is Tyrell Chilton and I’m a Renewels intern working in the Customer Success Group at Salesforce. I’ve been through a lot to get me to this point but I’m honestly so happy right now. When I first started my internship, I was extremely excited to meet my manager, Heather, and the rest of the brilliant team. Imagine my surprise when I learned that I may never get to meet them in person, no they aren’t ghosts or anything but they do all remotely sit in Indianapolis. It was a shock to find out that I was going to be the only team-member based in San Francisco! Even though this was one of the first things I learned about my internship experience, I felt like Year Up Bay Area prepared me for that moment and I had to find every way to thrive in this new environment nevertheless!
Working on a mostly remote team is becoming a more and more common work arrangement so I thought I’d write up 3 pieces of advice for all who will follow in my footsteps!
#1 Make a Brand for Yourself
Before Year Up, making a brand for myself meant that I was the guy that always wore a Boston Red Sox hat. After joining Year Up, I started to think more strategically about how I want people to perceive me and I began to build a reputation of professionalism and dependability. At Salesforce, I am knocking out projects left and right and my team knows that even though I may be miles away, I will always produce quality work in a timely fashion. Because I have built this trust, my team has begun to allocate more work to me which I gladly take on.
#2 Find Out What Motivates You in Times of Stress
Since the start of internship, I have taken on the moniker of Tom Cruise in Top Gun, I even have a print on my desk to keep my spirits high. Believe it or not, a simple reminder like this really does encourage me! Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed with work or a little stressed, I’ll take a look at that picture and it gets me back focused and ready to fly high, like a Top Gun.
#3 Communication, Communication, Communication
I cannot stress enough the importance of communication. To me it’s the most valuable skill to have, especially when your team is miles away. Ideally, you want to “over-communicate” because that is the only way to build trust with your team and most importantly with your manager. Prioritizing communication while working on projects keeps everyone in the loop and strengthens team dynamics.
In closing, I cannot wait to see the next step in my journey! Being a part of Year Up and working as an intern at Salesforce has given me a solid foundation that I will use to not only support myself and my family, but also my dreams and aspirations. I do not know how my life would have turned out had I not received the blessings and opportunities that were in front of me!
