Advice for a Successful Remote Publishing Internship

Remote internships are becoming increasingly popular. Companies see them as a way to expand their talent pool while keeping office costs low. This means that there’s a high chance that your first experience in the professional world will be from home, which can be nerve-racking. However, working from home comes with many benefits like an excellent work-life balance. So, don’t worry – we came up with a list of tips and tricks to make the most of your remote publishing internship.

Set Goals

It’s impossible to measure success without setting goals beforehand. Depending on the internship, you may have to speak with your university mentor or employer to understand what’s expected. Meanwhile, you should also set personal goals. What do you want to learn with this internship? What skills will you put into practice? How will you network? Keep in mind that internships are also the perfect time to discover what other roles at the company are all about.

Get To Know the Company’s Ins and Outs

When someone starts a new job, they’re required to know the company’s ins and outs. This is also true for interns. Take advantage of this opportunity to go over the organization’s website and documents to understand its market position, culture, history, and more. Even if you don’t end up working for the company, this information is crucial for you to be on the same page as everyone else, allowing you to have more meaningful conversations with your peers.

Have Work-Life Boundaries

When working from home, it’s easy to fall into the mistake of blending your personal and work life. But it’s important to set boundaries, as you’ll find yourself getting burned out quickly otherwise. Instead, create a routine right off the bat. Come up with a schedule that works best for you and follow through with it. Just because there’s a lot of schedule flexibility, it doesn’t mean you should be working at 3 a.m.

Learn How To Be Organized

Being organized is a necessary asset for any type of internship. But this is even more important when it’s remote. Since you won’t be with your coworkers face-to-face, it’s harder to ask for advice – especially if they have a different schedule. So, make sure you take notes when your manager is giving you work or explaining how to use a particular tool.

The same can be said about your task management. Remote companies always rely on software that puts everyone on the same page and focusing on a common goal, such as Asana, Hubstaff, or Slack. Make sure you take the time to learn how to work with these apps efficiently.

Reach Out To Coworkers

It’s already difficult for new employees to reach out to coworkers for the first time. It’s even harder when you’re the new intern who’s just doing a summer internship. However, getting to know your peers is beneficial, as this expands your network and increases the chance of getting recommendation letters. When future recruiters ask for references, you’ll also have plenty to choose from.

Ask for Feedback

Some companies have a strict schedule for feedback meetings. Others, not so much. Regardless, make sure you frequently ask for feedback to understand if you’re meeting expectations. Our best advice is to set up regular meetings with your manager to discuss work done so far and any help you may require. You should also consider how they prefer to communicate. For example, if your manager prefers speaking through Microsoft Teams, it’s better to shoot them a message there instead of setting up a video call.

Document Your Internship

Finally, make sure you document your internship. You’ll have plenty of new experiences and it’s impossible to remember everything. Journaling or keeping a blog/vlog about your journey is the perfect way to keep track of what you’ve learned. On top of that, you can use this as proof of your internship tasks when applying for future jobs. Also, don’t forget to ask for LinkedIn recommendations – recruiters love to see them when checking your profile.

Internships are exciting! There’s no doubt you’ll learn valuable life lessons and create connections that will last for years. Our final advice is – have fun! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you should make the most out of it. Even if you end up realizing that the role isn’t for you, don’t worry – internships are an excellent way for you to see what career path suits you the most.