Saturday, October 5, 2013

Making The Most Of Your Remote Internship

My internship this fall is a little different than most. Instead of going into an office two or three days a week, I work either from home or the computer lab. Because the company does not have enough space in their office for me, I am able to work from any place I want.

Here are three tips to make the most out of your remote internship!

1. Do not hesitate to reach out. Just because you are not in the office each day, that does not mean you are any less a part of the company as other employees. Plan conference calls or Skype calls that can connect you to the home office.
2. Be proactive and willing. Do not let the fact that there is not enough room for you at the office limit your interaction with the company. I make sure to set up weekly meetings with my boss at either a restaurant, coffee shop or book store so that we can sit down and talk. In a land of constant emails, it is easier to meet face-to-face rather than exchanging 20 or so emails.
3. Act like you are in the office environment. Some days I find it hard to change from my pajamas into real clothes, get out of bed and get started on my intern duties. What I found as a best practice of making the most out of working remotely is acting like I am going to the office. I wake up in the morning, dress in business casual and bring all of my work to the library or computer lab. I sit down as though I am at an office and work as though I am there. This means ignoring my cell phone, avoiding checking personal social media accounts and email and dedicating my time to my internship.


Although it can be difficult to motivate yourself, a remote internship is a great experience, helps you practice self-control and allows you to make the most out of your internship opportunity.

This guest blog post was written by Temple PRSSA President Brianna Rooney.

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