<aside> 💡 The COVID situation has forced most businesses to go online. Most (if not all) of your internships will be online this summer. Before going into the guide, I hope you realize how lucky you are to even have an internship this summer. Most businesses are laying off people and struggling financially. Even if you're not getting paid, their time is valuable and they are choosing to spend it on you. I hope you internalize this and demonstrate gratitude and appreciation to these people that are giving you this amazing learning opportunity.

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This guide is for you to read during your internship. Definitely read it now, then again before your first day, then every 3 days after that. This will help you crush your internship, build relationships, and make a sick impression. Don't underestimate the value of this guidance.

How remote work is different🎯

• 📌It's harder to build personal relationships with your co-workers. Try to set up 1on1 Zoom video calls to get to know the people in your team and company. Most people are very open to jumping on a Zoom call, especially since you're young and driven. If you send them some of your past work (articles, videos, projects) they'll be even more excited to meet you. Make sure your email is authentic and you've done your research on the person so they feel special knowing why you want to talk to them specifically. Don't wait for people to set up a meeting with you - be an activator.
  • You can even try starting off the meeting with an ice-breaker, like 2 truths and 1 lie. Might work well with some people, but not all.
  • Great topics include: asking for advice, learning about their story/journey, asking them about their mantras/philosophy on life, and talking about their family and kids
• 📌Communication is scattered. Having an in-person conversation is an easy way to align people. But remotely, it can be more difficult. If you feel confused or lack guidance, make sure to proactively reach out and ask for guidance. Don't expect that everyone will be super organized because it's hard to manage everyone remotely.
• 📌People can't tell if you're working hard. You want to show your co-workers that you are committed to adding value, learning, and putting in the work. Working hard is a signal that you care and appreciate the opportunity. Make sure you're communicating with everyone and updating them on what you're working on. Don't expect people to know what you're doing and how hard you're working.
  • If your company uses Slack (or something similar), great. Make sure to communicate your progress through daily updates with your manager. It can be as short as a couple of bullet points (don't write a huge essay lol). You can also do weekly updates with the broader team so they have visibility into what you're doing. Don't be afraid to post a weekly update. People will like this because it will show that you're taking initiative and you're hard-working. In your communication, you can also make sure you're aligned with what they need from you, while also demonstrating the ability to work on larger projects.
  • If your company doesn't use Slack (or something similar), I'd make a short standalone deck showing them why having Slack is valuable to internal communication. Then talk to a manager about how teams communicate internally and if this tool could help improve productivity. In the meantime, send email updates to your manager and weekly updates to your team.
• 📌You won't have the experience of going into the office. You won't feel the culture of the organization. So, you'll need to talk to others about the corporate culture and understand it. This is probably the biggest downside of being remote - not being fully immersed in the experience. There's no solution to this. You just have to accept it and try to make the most out of the experience. Focus on building relationships with the people and constantly show progress.
• 📌You're likely working solo. There might be less collaborative work and you might feel alone. That's ok, use it as an opportunity to grow your abilities to work independently. Don't rely on others to keep you accountable, do it yourself.
• 📌You won't be going into an office, so your day is likely more flexible. Use this flexibility to create your ideal days. Get work done, be productive, and also make sure to exercise and enjoy your day. You can go for a walk, do a workout, and make a healthy meal. But plan out your day so you can hit your important goals. Do not procrastinate. Do not wake up late. Plan out your day so you can maximize it.

How you should be thinking🧠

📌Proactive: Take the initiative. If you have free time or you feel your work isn’t adding value, say something. They won't be able to tell since you're at home. You need to speak up and take initiative.

📌Exceed Expectations: Try to exceed expectations when possible. Impress them. Don't settle for average.

📌Crush everything: it doesn’t matter how small the task is, CRUSH IT! Do everything really well. Impress people on the smallest of tasks. It doesn’t matter if you think something is important or not, crush it.

📌Be on the ball: If you’re supposed to do something, get it done! Don’t forget tasks. And if you’re working on a task, make sure to proactively give updates to people so they know the status of the task and they know that you’re working on it. Don't expect to be reminded. Build a good to-do system for yourself.

📌Be early: Arrive to zoom meetings 2min early. Don't join late!

📌Be helpful: have a “how can I help” mindset. Constantly be asking people how you can help them. It doesn’t need to be people directly on your team. Even if it’s something small like cleaning the table, to something big like a project they’re working on. Since you won't see people in person, msg them on Slack or email them. They will appreciate it.

📌Be engaged: always be asking questions and participating in the conversations. Show that you’re super engaged with the work you’re doing. Bring energy into the [virtual] room.

📌Don’t get comfortable: every day you should be pushing yourself to make an impression. The summer isn’t a long time. Each day is valuable and you should be growing. Don’t slack off, don’t get comfortable. It's easy to get complacent working from home, especially if you don't have a large workload.

📌Show progress: Make sure people see that you’re doing stuff. Don’t assume they know.

📌No second chances: once you lose trust the first time, it’s very hard to get it back. Don’t mess up. If you mess up, it will be because you fell into a bad mindset. Stay hungry!