Last summer, I was one of the many students who participated in a 缅北强奸 International Experience Internship over the summer months. I interned for the Montreal based Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights researching issues related to human rights in Venezuela. Due to the pandemic, my internship was entirely remote. This internship format had its challenges as well as some unique and enriching opportunities. This year, as you prepare for your remote internships, I wanted to share some tips for a pleasant and productive internship experience!
1. Be Proactive in Communicating with your Supervisor
The reality of remote work means that a lot of spontaneous interactions and conversations you may have had at the workplace are happening over email or some other online platform. While it may feel uncomfortable to do at first, you will feel more empowered in your internship if you take the initiative to reach out to your supervisor and team mates. If you hear of a project or meeting that is of interest to you, express your interest to your supervisor and ask to attend or participate to a greater degree. These requests are typically very warmly received by supervisors. If you feel shy it is helpful to remember that your supervisor and teammates also want you to have a positive learning experience!
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2. Find your Own External Opportunities for Learning and Professional Development
A positive aspect of interning remotely is that events external to your organization like trainings and webinars are accessible to you no matter where you are in the world. Take some time during your internship to browse opportunities for learning and professional development you are excited about and ask your internship for permission to participate. Do you want to learn to write better? Are you interested in a particular area of human rights? Are any universities offering summer seminars? Online opportunities during the pandemic are numerous and often allow registrations from anywhere in the world. During my internship I was able to attend a week-long lecture series on International Humanitarian Law hosted by the International Community of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Human Rights Research and Education Centre in Ottawa. My internship organization was very supportive of my interests and the opportunity to participate in outside learning enriched my internship experience.
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3. Establish a work flow system to keep you focused and accountable
Being entirely in charge of your own schedule and work progress can be daunting in a remote internship. I adopted the following techniques to help me stay productive, accountable, motivated, (and happy!) throughout the summer:
Don鈥檛 feel trapped in a 9-5 mentality but set (and complete) a daily work goal
There are many reasons why working from home is very different from working in an office. During your remote internship you may miss the social aspect of working with others, the benefits to productivity听that come from having a dedicated workspace away from your home and the clear separation between home and work life. While I tried to keep a strict 9-5 schedule in the beginning of my summer internship, I quickly realized the standards of productivity I was placing on myself were simply not reflective of the new reality (working from my bedroom!) and I decided to adjust my work process. Instead of adopting a 9-5 schedule and holding myself to the standard of productivity I would achieve in an office, I set a daily work goal through the "Pomodoro"听method. This method focuses on how many blocks of focused work you have accomplished in a day instead of the number of hours you have been sitting at a desk. I set a daily goal of 10 pomodoros (4.5 hours of uninterrupted and focused work) and left myself free to complete them at any point throughout the day. This system allowed me to go for walks during the day, enjoy the nice weather, and still advance in my work each day.
Be accountable to someone
If you are charged with a large internship project or task that will require effort over a long period of time, I recommend reaching out to a friend and discussing your ongoing goals and challenges with the project on a daily or semi-daily basis. During my internship I was regularly in communication with a friend who was writing a thesis over the summer. We would encourage each other to write each day and continue advancing on our respective projects. Having a friend who is also doing work during the day, even if it is not the same work, will create a sense of camaraderie and motivation on days where you may have less motivation.
Enjoy!
Your remote internship may not be what you expected but it can still be an incredible learning experience! Wishing you all an amazing summer!
