In January, I was excited to report to a sleek, cool office in the heart of NYC's financial district as Kite Hill PR's newest intern. To say I have had a unique internship experience that I never expected to have, would be an understatement. Although I interned with Kite Hill for eight months, only two of those were spent in the actual agency. My "office" soon became my home when I, like the vast majority of the world, transitioned to fully remote status.
There are certain things I learned during my internship, that I believe I only could’ve learned as a result of working remotely.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
While this may seem like a lesson that is more of a universal truth than a lesson learned while working a remote internship, the importance of asking lots of questions was never more evident to me than while working from home. In virtual communication, via email or Slack or phone calls,it is easy for messages to lose meaning or context. It's ripe for misinterpretation. When someone is not sitting with you, face-to-face, tasks may seem even more confusing.
I learned quickly that working remotely meant that an account manager could not see my face, or see if I was confused. I had to speak up for myself. I had to articulate any confusion or questions I might have had. I became comfortable sending follow up Slacks or emails. I learned how to over-communicate to make sure I was doing my job to the best of my ability.
Be Proactive
Being proactive and eager to offer support wherever you can is key to a successful internship because it is, in my opinion, the best way to learn. While working remotely, no one is sitting in the office looking at you and therefore, the fact that you are there to offer support might not always be top-of-mind for everyone. It is very easy for us to get consumed in our own worlds and work and therefore, I recognized that it was up to me to put myself out there and offer my support as much as possible.
I found myself growing more comfortable with sending Slack messages to the account support, or through the wider team channel, asking for tasks in order for me to continue to develop new skills, while sharpening ones I had learned in the classroom, even though I was not in a typical agency setting.
Go to the Water Coolers and Cocktail Hours
I did not realize how much I enjoyed the atmosphere at Kite Hill until I no longer had it. I missed seeing everyone, and the conversations that occurred in the office throughout the day. Remote work has the tendency to become lonely, and I found myself missing the human interactions I had every day in the office.
The culture team at Kite Hill organized water coolers, trivia nights and cocktail hours to replicate that office atmosphere we were missing by working remotely and they were some of the most important events I attended during my time interning. Everyone at Kite Hill made me feel like a part of the team and I truly learned the importance of working in an agency that has a strong company culture and the importance of staying connected, even when we are not together.
Working remotely did not come without its challenges, however, the team at Kite Hill made the transition as seamless as possible. Although I did not anticipate having a remote internship, I learned invaluable lessons from the experience that I feel confident will allow me to excel in my next position, as I join the Kite Hill team as a full time employee!
- Kerriann Becker, Assistant Account Associate and Graduate of St. John’s University