Developing Remote Internships for Employers

Remote operations require a different type of workplace expectations and norms than fully in-person work. Below is information and resources on how to design a high-quality and effective remote internship experience.

The Basics

• Create a learning/work plan for your intern with specific goals & projects.
  • These are similar to a typical in-person internship, though projects may be limited given what is doable remotely.
• Ensure your intern has access to any required technology.
  • Whether it’s a computer, software, hardware or even physical documents, ensure that your intern has everything they need to be successful remotely.
• Prioritize consistent & frequent communication.
  • Schedule check-ins regularly on the phone or a virtual platform to answer questions and share updates. University of Washington students have access to Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Hangouts.

Work Plan

When designing your intern learning/work plans, consider these principles:

• Define the scope of work interns will be doing.
• Set specific goals and expectations for the intern’s weekly schedule and project deliverables.
• Designate check-in times. Clarify the best way to communicate questions to you (call, text, email, etc).

Potential Challenges

• Unable to provide direct guidance or training?
  • Think through your onboarding process and how to best adapt it to a virtual setting. Check out LinkedIn Learning’s course on teaching technical skills through video.
• Difficult to track progress on projects and tasks?
  • Have interns send daily/weekly updates and use the work plan document to denote what’s been completed. If your organization has the budget, consider using a project management platform (Asana, Monday.com, Microsoft Planner, etc).
• Does the intern feel disconnected from the larger organization?
  • Set up virtual team meetings, happy hours, or gatherings where everyone can share updates and ask questions.

Remote Work Tips for Interns

• Define your workplace
  • Set up a dedicated area in your room to log into your shifts and complete projects.
• Set a daily schedule and regular goals
  • If you have an asynchronous internship, still try to set aside specific hours each day to work. Collaborate with your site supervisor or manager on what goals you should be meeting each week.
• Eliminate distractions
  • Keep your workplace clear of other distractions, and try to work in a private area if possible. Consider noise-cancelling headphones, limiting your social media/phone use and turning off notifications while working.
  • Some students find it helpful to use body-doubling or mimic in-person work environments with Coffitivity. Experiment with what level of noise works best for optimal focus.
• Stay connected with others
  • If your site has digital communication tools (Slack, Teams, etc), post regularly & as appropriate to connect with your team members.
  • Consider attending in-person gatherings, if offered, such as happy hours or after-work socials.
• Dress for work
  • Even if you are not going into an office each day, change out of your sleeping attire before “clocking in” to do your remote internship.